By Elaine
Author "Calling the Rainbow Nation Home"
Not Simply With Words
First and foremost "evangelism" is an act of love.
John 3:16 (NIV)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Secondly, passing along this "good news" brings with it the implication that you are not merely telling someone about Jesus. But you are a living demonstration of Jesus to them. For in truth, our actions speak louder than our words.
1 Thess 1:5 (NIV)
“… our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.”
Paul is telling the Thessalonians that he brought the gospel, or “good news” to them not simply with words (the first important item) but with three other important ingredients: power, the Holy Spirit and with a deep conviction. Let’s look at these three things in more detail.
- Words.
The word “words” literally here means to present something in a logical manner. To reason something out. My brother the mathematician would love this concept. A + B = C. Straight forward logic. If A then B follows.
- Power.
Dunamis (Strong #1411) this word means a great force, miraculous power, ability, strength, and even “violence”. Wow. Paul didn’t just preach the message (words) but he brought a message with “signs following” (Mark 16:20). In 1 Corinthians 2:4 Paul stated it like this:
1 Cor 2:3 (NIV)
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power…”
- Holy Ghost.
It wasn’t just any kind of power that Paul’s message emanated from. It was power that proceeded from the Holy Ghost. This is a special kind of spiritual power from a very special Spiritual entity. Some of the earmarks of the Holy Spirit is that He will not speak of Himself (John 16:13) but will only speak that which He hears from the Father (John 14:26; 16:13) and His testimony continually points back to the Son (John 15:26). He is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17).
4. Assurance.
The word assurance (Strong’s #4136) here means to have complete confidence in something and to come from a place of deep conviction. Another words, Paul’s “assurance” in the gospel, or “good news” that he was preaching didn’t come because someone had told him (logos) that is was true. It came because he had experienced it to be true.
Words – Experience – Holy Spirit - Miraculous
It is a simple message and yet one we often overlook. Some of us feel more comfortable with the intellectual side of our faith so we focus on that (logos). Others focus on their experiences and the assurance they have garnered from these experiences. Still others seek the signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. The point is that God is telling us that all three are important. Those of us who feel comfortable in the Word and with logic must never turn away (or worse yet scoff at!) the supernatural.
Those who hunger for a “word from the Lord” need to understand that they have a whole book of ‘words from the Lord’ sitting on their bookshelf – it’s called “The Bible”.
Both camps need to understand that without the assurance that comes from personal experience that our words will be flat and our lives unconvincing. Heck, without a personal experience from God and with God our lives and our words will be unconvincing even to ourselves!
Has God’s love transformed your heart? Have you experienced a miracle in your life? Has the Word of God (both the Living Word of Christ and the written Word) been the firm foundation your life has been steadied by? What experiences in your life have given you the firm assurance that what you speak of is true? What assurances in your life have witnessed (to you!) that the “good news” you’re bringing to others has really and truly been “good news” to you?
Pull from these experiences in your life and share them with others. Share your life, share your words, share your faith. People don't want to see a Bible tract - they want to see you. Has God made a difference in your life? If yes, then share it!
Note: If you are still confused about how a gay Christian can feel they are 'right' with God I encourage you to read the section of the web site entitled "Gay and Christian? YES!"