When concerned for someone’s spiritual destiny, I sometimes think about ways I could tell them about Jesus, ways I could convince them that He died for their sins and offers them forgiveness and eternal life. Part of that thinking is motivated by the pressure in evangelicalism to ‘win souls’ and belong to some sort of upper echelon who report a count of the disciples they have ‘won.’ I should know better.
I know that people are not persuaded about such matters with human reasoning. The human spirit cannot be touched by anything but spirit, or made alive by anyone but God. No golden tongue can do it, only God.
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about their sinful sectarianism. Some were forming factions that included the people they had ‘won’ and baptized. They were saying things just like we hear today, “I go to Pastor Bill’s church” or “I follow Dr. Know-it-all” or “I only read books by Rev. Rev-it-up.”
Paul replied, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
He knew that when people insert into the making of disciples their own ideas of how it should be done, the Spirit gets shoved out. Some sinners might be attracted—if the reasoning and persuasion appeals to them—but eventually the wheels fall off. They are not genuinely converted because there is no power in a cross embellished by argument, nor in a Jesus who is relegated to the back burner while crackpots boil over in the limelight.
My concerns for others can be verbalized in prayer. If God gives opportunity and the words, He may have me say something to them. Most of the time though, my ‘preaching’ is supposed to be not with words, even wise words, particularly if the motive behind it is to put notches in my belt.
Even if God did use my words, there is nothing special about that. It is still God who is speaking. Besides, God can, and once did, speak through the jawbone of a donkey. I’ve nothing to boast about, ever.
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