I’ve been on foreign mission fields, and I’ve been on American mission fields, and the only difference is the cultures of the people. And that is not only a foreign country issue, but a state to state issue.
I realized that when I tried to explain to a hunter in New Mexico that I was in his state singin’ and speakin’. To which he replied, “What?”
And then I realized that my redneck dialect had gotten me in trouble again and I had to slow down and annunciate my words. So I replied in kind to his question. “Singing and Speaking.” And that he understood.
Sometimes I think we forget when we talk Jesus that that too is another language all together. I realized this when I spoke to a woman in New Mexico who said to me, “I had to call a friend the other day and ask her what sin was. I really didn’t know.
That shocked me. Because sin is, well, sin. But to the lost who are totally unchurched, it’s another one of those Christian words that goes unexplained and assumed that the world understands.
I understood when I had to explain words like that in a foreign land. They didn’t understand my language, but in America. Seriously? A word as simple as sin. It was as crazy to me as the hunter, (who technically should have spoke redneck) but didn’t understand the word “speakin.” It caused me to wonder this morning how many times not only my redneck dialect gets me into trouble, but my Christian dialect.
Churchy words.
Three phrases I throw around too easily without explanation.
- Are you saved?
Saved from what? Am I in danger?
Well, as a matter of fact you are. But the unsaved truly doesn’t what there is to be afraid of. We speak of things in the spiritual realm they speak of things in the physical realm. And to talk about the spiritual realm is like speaking to them of Ghost Busters, Green monsters and perhaps a small concept of Angels.
I’m not so sure that many Christians understand the spiritual realm and what goes on there.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
So, it’s clearly saying that the unsaved cannot understand spiritual things because they’ve yet to receive the Holy Spirit. And many saved people cannot explain the Holy Spirit because they’re not in touch with Him themselves. We have Christians who don’t find in necessary to go to church on Sunday morning, read their bible, or witness to the lost. Those are three non-negotiable expectations of God.
The best way to explain the word Salvation is almost always through your testimony. And usually any other spiritual question. Because it makes it personal.
I knew what I was saved from the second I got saved. Fear.
My entire life, from the time I was old enough to be lost, I had a fear of Hell. It was placed inside of me by God and I fully believe that everyone of us from a child know that there is a God. Because the Bible says that in Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
It’s why it’s important to pray before we speak to the lost. The Spirit has been dealing with them, but we just need to pray so that we too are in tune with what the Spirit would have us say. So to answer them Saved from what is an easy answer for me if I just rely on what God instilled in me as a child. And what I came to know when I did get saved is the truth about Hell. It is a total darkness, fire and separation from everyone and everything. Especially the Creator. And though they do not know Him, they will when they hit Hell and they’ll understand too little too late how wonderful He is.
Another question that we take under assumption is:
- Do you know Jesus?
I give it very little thought. I assume everyone has at least heard the name. But yesterday a friend of mine blew that theory out of the water when he said he ask a person in the prison that he ministers in and their response was “Who?”
They’d not heard the name. That’s unbelievable in our day and age. But yet it happens. And although most people have at least heard the Name, they still do not understand the concept of Who He is. And if you’re ask that question, how do you answer?
He is God. God in the flesh who wanted to experience life as we did, so He came to earth as a man and walked in the body of a man so that He could understand what it felt like to be a man.
He understood temptation, fear, pain, heartache, betrayal and every other aspect of humanity and yet stayed perfect and Holy. We cannot. I can’t stay perfect 10 minutes. The fact that God understands that connects us to Him in a greater way. A way that the lost wants someone to understand.
It’s why when a Christian stands in judgment of the lost, the lost cannot experience Christ. Because Christ forgave and understood the sin of man, His judgement comes in eternity.
If we can help the lost to understand that first, we’ll be ready to explain Jesus! The lost have to experience Him through us. And we’re going to answer for how and whether or not they have.
Final Quote
- Christ Died for You.
What? Why would He do that and why did He think it was necessary.
It’s a notion that I have a hard time comprehending myself on a regular basis and I know it’s truth. Why would He do that? And if it’s hard for me to comprehend. Imagine what goes through the mind of a person who’s lost and how do we explain the justification of Old Testament rituals to them, especially in this critter loving world?
For me the only way that I can explain that is through the eyes of a parent – child relationship. One that most everyone understands, even if sometimes it’s from a warped perspective.
I think about Adam’s love of creation. Imagine the time he spent with all of the critters as he named them and loved on them. Imagine the horror of having to kill the first lamb when God had them clothe themselves after the fall in the garden.
I believe God wanted them to understand the separation of death in the same way He experiences it with a child who never accepted His sacrifice. It’s a pain beyond description.
If we can understand that, and the fact that He went from the sacrifice of animals to the experiencing the sacrifice of His Son and watching Him suffer as no animal ever did, then we’ll have a better grasp of why He died for us.
It’s not uncommon for my redneck dialect to get me into trouble. But what I don’t want is for my witnessing to get me into trouble. I want to know that when I tell people about my life changing relationship with Jesus Christ, it’s apparent through my life and my words and it’s done in a way that makes them want what I have.
Who wants what a cranky, judgmental, poor example of Christ has? No one.
But if we can not only show them the love of God, but the explain that love of God, we’ll be on the road to sharing in the salvation of Jesus Christ with them.
My next blog is going to be about my New Mexico experience. I wanted to wrap my mind around it myself before I tried to explain it to everyone. I’ll share some of the amazing things that God did and allow you to come along on the journey, especially those who prayed for this trip.
You’re going to love what you were a part of!