But I'm Good....Another journal for the Reluctant Evangelist in the Belt

One thing I am observing as I watch and pray and meditate on the desperate need the Bible belt has for the true gospel of Jesus Christ the more saddened my heart becomes. I am reading two books along with the Bible to help me process this journey of making disciples.

One problem is there are too many resources out there, too many "programs" to supposedly help with this. Too much motivation by others counting numbers. I am thankful that God put only two deeply biblical books at my feet. The first is called, "Marks of the Messenger, knowing, living, and speaking the Gospel" by J. Mack Stiles. The second is called, "Jesus the Evangelist" by Richard Phillips.

The first book has been so helpful so far, It explains how we lose the gospel. How through 4 generations it can be lost entirely. I am believing that is happening in the belt. The first big mistake we make is "assuming the gospel" which means instead of sharing it you assume people have it especially if they can say the right words etc. Then we become a "cultural gospel" which is what is true of where I live. We live in a "church culture." More people go to church here just as an act of the culture. If these people attend a church where the gospel message is not embraced and focused on then they are lost. They are sick without a doctor though they remain in the hospital. They are blinded. The message of the gospel must be held up highly and continually. We must protect it. We must live it. We must speak it. We must preach it to ourselves daily.

Now about my title, "but I am good". Our little three year old is obsessed about being told he is good. Whenever he gets in trouble he cries out, "I'm good. I'm good!" He will not let this go. He does not want to accept his behavior as sin. He is justifying himself by saying he is good. However, there is no one good when we compare ourselves to the only and right standard which is Christ. No one is good not even one. His death and sacrifice in our place on the cross is what is needed to be good. It is not something we do or can keep up it is simply accepting what He has done on our behalf by faith. It is believing and holding on to the cross even when we sin. He traded places with us so we could be acceptable to God but He is the only way. There is no good in us.

We can appear good by upholding a moralistic standard but that is not the gospel. The gospel is embracing what has been done for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Nothing else can make us good. NOTHING! So when I hear our precious little guy say this I tell him that no one is good apart from Jesus. I point him to the cross and tell him what an amazing sacrifice and gift God has for us, that He wants to offer us. I pray one day he too will believe it.

Speaking about a three year old is kind of silly because we sort of expect this kind of thought and behavior from someone who is three. Yet, as adults we do the same thing. We try to cover ourselves, a sin that started in the garden when our first parents believed that they knew better than God which ushered sin into this world. Ever since we were born in sin desperately in need of a Savior.

As I walk and observe I am praying fervently for this culture that we will see our desperate need for a Savior. That we will be at the right place at the right time to speak this truth to those who are ready to hear it. I will be learning how to speak it through conversation through these books. I am excited to see what fruit it will bring about. The gospel is not something we can count in numbers. When we share with others no matter their response we must believe that God is using it somehow. Only God truly knows another persons heart.