By Samantha Brown
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
As believers, more often than not it is easier not to say anything at all about our faith than to face the ridicule and even rejection that comes with being "over the top" for the Lord. What will they think? What will they say? What if they reject me? What if they slam a door in my face? This doubtful questioning can go on and on.
C.T. Studd once said:
"Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last."
I've heard preachers make mention of this: "If there is one thing in the Christian life that we should be investing in, it is what we can take to heaven with us. Souls." Literally, the only thing that we can take to heaven with us is souls. Now, we can't physically force anyone to be saved or repeat a simple “1-2-3 pray after me” in order for them to be able to spend eternity in heaven. But what we can do is share the gospel with them, have a testimony of salvation ourselves (that we live out), invest in their lives, in their spiritual well being, and influence them to do good for the cause of Christ.
Romans 10:14 says, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" This verse is talking about being a witness - a person who shares the gospel. How will the lost know if we don't share it with them. It's true what they say, you are the only Bible that some people will ever read.
If you're the only Bible that some will ever read, what are they reading from your testimony?
What are they reading when they see how you speak with others? What are they reading from your presence on social media? II Corinthians 4:3 "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:"
There is a lost and dying world out there. Here are some basic questions I asked myself when studying this:
What am I doing to help the cause of Christ?
Do others see Jesus in me?
Do I reflect Who Christ is in my daily life?
When others see my life, do they know that I live for Christ?
Wow! I was convicted. I can assure you that there are many areas that I can improve on from just those 4 simple questions.
Friend, if you are struggling to share the gospel to others in your daily life or on social media, you're not alone. Can I encourage you to take the leap of faith and to share Christ?
God says that "whosoever was not found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Let's make this personal. Replace "whosoever" with someone you know. Whosoever can be your parent, sibling, family member, friends, co-worker, or the person standing next to you at the gas pump. If they are lost, without Christ, they will spend eternity in hell. Is our gospel hidden from them? Are we ashamed to tell them? Let's obey Christ's command to His disciples (and to us).
Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."