Jesus presented two opportunities for me to witness to others this week.
In the back of my mind was a short video clip on evangelism I had seen, probably from the 80s, by Leonard Ravenhill. Ravenhill was a British evangelist and author whose writings focused on revival. He began by saying, “I don’t bother asking if people are saved anymore. I mean, who isn’t saved these days, from the White House all the way to the jailhouse?” (with his typical British smirk- love it!)
Instead, Ravenhil said he asks people, “Do you know Christ? Is Christ in you? Is Christ living in you? Christianity is unique in all the religions of the world because God comes and lives inside man by the Holy Spirit.”
As the question, “Is Christ in you?” lingered in my mind, fast forward to Wednesday, when Emily and I were preparing for the communion service at The Reserve independent living facility. As people were coming in for the service, several of them were standing around talking. One woman was wearing a New England Patriots jersey, so I took the opportunity to start a conversation, since I love the Philadelphia Eagles.
I asked her if she wanted to stay for the communion service. She replied that she had already completed the Catholic communion service at 9:00 a.m., which meets every week. As the conversation continued, I overheard her joking with one of the men who comes to the service regularly, and she said with a laugh,
“I’m just going to hell in a handbasket!”
I quickly got her attention and asked,
“Why would you say that? Do you know that the Bible says that you can know that you have eternal life?”
I continued with my best recollection of scripture:
“These things are written so that you may know that you have eternal life. He who has the Son of God has life. He who does not have the Son does not have life. Is Christ in you? Do you know if Jesus lives in you?”
At this point the woman’s facial expression changed. It was clear the Holy Spirit was affecting her. She paused, and in a more serious tone said slowly,
“I think he left me a long time ago.”
I immediately inquired,
“Why would you say that?”
“Well, I’m not a very religious person.”
I responded, “Jesus wasn’t about religion. He had plenty to say to people he knew were too religious, such as the Pharisees.” She didn’t reply with anymore conversation. She motioned the sign of the cross from her head, downward, and then from one shoulder to the other. After she gathered her emotions, she said ‘bye’ and walked out of the room. I was struck by the sadness in her countenance and the sadness in her words, “I think he left me a long time ago.”
The second opportunity came about when speaking to one of the women at the Table Tennis club. She said her mother was Buddhist but she herself didn’t practice it much. I said that I had some questions about Buddhist thinking, and she proceeded to tell me that her problem with Christianity was this: a person could live a bad (sinful) life for years and years, and at the end turn to Jesus and go to heaven. I replied by saying, “Yes that is possible,” giving the example of the thief on the cross. She explained to me that Buddhism seemed better, because in her mind it was more “fair” than the idea of grace. “In Buddhism people have to strive their whole life for something,” she summarized. I ended by telling her that the concept of God’s grace given to sinners is what separates Christianity from every other world religion.
Do these two examples burden your heart for those around you who don’t know Christ? Thousands of people, without any assurance that their sins are forgiven! Millions of people living in a delusion that they can “earn their way” into heaven by the end of their lives!
Pray for these two people this week. Ask God to send you someone to speak with and give you the boldness to speak the message of life in Christ- salvation full and free by God’s grace!