Our accepting the plan of salvation is only the beginning. We need to do our part in extending God’s kingdom. This devotion looks at why it is important for us to witness.
Nuggets
- The only way we are going to gain salvation is through the grace of God; however, we can’t accept the gift if we know nothing about the gift being offered.
- We have to do more than just read the gospel – we have to hear it preached.
- But God is sending us — every us – to tell His message.
Devotions in the What I Believe series
Devotions in the Response to Salvation series
Putting Feet to the Plan of Salvation
The thing about salvation is we have to tell people. That is what witnessing is all about. Paul gave us some encouragement.
Let's Put It into Context
“The scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.’ This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. As the scripture says, ‘Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved’ (Rom. 10: 11-13 CSB)
Paul just gave us the plan of salvation in a nutshell. He said we had to believe and confess. Then he said salvation is open to all.
The main point was “… there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him” (Rom. 10: 12 CSB). The Jews had this big barrier between them and the Gentiles — i.e., everyone who wasn’t Jewish.
Paul spent several verses in Ephesians addressing that. “He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death” (Eph. 2: 15-16 CSB).
There is no more Jew and Gentile. Those have become one — children of God.
But look what it says. “… God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him” (Rom. 10: 12 CSB). The stipulation is we have to call to Him.
God isn’t going to just bless everyone because we were His creation made in His image. We have to be children of God.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Non-believers are not going to know about the plan of salvation unless we tell them. What does Paul say about that?
Gotta Hear to Believe
“How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? …” (Rom. 10: 14 CSB)
The only way we are going to gain salvation is through the grace of God. God extended that grace when He designed the plan of salvation before the foundation of the world.
Paul wrote in Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2: 8 ESV). This is God’s doing.
Our part is accepting the gift. However, we can’t accept the gift if we know nothing about the gift being offered.
Butler told us three components must be present when presenting the plan of salvation. They are the following:
- The voice of God
- The hearing of man
- The consequent belief
Gotta Get the Ears Working
“… And how can they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10: 14 CSB)
Hitchcock made an interesting observation that I hadn’t thought of before. Christianity, Judaism, and Mohammedanism are the three well-known “book” religions. We have a book of standards. Anyone who reads the standards and believes in his heart can be saved.
But just reading the book can’t be all there is. We didn’t put the porch swing together by just reading the instruction manual.
We can learn by reading. We learn more by interacting.
Let’s look at it this way. Here is a link to my favorite song at the moment. Go through and read the words.
Then click the other link. See how hearing the song adds to how it speaks to us.
Now, some day the video will come out where we can see them actually singing, not just seeing the words on screen while they sing it. How much of a difference did hearing make over reading the words? Now, transfer that from reading the Scriptures to being told by someone who applies them to their own life.
No, Jesus didn’t have a blog. He didn’t even write a letter to any of the churches. (So, hearing predated reading.)
Jesus made contact with people and talked to them. Part of me wants to say that He got in their faces. No, not in a confrontational way.
Rather, Jesus made sure they knew they had to make a decision. He didn’t get forceful — but He didn’t back down either.
Jesus made it personal for them.
We have to do more than just read the gospel. We have to hear it preached. The interaction with believers is imperative.
Whom Shall I Send?
“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Rom. 10: 15 CSB)
Sometimes, I think we think the sent people are the Pastor Chad-types or the missionaries. Anyone but us.
But God is sending us — every us – to tell His message. Foster said it this way. He wrote, “All are made witnesses to all they have heard.”
But, don’t worry. We are not on our own. God will send us. He will go before us and after us (Is 52: 12).
All we have to do is tell what God has done for us. The Holy Spirit does the convicting, and God does the saving.
No, God doesn’t use the best orators. He doesn’t use the beautiful and the important.
God uses the broken. He uses the ones who have submitted to Him.
We have to remember the focus isn’t on the messenger — us. It is on the message — Jesus.
But, let’s get real for a second. How many of us really think feet are beautiful?
Seriously.
I had to laugh at what Robinson said. He wrote, “This is a picture on the canvas of the imagination.” See. He agrees with me!
Robinson contends that the beauty is in the following:
- “The preciousness of his message.
- “The ardour of his zeal and love.
- “The holy consistency of his life.”
The focus should be on Jesus’ gospel of peace through salvation. Our goal is to bring the peace and joy we have found to those to whom we are witnessing.
Making the Connections
I ran across a sermon by Brady. It gave the benefits of having an established ministry.
For years, we have been saying that church is just a building. Now in this pandemic, we have seen the church bust out of those doors.
The church is the people — wherever we are at.
I love what Brady said when he wrote “God is the God of order, not of confusion, and expects that His service should be performed after a regular and decent manner, free from negligence on the one hand and foppery on the other; especially He requires that acts of public adoration should be accompanied with a reverence and solemnity suitable to the majesty of such a presence.”
Oh, yes. God is the God of order. How long did He have the plan of salvation before He put it in motion?
So, God expects us to plan our ministry for Him. Yes, some opportunities for witnessing are going to drop into our laps.
But we have to be ready for them. That is why we are doing the What I Believe series. We have to know what we believe and be secure in those beliefs before we can witness to someone else.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
Do you think that is one of the reasons why we have been so hesitant to witness? Because we aren’t confident in what we believe.
I hope you are using the worksheets to solidify what you believe. At a minimum, I hope you are thinking it through.
I know in the past I have been guilty, too. I read a devotion someone had written — and that was all the thought that goes into it.
God wants us to study His Word. He wants us to meditate on it.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
We’ve been asking these questions all along so we can prepare for when we are asked. Here is the worksheet again. What would you say about studying and hearing God’s Word?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
Chalmers reminded us that every creature must hear the gospel message. Remember, we talked about this before. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Mt. 24: 14 NLT). Everyone will hear the gospel before the end of the world. Everyone will have to make a choice.
We will have a part in witnessing. How do we do that?
- We have to know what we are talking about.
- We have to have faith.
- We have to have ABCDed.
- We have to tell others.
- We have to encourage them to grow in faith.
- We have to encourage them to ABCD.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
God is the God of order. He expects us to regularly serve Him. That includes telling others of His love and forgiveness.
We have to step up to the job.
Loving Heavenly Father. You are so wonderful, and we are so flawed. We question how You can use us to expand Your kingdom. But You do. You have chosen us to show us Your love and Your grace. Help us to not only live the lives that show others how we imitate You, but also to boldly proclaim Your gospel to all we meet. Amen.
What do you think?
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