John 3:12 “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?”
This is the most familiar of all Bible passages, yet there is still much to meditate on here. That’s precisely because of what Jesus says in this verse. We tend to choke on what God says to us about living on this planet. How much more help do we need to grasp all He tells us about genuinely spiritual things? We need to let His Word simmer, sometimes percolate, in our hearts and minds until our merely human thinking is transformed by His truth. That’s not the same thing as being gullible. A gullible person believes anything uncritically. There are a few things that we do need to believe without any question. First, that God loves us. Second, that we are by nature sinners, totally unworthy of God’s love. Third, that God’s love caused Him to send His Son to take the penalty for our sin, enabling us to become His children. There are countless more things, but those are the foundation. Without them there is no salvation, but with them there is eternity in fellowship with our Creator. As Jesus sadly noted in verses 19-20, far too many people refuse to acknowledge their sin, and so choose eternal darkness and destruction over coming to God in repentance. This is the core of evangelism. We can present the good news of salvation, but it is up to each individual to repent and believe. When they refuse to do so it is tragic, but when they open their heart to receive God’s grace, it is glorious!
As I testified this past Sunday, I have recently discovered great joy in evangelism. Up until now I have felt, and stated, that I was not gifted as an evangelist. I still don’t have legions being converted, but I do have joy in the process! There is one man whom I will be seeing again today who seems on the very brink of commitment, but I think he still has trouble with the idea that God actually loves him. However, he is seeing God’s love at work in me and in this church, and he is being transformed. There are others with whom I interact a little less intensively, but still regularly. My prayer is that they all, and many more, would wake up, repent, and believe for their salvation, for the pleasure and glory of God.
Father, thank You for the privilege of having a small part in Your process of salvation. May I be fully available and obedient to You at all times, so that as many as will may come into Your kingdom, Your family, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!