1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Everyone who is earnest in sharing the Gospel has run into people who had less understanding of what was being said to them than a donkey would. The NIV says that such a person is “without the Spirit,” but the Japanese sticks with the Greek to say, “natural.” The thing is, it’s just like Jesus said: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44) The problem is, we don’t know at first glance who is being drawn, so we aren’t to write anyone off. We are all born with a hunger for God, which is why early childhood evangelism is often so successful. However, such children are very dependent on their home environments, so those without Christian parents seldom grow into true disciples. It is when we “mature” into “thinking adults” that Paul’s statement here comes into play. To the simply human mind, it seems absurd that the God of the universe would love us enough to send His Son to die for us, and that He would care about us individually. Here again Jesus said it very clearly: “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:17) That being said, how are we to evangelize? First, we must pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts and minds. Then, we are to present the Gospel simply, in words that a child could understand. We are never to look down on anyone because of their lack of understanding, but remember that it is only by God’s grace that we ourselves have been able to receive the Gospel.

This is very pointed for me. As I am reminded fairly frequently, I face many communication barriers. For me it’s not a matter of English or Japanese, because I speak both freely, but of understanding my hearers’ background, or lack of it, and tailoring my words appropriately. The longer I’m in ministry, the simpler words I use! With a Christian who is seeking deeper understanding, I can use words like atonement and propitiation, but certainly not with anyone who has not committed their heart to Jesus as Lord. Having been raised in the Church as I was, that can be hard to remember at times!

Father, thank You for the awareness that You desire people’s salvation more than I ever could. Help me be fully available and submitted to You, so that You may use me to draw people to Christ and to speak Your truth to those who are being drawn, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!