Human beings want to believe that there is something better for them after death. This very principle is true of every faith, religion or belief – the promise of something better. As Christians, charged with the spreading of Gods word, this provides us with ample opportunities with which to do this. Before doing this though, we need a firm grounding in the fundamentals of our faith. Here I give a few points on what you should understand and why. Let’s begin. Receiving the Holy Spirit and becoming a born again Christian is the start of a new life. This new life is a journey, wherein you learn to live by the laws laid out in the bible, get your faith to grow, spread the message you now have to the dying world, learn to love one another, including the unbeliever etc. Whilst reading through 2 Corinthians verses: 4, 5 & 6, I made a few points on these things, laid out below.
1. We are called to treat all of Gods creation in a different manner. Our weaknesses and problems are actually blessings. Why? – They force us to remember god (remember the parable of the lost sheep), to call on him. They give us the opportunity to find common ground with non-believers so that we can spread the gospel. They teach us the gifts of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), helping us to grow as Christians. They keep us from becoming proud etc.
2. Fearing God, knowing that we will be judged by him and be able to spend eternity with him should motivate us to live for him. Armed with this knowledge, we need not fear death, persecution, hardships or other worldly powers.
3. In today’s world of modern evangelism, we may find ministers and leaders twisting the scriptures to fill seats in their congregations or motivate their audiences, take scripture out of context to fulfil their own views and opinions and more. It is vital that we are discerning in our Christian views. How can we do that? – knowing Gods word, that is the bible, and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us will allow us to discern right from wrong.
4. God has traded our sins for everlasting life and eternity with him, we should be wiling suffer any hardships for God. Try our utmost to see that his word is spread and his kingdom expanded. Remember that we are God’s messengers, servants, ambassadors. Ask yourself ‘how else is the word of God going to be spread’.
5. The bible tells us to be IN the world, not OF the world, yet we interact with non- believers every day. Remember that they observe our every action, Jesus died for them as well as for you, and do you want your actions or speech to destroy a life for which Christ died?
6. In order to keep ourselves from becoming separated from God, we need to read our bibles at least once a day and continue to pray. Letting either of these two things go will result in the world being able to corrupt us that much easier.
How can God speak to his people if we don’t fellowship with him? Hopefully this study will help you to be more confident in what you believe, and give you more knowledge to preach more effectively. Remember to ask questions of yourself. I’m not saying that you should begin to doubt yourself or your beliefs, but ask yourself ‘how can you be a more effective witness?’, ‘what questions do you need to be able to answer without hesitation?’ and other such questions. Remember, the person you are preaching to is going to have many questions of varying difficulty. I trust that the reader will once again question what I have written here to see if it lines up with scripture. I hope that this message has helped or inspired some to further their walk.
God Bless
Asher Mostert
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God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply.
James Hudson Taylor
