Bold Believer Posted January 28, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Share Posted January 28, 2009 A Christian man was walking down the street in his hometown and as he did, he noticed a home on fire. Dutifully, he ran over and began to call out to someone he saw in the upstairs window: "You need to jump out the window! Hurry." The home's occupant walked over to the window and replied: "Are you nuts, I have perfectly good steps in here." The Christian replied, "You NEED to jump out the window!" The occupant shook his head and went back to what he was doing before. A few minutes later, another Christian appeared outside the window. "Hey man, you need to jump out the window." The occupant replied tersely: "So I've heard. Why?" "YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE! It's jump or die!" The man jumped out the window into the arms of the waiting Christian. A moment later, the house collapsed. So then, what was the difference between the messages? The second man gave the WHY. Believing on Jesus will mean little if we don't explain to people that they are violators of the law of God and worthy of death in His eyes. We need to give the bad news along with the Good News. An unrepentant sinner needs to understand the WHY of belief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizzdy Posted January 28, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 173 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 3,911 Content Per Day: 0.66 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 10 Joined: 03/21/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted January 28, 2009 The second man gave the WHY. Believing on Jesus will mean little if we don't explain to people that they are violators of the law of God and worthy of death in His eyes. We need to give the bad news along with the Good News. An unrepentant sinner needs to understand the WHY of belief. I am always asked why I believe as I do. Although I usually don't start off the converstation you are violaters of the law and worthy of death, even if it is true, that usually gets the dander up of the other person and closes off the hearts and minds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Believer Posted January 28, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 The second man gave the WHY. Believing on Jesus will mean little if we don't explain to people that they are violators of the law of God and worthy of death in His eyes. We need to give the bad news along with the Good News. An unrepentant sinner needs to understand the WHY of belief. I am always asked why I believe as I do. Although I usually don't start off the converstation you are violaters of the law and worthy of death, even if it is true, that usually gets the dander up of the other person and closes off the hearts and minds. Of course not. But still, an unrepentant needs to know WHY they need to believe. That is the why. They need to understand how God sees them. All sin is violation of the Law. The Law is a good thing, as Paul says, but we're bound up in sin. We need to understand where we stand before God so that we will see the need for salvation. Like the man in the parable who had no idea his house was on fire, we know why we need to come to Christ. Our house is on fire. There is no saving Adam. He must die, but we come to Christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted January 28, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted January 28, 2009 The "why" of belief is because people are separated from God. Hell is simply a final symptom of that separation. I tend to stress the separation part and how God desires to repair that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings Hosea 6:6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lampoilcan Posted January 29, 2009 Group: Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 9 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/06/1954 Share Posted January 29, 2009 That was an interesting statement about explaining the why of belief to those who need salvation. Too little is being done to spread the gospel. Here is another interesting "Why Question" Since God said he would gives us the desires of our heart, Ps. 37.4, as we delight in Him If you could stop everything, and begin to do for God whatever desire or desires in your heart you would do, what would you do? Perhaps these desires are the seeds of your future ministry for God. Definitely, something to pray about, no?! Jim http://alloftheanswers.com http://myspace.com/lampoilcansladder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrowfromgod Posted January 29, 2009 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 376 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/03/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/30/1962 Share Posted January 29, 2009 The "why" of belief is because people are separated from God. Hell is simply a final symptom of that separation. I tend to stress the separation part and how God desires to repair that. yeah what he said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Believer Posted January 29, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 The reason for the separation is because we're violators of his holy law by nature. When God says through Isaiah that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags, he's not talking about the kind of oily dirty rags you find in your garage. Read the passage in Hebrew. The rags refer to something ceremonially unclean that I won't mention here out of common decency. That is how God views our futile attempts as righteousness. We are nasty to him in our own nature. If more people understood just where they stood, maybe they would see their need to BE saved. Jesus loves you is not 100% correct. It's true, yes, but the problem is people use it for fire insurance. Jesus loved us and to show it, he died for what we are in the sight of God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honeybee88 Posted January 29, 2009 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 38 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 746 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 52 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/25/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/30/1988 Share Posted January 29, 2009 As Spurgeon said-you have to get people lost before you can get them saved. "Believe in Jesus" "Try Jesus" "Ask Jesus into your heart" are meaningless unless they know that they need Him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yacov Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 The reason for the separation is because we're violators of his holy law by nature. When God says through Isaiah that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags, he's not talking about the kind of oily dirty rags you find in your garage. Read the passage in Hebrew. The rags refer to something ceremonially unclean that I won't mention here out of common decency. That is how God views our futile attempts as righteousness. We are nasty to him in our own nature. If more people understood just where they stood, maybe they would see their need to BE saved. Jesus loves you is not 100% correct. It's true, yes, but the problem is people use it for fire insurance. Jesus loved us and to show it, he died for what we are in the sight of God. Shalom bold believer, Excellent points you make. I have seen your way work with many people groups except one. The Jewish People. How do you propose to get the Jewish people to believe your statements when you have to deal with a closed society and you cannot even plant good seed with them. If you or I open out mouths about Jesus or Yeshua to them, they will either walk away or blow you off. Therefore, you do not get to plant a seed. How do you plant a seed in good soil with a group of people who see it as betraying the Jewish people by changing religions? If a Jewish person believes in Yeshua or Jesus, there is NO safe haven for them on earth. They can be kicked out of Israel because of this. Shalom, Yacov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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