CONVERTING THE LOST
Matthew 28:18-20

Today many people do not accept the teaching of the Bible about the coming judgment, heaven, hell, eternal life, and many other teachings found in it. This unconcern and disbelief in the Bible has been increasing through the years, so that today perhaps 50% of the population in America has no real religious confidence in anything. Many people on the other hand are skeptical about God’s existence, Jesus life, death, and resurrection, and other things that have their origins in the Written Word of God. Today it seems that those that fall into the categories of unbelievers, un-churched, and hard to reach people is greater than at any time in history. I have a desire to explain this condition partly because of the great increase of population in America, which probably translates into – yes, there are many more hardened sinners today but there are many more people today. I am not sure that this is the answer to the problem but it is a possibility.

REACHING THE LOST

The fact is, there are some churches that are doing well in reaching the lost in their communities; I recently received a church bulletin that listed about 10 or 12 restorations and baptisms in a month. These good reports are few and far between but these bright spots indicate that the gospel still has the ability to reach the lost and convert them from sin to righteousness, cf., Romans 1:16-17, “ 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith” (NKJV).

WE MUST SOW THE SEED - GOD WILL GIVE THE INCREASE

We must continue the effort to spread the gospel to whosoever will listen; we cannot become discouraged and faint of heart in our work for God. Indeed, we must sow the seed and continue undeterred by whatever circumstance prevails. Too often Christians will become discouraged and sit by while the evangelism in the church suffers, we must not allow this to happen. Let us talk to the lost about Jesus Christ and His ability to make their life better if they will only come to Him on His terms, cf., Hebrews 5:8-9, “8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (NKJV).

By Garreth L. Clair

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