As I sit here after my morning Bible reading and prayer, I felt the need to write something. The problem is that I have no clear path, no direction from the Holy Spirit, no overwhelming subject to address (no, not even with a war going on in Iran).
What did come to mind was the title. It is addressed to myself as much as my readers. You see, the secular person is free to speak what he wants and when he wants (as is obvious when we hear comments from politicians, entertainers, talk show hosts, etc.). The Christian, however, understands that he will be held accountable for every word that he utters. Yes, one fine day, shortly after departing this temporary body, I will receive the pleasure of reviewing every single word that ever fell off my tongue. I assure you, this is not something I look forward to.
That is why, as we mature in our faith, we tend to talk less. Less talk, less frivolous comments. Problem solved.
Oh, but wait…
We are also commanded to share the truth in Jesus Christ. We are called to defend our faith with love and respect for our listener. This involves words.
Let me tell you, these are the scariest words that I speak and write. When confronted with a non-believer or a Christian who has backslidden or fallen into doubt, I know that my words may be the difference between salvation and judgment.
Okay, what I should say is that “I think” that my words may be the difference between salvation and judgement. I give myself way too much credit when I believe that I have the ability to pluck someone from the flames of hell or be the cause of their fall. Only One has that power. All that I can do is direct my new friend toward the One.
You and I must use words, and we’re rarely given time to think of those words that will perfectly match the situation. More often than not, we simply have to spout out the first thing that pops into our heads.
Every Christian loves an analogy (sometimes they’re even good ones). So here’s mine:
You have a friend who you fear has slipped into the realm of addiction with his alcohol. There are many ways to approach him:
- You could tell him straight out that he’s drinking himself to death.
- You could cautiously suggest that he cut back.
- You could give him a book detailing the hazards of excessive drinking.
- You could cut ties with him, hoping that he’ll see he’s driven you away.
- You could tell him that it’s no problem as long as it makes him happy.
I could continue, but by now you should clearly see that some of these are the loving things to do and some not so loving, and certainly unhelpful to your friend. But, between options 1 through 3, there’s probably a good choice in there and, if I were to continue with my list, you would find many more appropriate choices.
Mind you, you could ingeniously select to perfect solution to addressing your friend’s drinking problem, and he may still choose the bottle. Anyone who’s ever dealt with a heavy drinker understands this completely.
To sum up what has been said many times, an addict will only quit when he grows weary of himself and finds the solution within his own heart and mind.
Such is the problem (and the solution) for the Christian. We know that the lost need the Savior. We have a long list of options to offer. We have a massive repository of Bible verses we can quote (but which one?), we have books outside the Bible we can offer. We can tell them our own story and how we came to believe in the Savior. We can tell them to watch The Chosen (I’m ashamed to say I’ve actually done this).
The point is, we’re trying to point someone to an infinite God using our hopelessly limited brains. We cannot convince someone of the truth with words stemming from what we think is our vast intellect. We’re talking about the great I AM. As one writer stated, “God is not a being, God IS BEING.”
The most studied, articulate Christian that has ever lived cannot even begin to grasp “what is God?” By the way, an atheist of greater knowledge and command of speech cannot even begin to undermine the eternal God. We simply do not possess the capacity.
Like the heavy drinker, the non-believer has set in his mind that his way is correct and will easily offer arguments against your case, no matter how perfect your case is. Yes, Peter’s words led two-thousand to salvation on the day of Pentacost, but Acts doesn’t tell us how many walked away still in unbelief. Since the church was heavily persecuted well after that, I think that I can confidently say it was far greater than two-thousand.
Likewise, remember that most of Jesus’ followers abandoned him even before the cross.
So, my advice to myself is this: you will never be quick enough or brilliant enough to say the perfect thing to the non-believer, just as you’ve never known the perfect thing to say to the alcoholic friend. But to stay silent is the most unloving thing that you can do, with the exception of telling him that everything is okay, just do what makes you happy.
That, my friends, is the equivalent of holding the bottle to his lips yourself. Unfortunately, it is the preferred option for the world, so those lost in sin are hearing the “be happy” advice far more than they are hearing the truth that will lead to eternal happiness.
Hell abounds with those who did what made them happy.
So speak. Your words may not be eloquent. They may not be the perfect line for the situation. You’ll probably completely bobble that Bible verse. And you’ll be out-shouted by millions of voices countering your advice.
But speak you must. Truth has a way of cutting through the noise like a two-edged sword.
Snatched From The Fire 
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