S) "1 The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"
Psalm 14:1a (NASB)
O) This line is not unique, as it appears in a few different Psalms (and a few more, if not verbatim). The fact that this line appears so often (even the concept of it), is driving home the point as a common narrative from the Bible as a whole. In the details of this psalm, David is lamenting his culture's apparent lack of reverence for the LORD. He goes on to mention several ways the people exhibit that truth, but it all starts with its roots in the beginning of the first verse.
A) There are a lot of unbelievers around me. Many of them will try to poke holes in Christian dogma, or pose heavy theological questions. It can be a little overwhelming, to be honest. What David reminds me, though, is that many of the questions and arguments people present, are ancillary in nature. The first question, the most important question, should always be about Jesus Christ. If someone does not believe the diety of Christ, they don't believe in God, and there is no other issue to address. If someone is claiming to be a Christian, claiming that they believe Jesus is God, then I can work from there about other teachings, other disciplines that edify, etc. But, everything hinges first on whether or not a person will even believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and is one with the Father.
P) Father, Your goodness, compassion, and lovingkindness are too good for me to get distracted trying to argue hypothetical circumstances and peripheral issues. Help me to focus my evangelism first on the diety of Your Son. Nothing else will matter, if that is not settled first. Give me wisdom, patience, compassion, and understanding. Above all else, lead me to love those who need to hear the gospel truth. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment