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This is my fourth blog about life-threatening devotion. I described my introduction to the idea three weeks ago, and the last two weeks I discussed how life-threatening devotion can effect our families.
But what about those outside my home?
Life-threatening devotion to God requires witnessing
Are you willing to witness to unbelievers about Jesus even when it may be uncomfortable?
Most of us are sissies when it comes to witnessing. Some of the most extroverted people I know are afraid to witness to others. They can talk to anyone about anything and carry on conversations with total strangers about nothing of consequence, just for the joy of talking. But bring up the subject of Christ, or sin, or our need for God’s grace, and suddenly they have nothing to say. Even if the unbeliever opens a door for ministry by saying something about God or morals, or complaining about something that’s hard in their life, and the fearful extrovert will let it pass like they didn’t hear it.
It’s me. I’m that fearful extrovert.
The answer to fear
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
If my love for God is absolute I can have no fear. If my love for God, my devotion to him, is life-threatening, it will flow out to others, both believers and unbelievers.
If I have God’s love for others, my greatest joy is to tell them about His love because my love for them wants them in His presence where they can have joy.
What if they don’t like what I say, or worse yet, don’t like me after I say it? If I fear man more than I love God, I’m just like the rulers in Judea:
Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:42-43
The answer to my fear of man is to love God more. My love for and devotion to God must be absolute. Everything I say, do, or think should be based on that love, an absolute, life-threatening devotion to God that pre-determines all other choices. Any circumstance, conversation, or situation should draw the love from my heart that is poured into it by the Holy Spirit given to me. (Romans 5:5)
My heart
Honestly, I don’t love God that much. (Ask my wife, she knows.) I’m trying, but most days I feel like the double-minded man that James describes, unstable in all my ways. (James 1:8)
This exploration of life-threatening devotion to God is showing me even more how much I fall short, but also how much He loves me. His love for us was life-threatening, and yet He loved us enough to die for us (John 3:16), and He is still interceding for us.(Hebrews 7:25)
My challenge
My challenge is to love God so devotedly that I say:
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
(Hebrews 13:6, Psalm 118:6)
Why should I be afraid to witness to the unsaved if I agree with Paul?
I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
The simple part
It’s really simple, intellectually. Jesus told us that if we love Him, we should keep His commandments (John 14:15) and that if we keep His commandments, it proves that we love Him (John 14:21), just like He proved His love for the Father by obeying Him (John 14:31).
Then He told us to witness to others about Him (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8)
Witnessing to others is an obedient expression of our life-threatening devotion to God. God loves them as much as He loves me, they just don’t know it, yet.
The hard part
I cannot stop at the intellectual agreement that I should witness to others. It must effect my heart. I must die to myself daily so my flesh doesn’t rise up in fear and thus condemn other men to Hell.
If I don’t witness to someone whom I meet, how do I know that anyone else will?
My challenge is to love others with God’s love enough to tell them about it. For that to happen, my devotion to God must be life-threatening.
By His calling, in His strength,
Dean
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