Witness Without Fear
Author: Bill BrightWe wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, Ephesians 6 tells us.
There is a definite spiritual battle raging. The Bible says that God has liberated us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom. Every Christian was once a member of that kingdom, and those non-believers with whom we share Christ are still members of Satan’s kingdom. It’s not a pleasant thought, but non-believers are there either by choice, ignorance, or default and Satan is doing everything he can to retain his control.
So as you sense God leading you to tell someone about Jesus, Satan’s agents go to work. You may even hear some very believable lines from his direction that are intended to make you think twice, turn heel, and abandon your good intentions.
“Mind your own business–you don’t have any right to force your views on someone else.”
When you hear this line, ask yourself, “Where would I be today if the person who introduced me to Christ had ‘minded his own business’?”
When we share Christ in a gentle spirit of love, we aren’t forcing our views on anyone. We speak gently and lovingly; the hearer is free to listen, change the subject, or move away.
Real Life Example
How could I have possibly forced my views on the huge, 6’6 Marine seated next to me on the bus some time ago? I was comparably very small in stature. But I serve a big God who was leading me to share the gospel with this hulking, mean-browed man who literally towered over me as we sat on the bus.
He told me that he had just been released from the brig for slugging an officer. But the more we talked, the more I felt he was hungry for God. When I mentioned how God loved him so much, that He sent His Son to die for him, he began to sob.
“My mother is a Christian and my wife is a Christian,” he wept. “They’ve been trying to get me to become a Christian for years.”
Then this big, tough-as-nails Marine said something I’ll never forget. “I don’t remember the last time I didn’t wet the pillow with my tears because I’m afraid I’ll die without God.”
His mother and wife had told him he ought to become a Christian. But they had failed to tell him how. When I showed him how he could invite Christ into his life, he jumped at the opportunity. He was so thrilled that he left the bus at the next stop to call his mother and wife to tell them the news.