A Particularly Personal Evangelism

I vacationed with relatives in a beautiful spot in Florida one year, and we decided to make it a tradition to return every couple of years, if possible. During our time there we shared some great memories, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of God's creation. It was a sight that we could never get tired of, especially if we thought about the One who created it all. While chatting with the locals we found out that many were transplants from all over the USA. They, too, had vacationed there and found it so beautiful and peaceful that they decided to move there so they could enjoy it year round. Some people think it would be tiring to stay in the same place and see the same thing day in and day out, but for those who understand and appreciate the beauty, there's no where else they'd rather live.

This makes me think of the spiritual world of believers. When one first comes to God in belief, he recognizes his sin and the gift God the Father gave to pay for that sin through His Son, Jesus Christ. The realization of undeserved grace is so overwhelming and exciting that the new believer can't help but continually re-read it and then tell everyone else about it. But over time something seems to happen. The constant reminder of the Gospel-- salvation through grace, by faith in Jesus Christ-- seems to be discarded, and other things fill up time and thoughts. It becomes a salvation message for unbelievers, and fails to be the reminder and motivator in the life of the believer. The place that was at first the most beautiful spot in the spiritual world starts to become less enchanting, or becomes something that has been seen so many times that the believer begins to looks for a new view. Why?

• Once we have been saved from God's judgment, we don't look into the Gospel to see its depth (phrases such as "I know that already," or "I know, but I'm beyond that beginning point and want a view for now" are common in such cases).

• We don't realize that since we've allowed ourselves to become unobservant to the details of the Gospel and how it continually matures, we will continually struggle through difficult situations in our spiritual life without the simple trust with which we came to Christ. "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him." Colossians 2:6

• When we came to Christ in simple trust, we had only begun to scratch the surface of the depth of the Gospel. The sense of separation and need for God was satisfied, but the character of God should be studied more to realize how far beyond our full comprehension is His mercy and justice. Before Jesus' death on the cross, his disciples didn't understand what He was telling them about the future. When He came back to life, He spent time explaining it to them, yet there were still areas needing clarification, so the Holy Spirit was sent to bring comfort and understanding. Even now, "...we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

When there is a repetitive study and review of the Gospel, the difficulties on the road to maturity don't seem as insurmountable because there is the quick reminder that God has already taken care of the biggest difficulty-- the separation of man from Himself.

Rather than getting old and tiring, the view continually grows more and more breathtaking! Don't turn away from such a view!