Yesterday, I said I would talk about why we'll tell people about our latest sports' victory, but not about the BEST NEWS ever--of the salvation we receive through Jesus.  The number one reason:  fear.  We aren't afraid someone will reject us or laugh at us or think poorly of us if we tell them about the birth of our new son, or the wedding of our daughter, or the outstanding performance we had in our most recent racquetball game.  But if we tell someone about Jesus, that's another story.

Many of us fear that people will reject us when we tell them about Jesus, because we aren't perfect at following Jesus.  That's really what it boils down to when it's all said and done.  I've reflected on this for decades, now, and I've finally realized that we aren't afraid people will reject Jesus. (After all, who would really want to reject freedom from sin and death?)  We are afraid people will reject us because we don't live out our faith in Jesus fully.  So many times people have asked me, "What right do I have to tell someone about Jesus, or their sin, when I don't follow Jesus the way I should?"  or some variation of that question.  The point of the question is:  Do we have the right to tell someone about a perfect God, who came to save us from sins, when we don't live perfect lives, and still get caught up in sin ourselves? 

Thankfully, the answer to that question is, "Yes!"  It may not be a right, but it is a responsibility, an opportunity.  Yes, we mess up, we sin even after Jesus becomes Savior and Lord in our lives.  That does hamper our witness when we tell others the Good News of Jesus' salvation, but only if we pretend that we're perfect after Jesus saves us!  We've all seen the bumper sticker:  Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven.  That statement's true.  The challenge is many times as Jesus' followers we assume that non-believers will expect us to be perfect, or they'll reject US, and our message of Good News.  That can happen.  In my experience, it doesn't happen  very often, especially when we approach our sharing with humility and the acknowledgement that we aren't perfect, but Jesus is.  What has hurt the cause of Jesus most of all during my life time has been professed followers of Jesus who fail to live the life Jesus died to give us, but PRETEND they are.   People will forgive us for being repentant sinners.  They won't forgive us for being arrogant sinners.  Nor should they.

What I mean is when we follow Jesus imperfectly (as all of us do), and we admit that,  relying on the Holy Spirit to grow us up in Jesus, most people will see that as a credible witness.  When we pretend we're better than nonbelievers because we have Jesus in our lives, when we excuse our sins, because Jesus has forgiven us, we make a mockery of the Good News, and people will rightfully reject us and our message.

The point of all this is:  When we live forgiven lives--exhibiting the joy that comes with Jesus' forgiveness, and point to His salvation and mercy in our sharing of the Good News, people will be much more likely to hear and receive the message.  Whether they respond is up to God and the person.  The other person's conversion is not our responsibility. It's God's.  Growing in faith and love and sharing that with others is our responsibility.  When we do that few people will reject us or our message, and even when they do it's worth it because of the potential eternal benefit for them.  We also get a reward for being rejected.  More on that tomorrow!

Let's pray:  Heavenly Father, Thank You for all You are and do in our lives, most of all for giving us salvation through Jesus!  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit right now, that we may tell others the Good News we have experienced through You, and that we may live it out more and more consistently in our own lives.  This we ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.