Faith Sharing, Should I?

Hello, have you got a minute? Can I ask you a question?

Has anyone invited you to church this week?

Do you go to church? Or temple?

Have you invited anyone to church this week?

Do you believe in God?

I am asking these questions because I believe there is a lack of intention on the part believers to share their faith with others.

Do you think believers should share their faith?

If I am a believer, and I don’t share my faith, does that make me a selfish believer? I understand that everyone is entitled to believe what they want, but if I am a true believer, then I believe that there can be only one belief and that other beliefs are somehow in error and will not lead people to the same place. To not share my belief either makes me a fake believer or one that does not care about others. Wouldn’t you agree that neither of those are a desirable look?

So what happens when a person believes that there are many beliefs? That all beliefs end up in the same place? Is that even possible? What about a belief that believes in nothing? If any and all beliefs end up the same, then what is the point of belief at all?

Yet we do have belief. We have belief because we have found that there are things that are true and things that are not. This is why we should share our faith. Faith is a belief that something is true. Truth can be tested. Truth cannot always be verified, but falsehoods are always revealed. Truth says that there is a lie. If there is no truth, neither is there a lie. But we know better. The evidence of true and false are abundant.

In the course of faith sharing, the act of love should be the guiding power. To be right is simply a selfish motive. However, to love would be to steer one away from danger.

This is the danger.....there is a way that seems right to a man, but its way leads to death. In eternal terms, this life begins and ends, but it is set on the backdrop of infinity. We understand the concept of infinity, but we cannot get our head around it. It is infinite! Our minds have boundaries of understanding. We only know what we know. We also know that we don’t know everything. That lends credence to infinity and the eternal. It brings God into view. There is something before our life and something after. We know not what. But God has revealed Himself and a logic that sets things in order for humanity. He has given us His Word. How does one get an education? By teaching right? Does not almost all teaching include a teacher and a book? The teacher is God and He has given us a book. It is called the Bible. I realize that people poke fun and unbelief at the Bible, but no one has ever been able to refute its content. Though they reject it as truth, they cannot validate any of the claims that it lies. The very first words recorded in the Bible are that there is a beginning and that beginning was the creation of heaven and earth. Though many people may reject this and call it a lie, there is no way to refute it. There is no proof. The fact is that we see the heavens and the earth. We do know that we don’t know everything, but that is not proof. That leaves possibility. The Bible goes on to say that the Spirit of God moved on the darkness. What can that mean other than God has a Spirit, a desire and a purpose? What can that purpose be? What does that Spirit look like? Then the Bible says that God spoke! Oh my!! Speaking means words! Concepts, meaning, intent, knowledge. All these things are facets of what we would teach. Communicated by example and words first then later written and reinforced. You don’t teach an infant by giving them a book, you teach by example and word. You don’t teach an infant because you want them to know something, you teach them because you love them. You teach them because you want to protect them, to grow them into purpose and meaning. This is the Spirit! The Spirit of love. God’s love. What are the words He speaks? “Let there be Light”. This Light is the light of illumination. Illumination is often equated with knowledge gained. Whereas darkness is equated to ignorance or the unknown. This Light is not the light we see by (that light is not created until the fourth day!), this is the Light of the knowledge of God. What parent does not want their child to know them? Is being kept in the dark a good thing? Does it communicate love or relationship? God loves His creation. His is the first and preeminent love. Because of that love, we exist. We should be thankful and acknowledge Him in all our ways. But we do not. Why is that? Because we don’t want to be submitted to God, any god or even a person. We rail against our parents and governments. Our bosses and anyone who tries to impose their will over ours. It is this concept of authority and rebellion to it that brings to life the concept of enemies. Once mankind refused God’s authority and rebelled against it, we became enemies of God. Not that God is against us, but rather we are against Him. Remember that He loves us first. He created us. When we reject the authority of God, we actually reject our Creator, our very creation! If we say that we are God, then we are liars and we all know it. When we reject our creation, that leaves us unloved. Dead. Unalive. In the darkness with no Light. No knowledge of God. This is our sin. That we have rejected God and love. Life itself! Embracing darkness and unknowing. Unexistence. But God, in His infinite love, has still extended to us life and Light. He has sent us a Savior. One Who will shine the light of knowing God once again so that we can live. Recreated, born again. Redeemed. Brought back to life. This is Jesus Christ. The One promised throughout the entire Bible. There is no other book or concept that tells of a loving Father that sacrifices an obedient Son for the redemption of ALL mankind. From the very beginning words to the very last, Jesus Christ is revealed as The Word of God, Made Flesh, Living among us, crucified and dead yet risen alive. Death has no hold. Is not final. The King of all kings and Lord of all lords. The One Who was there at the beginning of creation and The One Who will be there at the end of it. The One Who will reign in eternity. The One Who receives ALL who believe. ALL who receive His life, death and resurrection by which He forgives the rebellion, pays the penalty by receiving the death demanded by the rejection of the Creator and restores them alive to The Father, His Father, our God and True Father. He desires that NONE should perish! Not one!! Not you! Not I!

So, I invite you to come to church with me. I am a Christian who believes that there is one true and living God. That God is the Creator of all things. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of the Hebrews. The God of the Bible. I believe that God created all things on purpose and with a purpose, including you and I and that we should be thankful to Him for the opportunity to be alive. I also believe we have sinned and turned away from God for our own glory. All of us! But God, in His never-ending love for us and His creation, has made a way back to Him and His eternal design. He has sent us a Savior. Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, has come to this earth as a man. Suffering and dying at the hands of the very creation that He created and still forgives us. He has taken our death and given us eternal life. Come and learn of Him. Like God said in the very beginning....”Let there be Light”.

This humanity has come to the conclusion that either there is no God, or that His involvement in our lives is not real or relevant and therefore no thanks or even acknowledgement are required. Humanity generally believes that each of us are in control of our destiny and end. That whatever we each believe is the truth. That makes us our own god. That cannot be right. If we are all god, then there is no god.  If all religion is right, then there is no right religion. Say that again... “If all religion is right, there is no right religion!” Don’t fall for that lie.

John 1:1-5 (CSB) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

1 John 5:19-20 (AMP) 19 We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts]. 20 And we [have seen and] know [by personal experience] that the Son of God has [actually] come [to this world], and has given us understanding and insight so that we may [progressively and personally] know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true--in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

John 3:15-16 (KJV) 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.