Reaching out to the lost

One of our jobs as Christians is to spread the gospel. When I was younger I thought it was enough to lay out logical arguments and to really confront people with the truth of the gospel. But recently it's occurred to me there might be a better way.

Knowing the scientific miracles that show the existence of the creator and knowing what happens to those that don't turn toward Jesus are important, but that's not always the most effective way to reach people. It's also not the most important reason why people should have faith.

Some people just can't see the truth, and that's always made me feel profoundly sad. Last spring the film "Watchmen," based on the graphic novel, really struck a chord with me. It depicted a world full of lost, hopeless people that had lost all sense of faith. Really, it was the film's writer that had lost faith. His worldview is best expressed by Dr. Manhattan, a powerful man who came to see no greater purpose in life. At one point he says, "Perhaps the world is not made. Perhaps nothing is made. A clock without a craftsman."

There’s a lot of arguments that can be made, but in the end, accepting Jesus as your Savior is a personal choice. If you need tangible proof in order to believe in God you’re never truly going to embrace what it means to be a Christian. As Christians, we’re called to live by faith.

Writer Thomas Merton put it like this, “Ultimately, faith is the only key to the universe. The final meaning of human existence, and the answers to the questions on which all happiness depends cannot be found in any other way.

The Bible also talks about the importance of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” That’s what it takes to be a Christ follower, you have to have faith. God offers us a choice and we have to choose to believe in order to receive Salvation.

But the big question is why is it important that we believe God exists. What makes Jesus so special? I think it comes down to two important things.

First is that Jesus is our hope, not just for this life, but for eternity. When we try to put our hope in the things of this world, we are ultimately let down. When we put our hope in other people, jobs or things, we eventually get let down. But when we put our hope in the Lord, we are fulfilled. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

But what really makes our God special is his love for us. He loves us even though we can do nothing to be worthy of that love. He loves us so much he sacrificed everything for us, even his own life.

When I was in high school, the band Third Day had a popular song called “Love Song,” which is sung from the point of view of Jesus. The final chorus goes like this, “Just to be with you, I've done everything; There's no price I did not pay no; Just to be with you, I gave everything; Yes, I gave my life away; Just to be with you.”

That is our God. That is why it’s so important to put our faith in Jesus, because he is our hope and he loves us.