Recipes for Biblical Solutions
How to Present the Gospel to Uninterested Relatives
through the Togethers of Scripture
numbers reference our list of The Togethers
found at our other website: www.ChristiansTogether.org
found at our other website: www.ChristiansTogether.org
It takes time and effort to help God. The more serious the situation, the more Togethers might need to be implemented. This situation is one of those that may require much intervention of love.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS FROM BIBLICAL RELATIONSHIPS
Note: The following comments apply when you are around these disinterested relatives together with another Christian, whether that be one of the believing relatives, a Christian friend of yours, with your spouse, or with your whole family. Believe what Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Your resistant relative will need to see some form of love that obviously comes from your being redeemed and transformed by Jesus Christ, something that he or she really admires or wants.
|
Submit to God Together (2) Let God have His way, come under His authority.
Show by your actions, with brief words that might explain, that you and the other Christian present take your orders from God, not just your own desires. Not only, “What would we like to do this Saturday night?”, but also, “Wonder what God might want for us or from us this weekend?”
Accept One Another (9) Allow each Christian to be the person God created him or her to be. Get comfortable with differences in people. Have a high regard for everyone in the family of faith.
One thing we Christians ought to be able to do better because we recognize God as the Sovereign Creator is accept each other’s differences and uniqueness. And appreciate them. If you integrate this command of Scripture into your life, you will seek out the other Christian’s contribution to your understanding of situations. You will ask for clarification about what the other person is saying because you don’t want to miss God’s contribution to your life through someone He made much different than you.
Submit to One Another (12) Give other people their way whenever possible; strive to find solutions where everyone's needs are met.
Swimming against the grain of society’s “me-centered” selfishness can get your relative’s attention. When your disinterested relative sees that you do things with your Christian friend, spouse or family that you would rather not do, that will make an impression. In addition, if your relative is self-effacing, then it will be your acts of trying to see that everyone’s needs are met that will be appreciated.
Live as Citizens of Heaven, as Foreign Ambassadors on Assignment (14) Live as aliens on a mission to this ungodly planet. Have values, desires and ways of dealing with people that are radically different from those of the world.
You and the other Christian(s) with you can affirm one another when you compare with your unbelieving relative the world’s values and the values of the kingdom of heaven. Just remember not to criticize or show disapproval. God’s ways for his people are not going to be held by those who are not in His kingdom. Think of how you might talk with someone from a completely different culture. You would be interested in their culture and then you would tell how such things are done in your own culture.
Confess Sins to One Another (33) Tell each other your sins so healing can begin to take place.
Confess only in a group that has proven to be a safe fellowship.
Openly admitting your sins, your shortcomings to God’s standards, to one another in the hearing of your uninterested relative will challenge that person’s lack of interest. Exposing that you would like to be changed to the better for God’s glory will likely peak curiosity. But, you must do it as a redeemed person — as one whose sins have been paid for, not one who is trying to be good enough to earn salvation. The lack of self-condemnation is important as proof to your relative that Christ has died for you and that His forgiveness is also available to him or her. Since there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, it will be seen as remarkable that you neither treat your sins as insignificant on one hand or overwhelming on the other. And, your relative will hopefully be amazed that you and your Christian friend, spouse, or family trust each other to not judge so as to be able to safely expose your weaknesses.
Run the Full Race Together (58) Help one another through the entire race from second birth to death. Do all you can to ensure that everyone finishes as a victor in Christ.
It is almost certain that your uninterested relative is striving after different life goals. When she or he hears you and your Christian relative, friend, spouse or family talk about a different life destination, with God face-to-face in heaven, it will be very thought provoking. Your talk and corresponding actions will show that this life is preparation for heaven and not a “spoil myself rotten because this is the best life I get” journey. It will be interesting for him or her to see that you are not trying to be better to get into heaven, but because you are sure you are going there and want to be “dressed for the occasion” and worthy of good rewards in the way of service assignments throughout eternity.
Keep One Another From the Love of Money (64) Expose and deal a deathblow to the love of money in your Christian friends, church or small group. It is the root of all evil.
There may be many opportunities for you and other Christians with you to help one another become less enthralled with the finer things that might have enchanted your relative. Just the example of loving each other enough to help avoid the trap of consuming desire for possessions or recreational activities or wealth, but to keep such desires reasonable and limited, will show that you belong to the One who did not have a place to lay his head.
Note
Every Together of Scripture applies. Let it all show, all of these ways of loving that only those forgiven by God can do.
__________________________________________________________________________________
If you are concerned about the same things we are, we invite you to join our Advisory Team. This means that we will occasionally send you emails asking your thoughts about an issue we are thinking through. If you would like to be a part of our team, please email Dick Wulf at Dick@Wulf.com and let him know of your willingness to help.
__________________________________________________________________________________
If you are concerned about the same things we are, we invite you to join our Advisory Team. This means that we will occasionally send you emails asking your thoughts about an issue we are thinking through. If you would like to be a part of our team, please email Dick Wulf at Dick@Wulf.com and let him know of your willingness to help.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2012 Dick Wulf, Colorado, USA