Have you ever thought about how guilt is used to get people to pray the prayer of salvation? This really caught my attention in listening to a sermon this week, because so many times the act of guilt is used to get people to say the prayer of Salvation to get saved so the unsaved to do go to hell. However, the question that has always crossed my mind is, “Did they really mean it, and has their heart truly been changed by God if they were guilt-ed into praying this prayer because of their sin?”. And with everything that is going on in the world this has been on my mind because it seems or appears that truth is spoken less and less and more false truths are spoken or declared and more people are compromising their beliefs or integrity to follow-submit to something that is false. But it seems people are trying to guilt people into following something or someone blindly without giving real reason and without any truth to back it up. And it is not Jesus or Christianity but something worldly. This truly breaks my heart to see so much deceit, guilt, condemnation used to get people to believe in something that is not right. Yet on the other hand we have another extreme in the world where we as human beings whether christian or not get into our little bubbles of our lives and get afraid to step out in faith, when God is simply asking for us to trust him with our fears, failures, and victories. And He could simply asking us to trust Him to restore what has been lost. God doesn’t ask us to guilt people into believing the truth but to proclaim it, and simply display it. Candace Cameron Bure says this, “Wherever you go, just know God will be there too! He has put ambition in your heart for a reason. We need people of faith in every area of industry, to live and work with integrity while share about God’s love”.(Cameron Bure, 2018, pg.111). God calls us to simply share the good news with others not condemn or shame others but let them choose to receive it with an open heart or reject it. In the gospel of Mark it says, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believers and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemn.”(Mark 16:15-16ESV). Thus, we cannot stay in a bubble or closed minded idea of how or who we are to share the good news, but we are to go above and beyond our comfort zones to serve God whole heartedly. We are to share the hope of Jesus with everyone in all the world and our story may begin with the prayer of salvation but it does not end at that. It goes way beyond it into a much deeper relationship with Jesus and fellow believers. It boils down to we are created to not just be in relationship with Jesus but also with those we serve along side and those we serve. Christine Caine shares some wise words about how we are to share the gospel. She said, “We are to move out into the world with the good news of the gospel. Until the time of Jesus’ kingdom comes in its fullness, we are to carry His kingdom of hope and healing into a broken world that desperately needs Him. It’s the reason we have been seen, chosen, and sent”(Caine, 2020). This quote really speaks to my heart because if we break it down we are to move outside our comfort zones into all the world. We are to share the gospel with everyone. We are to carry the gospel of hope and healing that restores the broken hearted. And it is very evident that this broken world does desperately needs Jesus in this hour. This world is thirsty for living water but keeps searching in the wrong wells of emptiness. Now Jesus won’t force his love and salvation on anyone he only gives it to those who receive the truth and believe it is that simple. The last sentence is what really gives me chills because Jesus has seen us, he has chosen us, and he is sending us. Each and everyone one of us has a purpose in His kingdom we do not have to compete or compare or trample on anyone to get where God wants us to be, because he has created each of us with a specific purpose. Jesus has seen everything we have ever gone through and turned it into good. Even if we do not see it yet God is working on our behalf. We can’t hide from what God calls us to do and we can’t hide from furthering the gospel or sharing how good it is. “We can’t bubble our faith, but what we can do is move out with the ambition and audacity that God has placed on our hearts to do what God has sent us to do.” The point is we can’t hide the light of the gospel that God has put into our hearts to share with others. We have to step out in faith even if it is risky like stepping outside our doors each day to live life. For many years I have let insecurities cripple me from stepping out in faith to do what God has called me to do. And many times in the past I have let the voices of condemnation or shame, rejection and the opinions of others prevent me from pursuing the purpose the ambition God has placed within me. I admit that I have let those things reside in my heart in the past and did not want to let go of them even though they were false securities and false truths. For the most part I can say I have departed from those insecurities however there are times they still try to creep back in and try to reside in my heart. The only way that I can break free of these things is through the love of Jesus. He is the one who see’s my value, He is the one who has chosen me and sent me to share my journey of faith with others so someone else does not have to fall into the trap of sin of insecurity. And so whether you’ve prayed the prayer of salvation or not and whether or not you were guilted into doesn’t matter God is the God of restoration and healing.
References: Cameron Bure, Candace, 2018 Kind is the New Classy, The Power of Living Graciously, Zondervan Publishing Grand Rapids, MI, English Standard Version Study Bible (2008) Crossway Publishing, Wheaton ILL, Caine, Christine, 2020, 2020 Seen, Chosen, Sent Bible Study, Lifeway Publishing, Nashville, Tnn, Picture:(wix.com)