Today my son Nathan and I went back into the Bluffview Estates subdivision to continue canvassing the neighborhood. We distributed 17 tracts, I had 5 one on one witnessing encounters, and we collected 19 more food items for the food pantry.We did not get any prayer requests this time.
1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
Out of the 5 people I had one-one conversations with, only 1 man was able to give me solid proof that he was trusting completely in the finished work of the Cross of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of his past and future sins. He also had a firm grasp of what biblical repentance was (i.e. he knew that just confessing your sins and being sorry wasn't the same as Godly Sorrow).I thanked Ben for his time and gave him a tract to pass along to a lost person he may encounter.Sadly the other 4 people I spoke with were solely depending on a head knowledge of Jesus' Sacrifice on the cross. Their answers to the survey questions revealed that they did not believe that God was a just God that will punish sin. One man even believed in hell and that it was a place of punishment, but believed that everyone would eventually go to heaven. I challenged him to examine his beliefs in light of the scripture.After a lengthy conversation, it was obvious that his conscience was excusing him rather than accusing him (Romans 2:16). I left him a tract and left for the next house.
Karen was a woman I spoke to that started out expressing doubts about the reliability of scripture becuase it was written by men. I explained the authorship of the Holy Spirit and after the survey questions she allowed me to share scriptures straight out of the bible. As I was refuting the "good enough to go to Heaven" claims she had I witnessed the conviction of the Holy Spirit visibally on her face. At one point I had almost seen a tear in her eye. I ended the conversation by giving her an RBC ministries booklet entitled " Can I really trust the Bible" and a gospel tract.
Isaiah 28:15-17 (King James Version)
"Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
One man I spoke with named Leonard believed that God punishes sin and that there is a hell, but he steadfastly held onto his claim that he would avoid hell by living a good life to the best of his ability. I communicated several scriptures to him to show that his beliefs were contrary to scripture but he would not believe that God would punish sin or send him to Hell. He stated that confessing sins was all that was necessary because that is what the Luthern Church taught him. He did admit to having broken God's 10 commandments but felt he would be forgiven based on his "belief" in God' forgiveness of sins. Sadly he had no understanding of repentance ( said he only needed to confess sins) and could not make the connection between Jesus death on the cross to his need to apply that sacrifice to his own life. I strongly urged him to read the scriptures on the tract I gave him. By the end off the conversation he was so stubbornly holding to his false doctrine, that he was accusing me of judging him.I assured him that God and not I was his judge. I said that I was concerned for his soul based on the unscriptural responses he was giving to my questions.By the end of the conversation he was accusing me of arguing with him and said he was just going to have to end the conversation; He then abruptly closed the door on me. Please Pray that Leonard will see his need for the Savior and relinquish his false security of good works and Luthern doctrine.
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