I found your response rather interesting. When looking at your writings on
conversion, I think there is always an interesting dynamic between people and
ministers. The people either put us on a pedestal to the point where they believe
we make holiness look easy or they are hypercritical of everything we do because
they believe that we think we are in some way shape or form better than them.
There usually is no significant middle ground. When you go to a church but do not
live in the neighborhood, I think this exacerbates some of those feelings. Instead
of seeing someone from their own neighborhood do good, they look at it as an
outsider (who was already doing better than they are) come in telling them that
they can do better. This can create a rift at times, but it shows the importance for
ministers living a life of holiness. It needs to be seen that our conversions were
not done solely by our own doing but rather that of God[1]. When we become
examples of God's work, teaching conversion becomes a little bit easier because
newer disciples get to see God's work in action rather than our blank words. `You
provide an interesting perspective of being missionaries within your own church.
My mission field is vast; as an Army Chaplain, I encounter many soldiers that do
not know the Lord. d One of the most significant ways for us to bring people to the
Lord is through example. When a person is provided a ministry title, Chaplain,
Pastor, Preacher, Elder, it already sets them apart from the rest of society; in
ministry, we must uphold the title. As you stated, d “as ministers and lay Pastors,
we have to ensure that we have a strong and credible witness, matched with lives
of righteousness to teach and convey such an important subject (conversion).”
I love that evangelism is the “foundational element” of your ministry. d Mark 5
evangelism is one of my favorite focuses because it comes naturally to me, and it
feels easy with the passion I have for Christ. The “it is not imposition” section of
the text is an excellent reminder that we are not here to push belief, and we must
take the time to understand what the other person believes.
When a person pushes their belief system on another, it causes them to shut
down and become uninterested. I had a Church I was attending decided that I
needed to place membership and attend more often, so a few elders sat me down
and forced their ideas on me; instead of attending more, I left. “According to the
Bible, evangelism is simply telling the good news; it does not include making sure
that the other person responds to it correctly.”[1]Provide the Good news and let
the Holy Spirit do the work!
[1] Mark Dever (2015). (p. 130). Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Crossway.
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