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. c 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, c “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. c 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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