John 14:6 (NLT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
At first glance, this verse fits the mold of a good one to share with someone to lead them to salvation. But if we venture straight there, we’re missing an essential truth along the way, coming prior to a “salvation experience.” And that is Yahweh must show us our need for Him even before we can cry out for salvation. Quite simply, before we can be saved, we must recognize our need for salvation through Jesus. Its God’s Spirit- the Holy Spirit- which pricks our heart and makes us aware that there is Someone beyond us and that we desperately need him.
If we are to reach the lost, we need to remember what it was like to be lost. As John mentioned, “We didn’t act like we had a relationship [with Jesus] because we didn’t have a relationship [with Him].” We had no concept of a loving God. Or if we did, we lacked concern or were rebellious toward him. Praying for God to bring us the lost is noble, but perhaps we should first pray that God draws people to Himself first, then to us. This thought is driven home by the powerful pamphlet, Praying Effectively for the Lost, John shared during this message. As it points out, we spend massive amounts of time in fellowships, families, and festivities. And most of us even pray. But when was the last time we prayed for a specific lost person? By name. And really cried out to Yahweh on their behalf, begging him to reveal Himself to them in such a way that they can’t deny his love.
It happens to be Valentine’s Day. Besides being a corporate holiday designed to take advantage of the emotions and wallets of millions, it’s a day to celebrate love. So share the greatest love story ever with someone who has never heard it today. Keep that in mind and we’ll finish this thought on the morrow.
