It is unquestionable to any
Bible-reading person that sharing our faith in Jesus Christ is essential to the
Christian walk of discipleship. First, because it was commanded to us by Jesus
Himself in what we call the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age. Amen.”“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
Secondly, because it is an act of love toward all our fellow
human beings; we are to introduce them to the Savior of the world, to the only
One through whom our sins can be forgiven and the only One by whom we can come
to the Father’s house (John 14:6). Thirdly, because there is no greater joy in
life than to tell others about our Lord, the One who holds us in the palm of
His hands, the One whose love fills our hearts, the One in whose communion we
find the greatest source of peace and joy, and the One who gives reason to our
existence. Jesus should be the most exciting topic of conversation for us who
believe in Him.
A form of
sharing our faith that we should never overlook is one in which we use more
than words, more than a testimony or a convincing argument. It is the sharing
of the faith that is in us through serving others. I heard in the radio once
that “For Jesus, ministry was the person right in front of Him.” Think about
these words. Every time someone comes across your path, whether at home, at
work, or at play, is an opportunity for you to show them Jesus, to introduce him
or her to Jesus. The love of Jesus for them will come through you; His care,
His provision, His prayer, His companionship, and His presence through you.
Sometimes this will be more powerful than any words you can speak. I am not
suggesting by this that actions alone introduce Jesus; words are also
necessary. The Gospel is to be communicated. Jesus sent His disciples into all
the world to spread a Good News for all people. But words alone without actions
are not enough. Jesus sent His disciples into the world to incarnate the
Gospel, to make it visible and tangible.
I want to
encourage you to begin with your actions and then share with them the reason
for those actions. Illustrate the Gospel by/with your life, serve all who cross
your path, greet those you meet in an elevator, help a child, smile and be
courteous to all, give someone the right of way on the road or in a line at the
grocery store, visit the sick and pray for them, give to the poor, immediately,
forgive those who hurt you, let the light of Christ’s presence in you shine
forth and then with joy share with them Jesus, make Him a topic of
conversation. Don’t do one without the other (James 2:18-26).
Be a servant as your Lord who saved you
was a servant. Take a page from His book on sharing the faith. Will you do it?
Let’s Blog!
Fr. Jose+
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