Monday, Aug 04, 2008

Gospel Relief

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Evonte is a young man that I met last weekend at Pismo Beach. He was sitting alone at one of the picnic tables, overlooking the shoreline. He was listening to his iPod, just looking out at the water. He looked as though he was deep in thought. I approached him and struck up a conversation with him. We chatted for a bit before I asked him if I could interview him.

I asked Evonte if he was a born again Christian. He said yes. I pressed in a bit and asked him if he saw himself as a good person. He replied yes to this question as well.

I’m nobody’s judge. I DO NOT profess to know the heart of men. But, you tell me, is it possible for a born again Christian to see themselves as good person?

Maybe Evonte hadn’t ever pondered the depth of his personal sin before God. Maybe he’s a new believer. I mean, the more we mature as Christains in knowing Christ Jesus the more we understand the depth of our sinfulness, His holiness and grace toward us. Maybe Evonte had never just never taken the time to look at himself in the mirror of God’s standard before.

Our God is a merciful God! Not only did God provide the sacrifice, the Lord Jesus, but He also provided the law to bring about the knowledge of our sinful state, to teach the value and depth of love of the precious blood of Christ Jesus.

What do you think? This young man professed to be a born again Christian. Evonte even said he went to church regularly. Was I wrong to conclude that because he also professed to be a good person to proceed to take him through the law and speak to him about sin, righteousness and judgment? Should I have just accepted his profession, continued to talk with him as my brother in Christ?

Again, maybe he IS my brother in Christ…but it’s also possible that he isn’t yet a child of God. Because of his contradictory profession, I proceeded to speak to him as I would an unregenerate person.

When Evonte and I finished talking about the bad news and just began to speak of the gospel, Evonte was a bit shaken – you’ll hear it in his voice as he speaks of Jesus. It seemed to be another one of those “Aha” moments that I’ve seen on the faces of so many people when bringing Good News only after bringing bad news first.

The Holy Spirit uses the gospel to bring relief to a trembling sinner. Sometimes it’s almost like you get a glimpse of Him working on the sinner’s heart. As He uses the preaching of the righteous character of God and His holy law, He sort of hems the sinner into a corner. The sinner begins to understand their guilt before God. They begin to understand that there is no escape – no place to turn – but away from sin and death and to the kindness of God found in bloody cross of Calvary.

I must say that it was very encouraging to see his countenance change as the gospel was delivered. As I delivered the good news to Evonte (I know this is going to sound cliché) the gospel took my breath away again. As I preached to Evonte, I heard the good news again for myself and it blew me away. My Lord Jesus died for me a sinner! It’s good news Christian!

Evonte looked relieved - His countenance changed after hearing of the mercy of God in sending the Jesus to the Cross for sinners. I believe that Evonte heard the gospel before but, in the context of bad news, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, dying for sinners and rising again, was indeed good news to Him in a new way.

Ultimately, only God knows the condition of Evonte’s heart. Let’s pray that our Savior will bring eternal relief to Evonte.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mt 11:28-30

“He is inviting to Himself those who were labouring (weary) and heavy laden, which may be understood in a twofold sense: those who are sick of sin and bowed down by a sense of its guilt, and those who are labouring to meet the requirements of Divine holiness and are cast down by their inability to do so. Those who, in a servile spirit, seek to fulfill the letter of God’s Law, so far from finding it “easy,” discover it to be very hard; while those who earnestly endeavour to work out a righteousness of their own in order to gain God’s esteem, prove it to be a heavy task and not a “light burden.” And there is no RELIEF for such until they come to Christ and put their trust in His finished work. Coming to Christ requires us not only to turn our backs upon the world, but also to repudiate all our own merits and works.” -A.W. Pink

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