The Guarded Inheritance (April 23, 2017).

How does our salvation serve as a witness to others? Everything we do as Christians serves as a witness. You might think of it as a witness stand in a court room. Others are watching how well and how poorly we serve as witnesses of this “new hope”. In the words of Beth Moore, “Satan never wastes a fiery dart by aiming at a spot covered by armor. The bull’s eye is located dead center in our inconsistency. That’s where the enemy plans to bring us down” (The Complete Guide To Christian Quotations. [Beth Moore. Daniel 2006.] Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishing Inc., 2011, p. 394). The trials we encounter can show us where these “inconsistencies” and weaknesses are. Besides Jesus pleads our case for us (Romans 8:34). We should never slight how important our witness is because we may be the only Jesus that some will ever see!!!!!! We believe without seeing because we know the day will come when we will get to see the One in Whom we have believed when our work on earth is done. The one thing we want to hear Him say on that day is “well done!!!”!

Aren’t we God’s poster children? As God’s children, we are models of God’s love and providence---God’s poster children!!! “… dare we present the Christian faith like a recruitment poster that talks about the “perks” of being a church member without letting people know that one’s life is on the line for following Christ?” (Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof. gen. eds. 1001 Illustrations That Connect . [— Rubel Shelly, “Discipleship Is Serious Business,” PreachingToday.com]. . Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2008). Remember Officer Shaw in the Salvation Army that we mentioned at the beginning? Didn’t he exhibit a compassion that was Christlike to some prisoners? Didn’t God’s love take a chance on you and me at Calvary? We were not saved just for our own goals for preservation, we were called to salivation to reach all of the people we can for the kingdom. Satan wants to lie to would-be believers that “they were born to lose”. God wants us to reach them so that they will not wander. God wants them to be born again!!!! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.