Op-ed by David Crum | Photo: Adobe Stock
How do you want to be remembered? This question, often posed in philosophy classes, naturally, correlates to our legacy and life’s purpose.
Jesus Christ was clear on mankind’s purpose and calling:
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40”
There is no better day to share the love of Christ than Christmas. Western traditions have marked the day as one of great excitement, fellowship, and gift-giving.
Never cease to remember that the greatest gift you can share is the Good News of Jesus Christ. This message of salvation will change lives, heal wounds, tame souls, and provide salvation to those who will believe.
We cannot force a pill down our loved one’s throats to ensure they are Christians. But we can showcase the love of Christ and joyously share the Gospel.
Perhaps you are timid or scared to promote salvation through Christ. Maybe you have misunderstood the teaching of “do not judge.” Proclaiming the message of salvation is not controversial, but it could offend. If Jesus angered his day’s Pharisees and Sadducees, we might not be received well in our attempts to share the Good News, either. But don’t let this scare you.
We often hear today that two main issues are personal and kept private: politics and religion. While there is truth to this idea, religion, and precisely the message of Christ, is not just a notion but a way of life and the fundamental element of salvation.
For Christians, there is no other purpose or meaning of life outside of the Savior Himself. If you met someone with all of life’s answers and solutions, wouldn’t you want to know all the secrets within? Treat Jesus as such: He is the way, the truth, and the life. Joyously share Christ.
When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4, what did He do? He preached and shared the message of salvation.
If you are new to evangelism or sharing your faith, consider exclaiming Christ on Christmas day. You do not need to center on one specific sin. Remember, all humanity knows they are guilty of ungodly trespasses. Don’t pick on one sin and belittle an unbeliever; do as our church fathers and Reformers did in the past and allow God’s law to convict souls for the need of a Savior.
Charles Spurgeon often taught us to go to Mount Sinai with Moses for our conviction and then go to Mount Calvary with Jesus for our redemption.
It is impossible to earn salvation. It is by the grace of God and found only in faith in Jesus Christ. No human can nor will ever keep God’s law. This is the central message of salvation. Humans are in trouble and need a Savior.
Humble yourself when sharing Jesus and use your own experiences and sins to lead to an opportunity to share a new hope, forgiveness, and salvation found only in Christ.
Jesus sat, conversed, and loved the tax collectors and sinners. We should, too. We designed the church for what? Sinners. We all have fallen short of the glory of God, but rest assured, there is hope, but only in the Lord.
While theology may be complicated, believers can easily find that sharing the Good News is straightforward. Jesus works miraculously, and He uses His believers to share the Gospel.
If you are fortunate enough to look back on your life in your old age and ask yourself what impact you made on humanity, how beautiful would it be to recollect your evangelistic efforts and devotion to Jesus Christ by sharing the only gift that truly matters: salvation in Him.
Pray for the lost, pray for the persecuted, and share the Good News of Christ this Christmas day.
