From Smile to Salvation

Plan Title: From Smile to Salvation

Across our culture we have done ok with spreading joy to non-believers, but can we lovingly explain salvation? Do you know how to share Christ? When Jesus engaged, He always shared Love coupled with Truth. Can you love people enough to help them break free of sin and be born again?

Day 1:

As a parent one of the toughest challenges I have with my kids is helping them understand that short term happiness from bad things is not sustainable. For instance, if you tell a kid not to eat a lot of chocolate so they don’t get a stomachache, they aren’t going to listen. As parents, our job is teaching our children, through our own life’s lessons, and try to steer them away from falling into similar traps. Sometimes you must be harsh, not for the sake of power and authority, but rather from the love we have for our children.

It is not always well received though, is it? Young children may throw a temper tantrum, and older kids may even get to the point of rebellion. For a child throwing the tantrum, there are many techniques to handle that. Rebellion on the other hand, is probably the most heartbreaking for a parent. The key is to continue to prove love to the child while also sharing truth. Sometimes it sticks right away, other times, it may mean playing the long game. Either way though, our desire isn’t to punish, rather to help them avoid the pain sure to come from their actions.

In modern culture, we have a hard time talking about sin. It’s not popular. Set aside those who are not believers, even inside our communities of brothers and sisters, we have shied away from talking about it? Why? Well, it’s easy to understand. Like a parent who constantly gives into the whims of their child, regardless of the consequences, so they are “liked” by a child, we do the same with sin. Jesus taught us to share the Gospel, all of it. The Apostles, and disciples over two-thousand years, have continued to share truth and love. Paul shared this with us in 1 Timothy 5:1: “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as a father, and to the younger men as brothers, to the older women as mothers, and to the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

As Jesus showed, we do not beat people over the head with sin. Rather, we must prove our love for them, as a parent shows love to their child. This love builds a foundation of trust in which we can then share truth. In Revelation 3:19, Jesus says “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent.” We are to follow Jesus and likewise, want to model our walk after His.

We want to be free of sin, but there are times when we desperately want someone to tell us we are going off the rails and help guide us back. That desire can be deep down, but ultimately, we feel the Holy Spirit battling with our sin, and we want to be free of it!

Prayer for today:

Lord, help me name those things in my life I want to break free of. And Lord, as I love my brothers and sisters in Christ, help me to love them enough so I can help them break free as well. I cannot do this without you.

Scripture for Day 1: 1 Timothy 5:1

Revelation 3:19

Day 2:

The devil is crafty and has essentially turned the word “repentance” into a bad word amongst Christians. If you are to ask a non-believer about repentance, you will probably be told that it is used to point out the faults of people by those “Bible touting people haters.” This message has been taken into some churches, and sin is a word rarely whispered. Even among Christians, the word has taken on a negative connotation. But is it a “bad” word? In the New Testament, the word for repentance is “mentanoia,” and it means to have regret or remorse. In Jesus’ first public address, He talks about repentance, which was not meant to condemn, rather to free us from sin so we may draw close to Him.

Our knee jerk reaction to any criticism is usually mixed with a couple of things. First, “how dare you accused me of that?” We’ve all been there if we have been approached about our sin, whether it is from our spouse, a friend, or a pastor. Embarrassment often comes out as anger. Second, we try to find excuses because we did sin. Well, it’s been tough at work, so I’ve been doing that thing more. My marriage has been tough, so I use this to get by. Lots of excuses. But if you step back for a moment, does any of that make us feel better? Do you feel good finding an excuse why you lust? Did your anger at the “accusation” of being angry and yelling at your family, actually make you feel justified? I would dare say, if you are like me, not at all.

The nature of sin is to infect us. As the infection grows, you find yourself compromising yourself even more. This is very crafty of the devil. He convinces us that we are in too deep and there is no way out, no forgiveness, no way God would love you. Those are all lies, my friends. First, for non-Christians, there is nothing we can do that would prevent us from His Grace. If we come to the Cross, repent and believe, our sins are wiped clean, and we are now His. You are loved. For those of us who are Christians, the devil has lost our eternity, but he can certainly make our lives miserable. And miserable people are not great evangelists! Do not believe his lies! Repentance isn’t a punishment, repentance is turning back to God. We acknowledge our sin, not for Christ to lecture us, but to pull closer to Him.

In Ezekiel 18:32, it says: “’For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,’” declares the Lord. ‘Therefore, repent and live!’”. Repentance brings life!

Prayer for today:

Lord, I repent today of my sins. I have held things that I wanted to hide, or felt shame about; I repent of them today. I bring them to you and ask for forgiveness! Lord strengthen my resolve and allow me to draw closer to you each day. Amen.

Day 2 Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8 Ezekiel 18:32

Day 3:

There are two significant mistakes we make as Christians as we share the Gospel. First, it is our job to share all of the Gospel. We are not to cherry pick the good stuff and ignore anything that is seen as remotely divisive. Salvation, baptism, sin, hell, repentance, suffering, Joy, Hope, and God’s Love are all part of the Scripture and what Jesus commands us to share with the world and teach. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells us: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you....” He has commanded us to teach about salvation, which requires repentance. How are our sins forgiven if we cannot even acknowledge our sins?

Second, do not start out with “you are a sinner and must repent now!” As a parent loves a child, bringing them up from an infant, showing them love, care and a desire to see them grow, we are to do the same with all we engage. A child knows, in their heart, that the parent wants what is best because they show unconditional love through their actions. Jesus showed compassion to those that were suffering from their sin. He made a point of telling all He met of His deep love for them by offering Living Water, eternity with Him, and told them to repent of their sins. While we cannot connect with people in the same manner as Jesus did, as He fully knew their pain and suffering supernaturally, we are also to connect with people. You do not build a relationship with a sinner by first pointing out their sin. In more cases than not, their sin can be driven by deep hurts and wounds. They are likely to recoil from a rebuke rather than hear another word you have to say. Show them first, the love of Christ, and then help them gain freedom from their sin at the foot of the Cross. A smile is a good way to start a conversation and being in a relationship that can be a foundation for bringing them to the Cross.

We can embrace those outside the church, but not embrace their sin. Jesus called us to bring those sinners into His House to find freedom. Let the Holy Spirit work on them as they engage in a place of healing, understanding, and love. Coming alongside a young man as a mentor, or having a young woman connect with mature Christian women, can begin a relationship that can start with a smile and end with their salvation. For those struggling with a sin outside your capability to counsel, connect them with a pastor who can work with them to break free of that bondage.

As in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, in John 4, He connected with her first. I imagine that He started this entire interaction with a smile, then He engaged her in a loving manner, and then brought her sin into the conversation. He didn’t do it to condemn her, rather she wanted badly to be free of that sin, but no other “religious” person was even willing to engage an “unclean” woman. Jesus made it known to her that what she was looking for was not in a relationship with various men, rather she was ultimately seeking a relationship that only Christ could provide.

Jesus wants us to connect with people and build relationships. When you start the conversation with a smile and listen to their story, you will find far more success in sharing Christ than starting with “now hear this you sinner!”

Prayer: Jesus, help me to connect with people and love them as You do. Through the Holy Spirit, give me the ability to show supernatural compassion and not condemn them! Lord, You have not condemned me, rather given me eternal life and a place in Your House. Help me to share that Good News with those I meet, so they too can find freedom from their sin and find Joy only found through you!

Scripture Day 3:

Matthew 28:19 John 14:26 Acts 2:38

John 4

Day 4

The last few days we have talked about our responsibilities as Christians. When we are in the church, we want to show love by helping our brothers and sisters when they struggle with sin. Freeing each other from sin helps us to put the focus on Christ, rather than reflecting on the sin that plagues our lives. Repentance as a Christian puts us in a far better position to spread the Gospel. Satan wants nothing more than us to be stuck in our sin, believing we are failures and are no longer loved by God. Scripture tells us this is a flat out lie. Think about Peter when he was standing on the water, and he began to doubt. Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to reach his hand all the way to His, rather He reached His hand out. He is with us, ready to free us from our sin so we can follow Him.

For those non-believers that we interact with daily, our responsibility is to share Jesus. Jesus approached people directly, engaging them where they were, in their sin, shame and helplessness. He didn’t start out with beating them over the head with sin, rather He connected with them. Many that we meet every day are stuck in sin, and their lives feel more helpless every day. They know, in their heart, they need something, but have yet to find what they are chasing. A warm smile, a kind word, and just listening to their story is the start of these relationships.

People want to be loved. As we continue our relationship, we share Truth. Jesus told people, as He met them, that they needed to repent. As we have highlighted, repentance isn’t a club to beat people, rather it is a powerful way to break free of the sin that infects them. Like cancer, sin may start out small, but over time, it moves into every part of their lives. With repentance, Jesus can destroy that sin in their lives. They are free. We show our love to our neighbor, as Jesus commanded us, by helping them break free of their sin!

We have covered several things over the past four days. First, a smile is more effective than even a well-meaning criticism. Second, to share Jesus effectively, we must pray for forgiveness and have the Lord clear out the sin our lives. A regular time set aside to converse with the Father brings us peace, and through that peace, we can share His Joy with others. Finally, be in the Word. To share the Gospel, we need to know the Gospel. We do not need to be scholars, but we should be able to recall Scripture and be able to share the love and truth shared by Christ.

Prayer: Lord, please help me to be Your hands and feet. Bless me with the words to speak, the courage to engage, and fill my smile with a reflection of the Joy you have provided to me freely. Amen.

Scripture Day 4: Ephesians 6:23 1 John 3:23

Want more content like this? Connect with us “Hello World@www.kachman family.com”