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Romans 2:4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Looking retrospectively at my past as an atheist, I can see where God continually showed up with his goodness. Time after time, even though at the time I would’ve never credited him with it, God showed me his kindness. My healing from ALS was one of those times, but there were many more. For example, on more than one occasion after a fight, I would stitch myself up with a fishing line and a hook. The hook and line weren’t sterile by any stretch of the imagination, yet the wound never became infected! But God! This while being an atheist.
Another time a car came out of nowhere to run me down, the car never touched me even though it went through the spot I had been standing just moments before. In that instance, I was lifted up in the air and gently landed about 50 feet from where I had been standing. But God! This terrified the driver of the vehicle enough that he took off without attempting to try again. Once again while an atheist. There were also many times symptoms would just melt off of me, after being present for extended periods of time. I understand this may upset many Christians' applecart of theology since it is a common belief that God doesn’t answer or help “a sinner”, but I’ve got many testimonies to the contrary.
You will then ask “Why did it take so long for you to accept Christ?” My response will be, because of the religious way in which the Gospel was presented to me. Until I met my future wife, not one person who claimed to be a Christian shared a loving Christ with me. My perception is they always came up to me in judgment, and with an agenda. While God was softening my heart towards him and wooing himself to me, people would sabotage the work that God had begun in me by misrepresenting Him to me. And yes, walking up to another human being and shoving a piece of paper (a bible tract) in their hand and walking away without saying a word is not a gracious way to share the gospel. This has happened many times, even since I’ve been a believer! It isn’t being a witness of a loving God, it is showing God as unapproachable, distant and aloof.
Likewise, walking up to a person and telling them that if they don’t accept Christ, they are going to Hell, is an approach that will turn off many. Even if you put it in a sugar-coated way. Through the eyes of an unbeliever, what you are saying is that the only way God can get people to serve him is through the threat of punishment, and by force. Look at the way God is represented by Christians on social media. They call the people they are meant to reach fools and idiots who will burn in hell if they don’t accept Christ. Really?!
One time a fella walked up to me after a few moments of him telling me what a sinner I was, and in a smug voice asked “How’s being an atheist working out for you?” My answer was it’s working out way better for me than God is for you, at this moment. I then proceeded to beat him up.
A presumed knowledge of what is right or wrong does not qualify you to judge anyone especially if you do exactly the same stuff you notice other people do wrong. You effectively condemn yourself. No one is another person’s judge. (Romans 2:1, Mirror Translation)
If God has given you the compassion to lead others to Christ, which should be all of us, then lead them in compassion, love and mercy. It is the goodness of God that leads a person to accept Christ. Be a willing vessel to show them his goodness and his love. That is what busts through the defences of a cold heart. Show them a better path, instead of choosing to mock, put down and berate the path they are on; show them a better way! Overcome evil with good! (Romans 12:21, NLT)
We don’t need to point out sin in order to show them a better way. We show them the goodness of God in which there are many ways to do this. One is by seeing them healed. Another way is asking them if they’ve ever survived a specific circumstance that they shouldn’t have survived. Point out how good God has been in their life in spite of their not acknowledging him. If you start giving them testimonies of what God has done for you, then without even realizing it, they will freely start talking about things they shouldn’t have lived through. There is a better way to reach people!
Be Blessed, Be Healed and Be a Blessing!
