for this post you should probably read my last post.
so i listened to my co-worker and i failed to mention that when he first started giving his reasons for why he believes what he believes, he was confused as to what his role was when it comes to God. does he need to seek God, is God seeking him? does it really matter when God already knows who is going to be in heaven so is there really nothing we need to do?
his confusion is where i started. i told him our role is to love God and believe in the one He sent - Jesus Christ. i told him it is easy to come to know Christ - but living for Him is a bit harder.
i told him that i too prayed that God would reveal himself to me as real, when i was younger but realized that wasn't putting faith in God and showing love to Him if i kept asking for proof. especially when we have all creation to look at, human life, space, etc.
i was reminded by a good friend of mine that hell was never intended for people, but the devil and the other angels who rebelled against God. however, due to sin, humans were now subject to hell because God, being good and pure can not be in the presence of sin. i relayed this information to my co-worker and then told him that if God were to make us love him, then that isn't love. we don't want people to love us b/c we make them love us, but b/c they truly love us. and God doesn't force himself on us B/C he loves us. He gave us a choice. He gave adam and eve a command and they disobeyed Him - sin. God wants our obedience out of love, not b/c He forces us or programmed us to be his puppets. i also told him that he was trying to understand and explain an infinite being with a finite mind and he can't do that.
i reminded my co-worker that God reached out to us through Christ after we had turned our backs on Him - sinned. we don't get to heaven by works - we can't "suck up" enough. you can't go to church enough. Christ took our place - became our sacrifice, took our death penalty, to right us w/ God and we are to believe in Christ and have relationship with him.
i realize that some of you reading this might answer differently and would probably have more to say, but sometimes i think that we Christians tend to bash others over the head. i told my co-worker it wasn't my intent to save him or push my ideas, but wanted to know where he was coming from in they ways he thought about God. and when i felt it was a good time to interject (usually when he was done w/ a point) i would say my piece. you see, it isn't my job to save people. it isn't anyone's job to save people - that is God's job - it is the Holy Spirit who opens the heart to receive the God's salvation. my job is to speak truth and to be a witness to the Truth. i ended the conversation, for the time being, by telling my co-worker that i hoped his mind would change b/c it would be cool to have him in heaven.
my co-worker isn't new to the Gospel or people trying to convince him or tell him about Jesus. however, he has been through it so much that the way you approach him he will become defensive or write you off. i didn't feel that he was that way with me. i did feel that he was trying to convince himself that he was right in what he believed. but i firmly believe he is searching for God, so i will pray for more opportunities to speak to my co-worker and have a chance to speak Truth to him.
so i listened to my co-worker and i failed to mention that when he first started giving his reasons for why he believes what he believes, he was confused as to what his role was when it comes to God. does he need to seek God, is God seeking him? does it really matter when God already knows who is going to be in heaven so is there really nothing we need to do?
his confusion is where i started. i told him our role is to love God and believe in the one He sent - Jesus Christ. i told him it is easy to come to know Christ - but living for Him is a bit harder.
i told him that i too prayed that God would reveal himself to me as real, when i was younger but realized that wasn't putting faith in God and showing love to Him if i kept asking for proof. especially when we have all creation to look at, human life, space, etc.
i was reminded by a good friend of mine that hell was never intended for people, but the devil and the other angels who rebelled against God. however, due to sin, humans were now subject to hell because God, being good and pure can not be in the presence of sin. i relayed this information to my co-worker and then told him that if God were to make us love him, then that isn't love. we don't want people to love us b/c we make them love us, but b/c they truly love us. and God doesn't force himself on us B/C he loves us. He gave us a choice. He gave adam and eve a command and they disobeyed Him - sin. God wants our obedience out of love, not b/c He forces us or programmed us to be his puppets. i also told him that he was trying to understand and explain an infinite being with a finite mind and he can't do that.
i reminded my co-worker that God reached out to us through Christ after we had turned our backs on Him - sinned. we don't get to heaven by works - we can't "suck up" enough. you can't go to church enough. Christ took our place - became our sacrifice, took our death penalty, to right us w/ God and we are to believe in Christ and have relationship with him.
i realize that some of you reading this might answer differently and would probably have more to say, but sometimes i think that we Christians tend to bash others over the head. i told my co-worker it wasn't my intent to save him or push my ideas, but wanted to know where he was coming from in they ways he thought about God. and when i felt it was a good time to interject (usually when he was done w/ a point) i would say my piece. you see, it isn't my job to save people. it isn't anyone's job to save people - that is God's job - it is the Holy Spirit who opens the heart to receive the God's salvation. my job is to speak truth and to be a witness to the Truth. i ended the conversation, for the time being, by telling my co-worker that i hoped his mind would change b/c it would be cool to have him in heaven.
my co-worker isn't new to the Gospel or people trying to convince him or tell him about Jesus. however, he has been through it so much that the way you approach him he will become defensive or write you off. i didn't feel that he was that way with me. i did feel that he was trying to convince himself that he was right in what he believed. but i firmly believe he is searching for God, so i will pray for more opportunities to speak to my co-worker and have a chance to speak Truth to him.
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