Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Text:

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col 4:5-6 NIV)

It seems the longer we’re Christians, the less we remember what it’s like not be a Christian. We hopefully are thinking more like Christ. We’re living more like Christ would have us live. It becomes harder to relate to unbelievers, because we don’t remember what that was like. How can we be wise in the way we act towards them if we don’t understand them?

Many have proposed that unbelievers have a God-shaped void in their hearts. Augustine wrote in Confessions (397 AD), “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are rest-less till they find their rest in you.” Pascal wrote, “This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” I think this is true.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecc 3:11 NIV)

We were created to have a relationship with God. Everyone on the earth who has a heart desires to know their purpose in this world. But sin and Satan get in the way of that. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:4 NIV) Many people now simply deny their longing to know their purpose. We now have this description of outsiders: “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” (Rom 3:10-11 NIV)

Though everyone deep down knows that there is a God, and deep down desires to know Him better, sin has gotten in the way and because of sin, they do not seek God. Many people attempt to fill that void with anything else but God. “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (Psa 10:4 NIV) The truth is, a lot of things might make a person happy. But happiness is fleeting. Only Christ can give you the everlasting joy and peace with God that we really need.

If this is the state of unbelievers, how are we to reach them?

1. Pray! Conversion is primarily an act of God. But we still have a role to play. God will not save people unless we’re faithful to go and tell.

2. Be wise. We must not give people a reason to reject Christ because of the lifestyle we live. We must take every opportunity to share the gospel, relating it to each individual’s life, being led by the Spirit of God. We must love people and show them grace, just as Christ has done for us (Colossians 4:5-6).