His Name is Jesus

As believers, we are called by Christ to share our faith, our story and our testimony about why we believe in and follow Jesus. But it isn’t always easy. People don’t always want to hear what we have to say. They may even react by attacking us verbally or making fun of us.

Take heart, be encouraged, no matter what happens, no matter who believes, no matter what people say…. The Saviour's name will always be Jesus, and he will remain in us and with us and be for us.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” John: 14:16-17.

Then, there will be people who say there’s something different about you. To them you can answer, it’s because I’ve given my life to Jesus, and trust him to guide me in it. Things don’t always go my way; my life isn't perfect and sometimes it is quite hard. But, knowing God is with me at all times, through any circumstance, gives me strength and confidence for every situation, even in difficult seasons.

You can say, "I know he died for you and wants to know you and be with you in the same way he’s with me."

Those times when you can’t think of what to say or you don’t feel comfortable sharing your personal story, invite them to your church or to a connection group, to a Christian conference or send them a link to listen to your favourite speaker or preacher on YouTube. There’s more than one way to share who Jesus is and how he changes lives.

Remember, it’s Jesus’ job to be their Saviour not yours! All He’s asking is for you to share your faith when you get an opportunity so they can become heirs of the Kingdom of God too.

“Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.” Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭TPT‬‬

It breaks my heart to think about the destiny of the lost souls we encounter each and every day. Whether its family, friends or strangers shouldn’t we be prepared to speak with them about Jesus? He is the only bridge from their hearts to God.

Asking someone if they believe in Heaven and Hell can be a great conversation starter because most people do believe there is a Heaven and a Hell. I’ve discovered asking where they think they will go when they die really opens the lines of communication. That question allows me to share the love, mercy, grace and forgiveness of God. That no matter what sins have been committed, God’s forgiveness is free to everyone who asks with a genuine heart. It is a relief for them to be told there is no sin too big for God because he views all sin the same, to God there is no little sin, medium sin or big sin. Sin is sin and God is waiting for them to ask Him to forgive it!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NKJV

The other, harder, conversation to have has been when someone tells me they are basically a good person so they think they will go to Heaven. My answer? Good people don’t get to Heaven. Good people still must understand they need a Saviour. You can be a good person like the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-27 but if you aren’t willing to give your life to Christ and give up sinful prideful ways, you cannot make it to Heaven to inherit eternal life.

Romans 10:9-10 says: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Being ‘a basically good person’ is a good start but doesn’t get anyone into Heaven. Believing in and giving our lives to Jesus does that. No matter how good a person is scripture says For All Have Sinned and Fall Short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). It’s our SIN that excludes us from Eternity with Jesus.

These conversations, for most of us, are never easy but they are important. They can go in many directions depending on who you are speaking with, this is why it’s important to keep learning, keep praying and keep talking about who Jesus is. If you ever get stuck, stumped or confused go back to why you believe. Don’t argue with anyone, force feeding someone Jesus won’t get them saved. Agree to disagree, say we can talk about this another time. Don’t get discouraged when people can’t understand your love for all things Jesus. I didn’t give my life to Jesus until I was in my 40’s, before that I just wasn’t ready for him. I thought I knew who Jesus was, I did believe in Heaven and Hell, I believed Jesus was crucified on the cross, but I didn’t understand what or who he died for or that I could have a relationship with him. What I’m trying to say is be patient, as long as there is breath in the lungs of your unsaved family, friends and anyone else you meet, Jesus is still waiting on them so you can too!

Praying for you to boldly share your testimony and have the wisdom and grace to say the right words at the right time to those God has placed on your path. Amen.