E2H Oct. Issue

DARK LIGHT AND NON-CHRISTIAN CHRISTIANS

[This article was written several years ago when Drew was a youth minister at the Decatur Highway Church of Christ. It was effective then, and I think it still serves its purpose now. -BK]

You never told me….” These are the words I believe will be the most horrifying words heard in Hell. Among the shrieks and gnashing of teeth, these words will be uttered by the thousands of souls who might have spent eternity in a different place had someone shared the good news of Christ with them. The object of this statement will be a group who have “tasted the good word of God … and then have fallen away” (Heb. 6:5-6). These former Christians had within their grasp the “power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16), but they refused to share it, taking the gospel for granted and allowing their disobedience to come between them and their God. What a terrible picture!

While contemplating the modern problem of those too quiet in their outreach efforts, I came to the realization that there are no cases in the bible of Christians committing this sin of neglect. There are examples of lying (Acts 5:1-11), greed (Acts 8:9-24), quarreling (1 Cor. 1:11), immorality (1 Cor. 5:1), false teaching (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Pet. 2:1), prejudice (Gal. 2:11-14), abusing the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20), and being “lukewarm” (Rev. 2:16) (to name a few). However, there is not a record of Christians failing to share the gospel with others. The simple reason for the exclusion is this: Sharing the gospel with others is the very essence of Christianity. It is done because that is what a Christian does. The early Christians knew that they were the “light of the world.” They knew that “a city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mt. 5:14). The note contains no examples of Christians failing to spread the gospel because such did not exist. If one was ashamed of the gospel, thus keeping to himself, he was not a Christian. Christians put off light!

It is impossible for light to be dark, and it is equally impossible for a true Christian to keep the gospel to himself. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” The gospel is good, and everyone deserves a chance to obey it. It is within every Christian’s power to share this good news … are you withholding your light?

-Drew Kizer

IS THAT IN THE BIBLE?

In her column, Ann Landers once included some real answers that were given to a Bible knowledge test that was given to a school group. The answers are listed below.

1. Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night.
2. Moses went to the top of Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Commandments.
3. The seventh commandment is “Thou shalt not admit adultery.”
4. Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.
5. The people who followed Jesus were called the Twelve Decibels.
6. The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
7. Matthew was one of the opossums.
8. Salome danced in seven veils in front of King Harrod.
9. Paul preached acrimony, which is another name for marriage.
10.David fought the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in biblical times.
11.A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony.