Greetings from the Breakers,
The above verse tells us to “examine ourselves.” So I’ve been taking a good long look at myself lately. I’ve also been thinking about what we as Christians should be busy doing for the Lord. I’ve also found there are many who focus on one thing in particular, rather than seeking a well-rounded Christian approach to the lost and dying world. That’s why this prayer letter is going to be a little bit different. I’m going to ask you, the reader, a question.
The question is: Which one are you? ...
… A PUTTER DOWNER?
There are a lot of Christians out there who think their “God called ministry” is to constantly attack others and put them down, or in their own mode of thinking: “put them in their place.” Their entire ministry consists of name-calling, ridiculing, and labeling others who don’t agree entirely with them, and by so doing they feel good about themselves. But where in the Bible do we find such a “calling?” It’s simply not there. And it often turns others off to the truth. The lost get turned off entirely to the Gospel when they see such an attitude. And those that are saved, often get discouraged by seeing such a great lack of Christian charity and brotherly love from such people. A long time ago I decided that this would not be a part of my ministry or something that I would be active in doing. I want to live right, preach right, and do right, but I want to be sure I’m doing it with the right attitude. How about you?
… A PRINTER OF LITERATURE?
I believe that printing good Gospel literature and sound doctrinal material is a very important part of Christianity. Since the very beginning of the Church, people have been WRITING epistles, letters, books, apologetics, etc. And there works have been helpful to other Christians. Now, mind you, the most important thing to read is the Bible itself! But it’s always been a blessing in my Christian life to stumble upon a good Christian book here and there, and I can name quite a few that have helped me tremendously, (like Clarence Larkin’s “Dispensational Truth.”)
That is why I’ve also written some booklets, tracts, pamphlets, etc., in a hopes to be a blessing to others. I would also encourage you to do the same.
(I’m enclosing with this letter my newest tract “Have you Taken the Free Gift?”)
… A PASSER OUTER OF TRACTS?
Christian Gospel pamphlets and tracts have been around for many years. And many Christians feel it’s important to distribute the Gospel message to the masses in this fashion. I desire to do so as well, and that’s why I print my own tracts and hand them out. Yet, I’ve found many of today’s Gospel tracts printed by others don’t always give the Gospel (of 1 Cor. 15:1-4) in it’s entirety or sometimes even omit it completely. Rather, they divert the reader’s attention from Jesus and what he DID for them, and instead instruct the reader to DO something in an attempt to come to God. This is atrocious! The Apostle Paul said that he wanted to know Christ, and him crucified! That’s what we should point Sinners to.
Some Christians, however, think that passing out tracts is all they need to do to make God happy. So, they do this and nothing else. I too have fallen into this thinking at times, thinking if I just give people a tract then I’ve done my duty and can be on my way. But sometimes we need to be active in doing more than just giving a piece of paper to others.
... A PRESENTATION TO OTHERS
Some people think, “Well, I’m a Christian, I’m just going to witness by my lifestyle.” They use this in place of passing out tracts, and speaking to others. This then becomes their only means of witness, and rather than take the effort to speak to others, they hope that by their own immaculate testimony, others will line up at their door wanting to talk to them.
Clearly, there is nothing wrong with being a Christian and living a Christian lifestyle. And we should hope that our testimony is so spotless that even lost people will see Christ in us. But if this is the only way someone witnesses, then they are missing out on being used of God. There is more to Christianity than just living it outwardly for others to see. If you’ll remember, that’s what the Pharisees did, and they weren’t even saved! They wanted people to see their outward mannerisms, but inwardly they were wicked and sinful exceedingly. So just trying to show others Jesus in you isn’t enough. There has to be more to it than that!
… A PREACHER TO PEOPLE?
The Bible says that God chose “the foolishness of preaching” to save the lost. We are told in Rom. 10:17 that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” That is, someone must open their mouth and SPEAK to others and show them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a personal one-on-one thing, and it’s something that many Christians are afraid to do. Some would rather just put down others and name call. Others would rather just print gospel literature, and hope someone else will reach the lost with their material. Still others hope a piece of paper (a Gospel Tract) will do all their talking for them, as they pass out tracts in mass and go on their way. While others delight in holy silence and hope that the living Christ will shine forth from them so brightly that they won’t ever have to witness vocally, and people will just get saved by their example or living testimony.
But there is simply no substitute for an open mouth and a clear Gospel witness of Jesus Christ. I write this here in my prayer letter not to put anyone down or to guilt-trip others into witnessing more to others. If anything, it is a confession on my part, for I usually find I’m so busy in doing the other things, that I often justify myself and my not speaking to others as much as I should about Christ and his Gospel.
It’s easy to name-call. It’s fun to print literature. It’s a blast passing out tracts. It’s joyous to live a Christian life and be a good testimony. But often I find it’s not always that fun to open your mouth to talk to people. I understand Moses’ fear of speaking more and more, especially in these last days, for opening your mouth and talking to people, especially people like those today who HATE God, isn’t always a rewarding experience. Often they will curse at you, or make fun of you, or even threaten you. And you quite often feel stupid speaking to them, often thinking things like: “What is this person going to think about me if I witness to him?” or “What’s going to be this person’s excuse for not wanting to get saved?”
But, as fearful as it may be, that’s what we need to do. My Daddy used to say, “There is simply no substitute for clear and effective communication.” I’d like to change that up a little bit by saying: “There is simply no substitute for a clear and effective vocal witness of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!”
I’m trying to learn to be more outgoing and more vocal for my Saviour. I ask you to pray for me. I do print Gospel literature, pass out tracts, live like I should, etc. But when it comes to opening my mouth, sometimes I find that’s hard to do. I want to speak to more people, and stop being so bashful. I’m tired of justifying the other things I do for Jesus as “enough.” I want to do more. How about you?
Because of Christ Jesus our Great and Awesome Lord and Saviour,
Robert Breaker
1 Sam. 12:24!
P.S. Please pray for all the tracts we have passed out these last two months, the people we have talked to about salvation, and the printed literature we have been blessed to distribute. Our prayer is that God will continue to use you, and we ask you to pray the same for us.
COMING TO GOD FOR SALVATION APART FROM THE GOSPEL?
I’ve run into a lot of people lately who are all saying the same thing, and they all claim to be Christians. They say that a person doesn’t need to know anything at all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. They claim that a Sinner can just come to Jesus and beg him for forgiveness, and he’ll save that Sinner apart from his hearing and understanding the Gospel. But is this the case? Or is this a very anti-biblical teaching?
According to the Bible, there is something a person must know before they can be converted (saved). Below I’ll give a short list of verses that show this, because according to the Scriptures, and they are very clear about this, a person must first HEAR and then UNDERSTAND before they can be saved. I encourage you to look up the verses for yourself.
Matthew 13:15 Jesus says a person must HEAR and UNDERSTAND before they can be converted!
Acts 28:24-28 vs 24 they believed the things spoken (they heard) and vs26-27 they must hear and understand
vs 28 gentiles will HEAR it.
Acts 10:43-44 vs 43 Peter said “believe” vs 44 The H.G. came on them after they heard, understood, and BELIEVED!
Acts 15:7 Peters says Gentiles must HEAR and then BELIEVE. (Hearing comes first!)
Ephesians 1:13 in whom ye TRUSTED AFTER that ye HEARD. Heard what? The GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION.
Eph. 4:17-21 Lost have their understanding darkened, they are blind (vs 18) They have not LEARNED (vs 20) Christ.
Rom. 10:13,14 vs 14 says you have to first HEAR before you can believe.
Rom. 10:17 says faith cometh by HEARING (How can you believe in something you have never heard)?
John 8:43 Jesus talks to the Pharisees and says “Why do ye not UNDERSTAND my speech?”
He then says it’s because they cannot “HEAR” his word.
Matt. 15:8 Jesus says people draw night to him with their LIPS, but their HEART is far from him.
This is why I NEVER tell a lost person, “Just ask Jesus into your heart” or “Beg God to forgive you.” Rather I take them to 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and other verses and instruct them to look at what Jesus DID for them, and TRUST HIS FINISHED WORK (i.e. his shed blood on Calvary) as sufficient to save them. It’s all what JESUS has DONE, and not what we DO that saves us! Today, we can’t come to Jesus any other way than by his blood sacrifice for us on our behalf. Why then, are there so many others, who claim to be Christians, who are instructing lost people to do just that? It’s like they are in the wrong dispensation, and they are trying to get people to come to Jesus the way people came to Jesus BEFORE the cross, and not the way the Bible tells us to be saved AFTER the cross.
Thinking on this, I reread the Gospels and Paul’s epistles, and I found some interesting things. Did you know that when Jesus came, he came only to the lost Sheep of Israel (Mt. 15:24)? And do you know what he preached to them? He preached that they had to believe he was their Messiah. That is, he told them they had to believe WHO he was.
Some say Jesus preached the same Gospel as we do today, but he did not. He could not. For the Gospel today is his death, burial, and resurrection. How could he preach that if he hadn’t died, been buried, or resurrected yet? (Granted he did allude to the fact in his earthly ministry that it would happen in the future, but he told no one to trust IT, rather to trust in HIM and who he was).
We find the Gospel for us today being preached by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). It is not WHO Jesus is, but WHAT Jesus did for us! That’s the difference! Both point to Jesus. But only one is what gives us salvation today! What are you trusting in to save you? Is it in Jesus and WHO he is, or is it in Jesus and WHAT he did for you?
This is an important distinction, for many today claim to “follow Jesus.” That is, they follow the man himself, but they don’t trust what he did for them. They love the beatitudes, and they love the message of “loving one another” but they don’t accept Jesus as their own personal Saviour by faith in his finished work at Calvary.
Years ago, we had the “Jesus freaks” wandering throughout our land, who were nothing but a bunch of long-haired hippies following Jesus. They tried to do what he said, but they were following the MAN, while they rejected what HE AS GOD DID for them on the cross. I mention this as today there are some that say all you need to do to be saved is just come to Jesus and if you seek him, he’ll save you if you just ask him, or beg him, or plead with him enough. But this leaves out entirely WHAT Jesus did for the Sinner. This is seeking JESUS for WHO he is, and not coming to him through WHAT he did for us.
Are such people, therefore, lost? You have to decide that for yourself. Certainly the “Jesus freaks” were, as they tried to make salvation through following the physical teachings of Jesus, rather than by obtaining the spiritual salvation of the soul by FAITH in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
When dealing with people, I try to help them see the difference, as I’m even more determined than ever to point people to Christ Crucified on the Cross of Calvary! It’s all about WHAT he did for us. We are saved by hearing, understanding, and then believing the Gospel. We are not saved apart from it, no matter how many people might say otherwise!
Notice the chart above. When Jesus preached, he stressed WHO he was, to those to whom he came: THE JEWS. He pointed to the fact that he was their promised MESSIAH, the CHRIST, or the ANOINTED ONE. But when the Jews rejected Jesus Christ, then salvation was taken to the Gentiles, and we see God using the Apostle Paul to preach the Gospel (found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4) to them. The emphasis of the Gospel today is not WHO Jesus is, rather HOW Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. It is all about WHAT Jesus did for us for our sins!
Why then would people want to tell lost souls that they can be saved apart from what Jesus did for them on the cross, and instruct them to go to Jesus another way? Why do they teach repeating a formal prayer, begging for forgiveness, asking for salvation, church attendance, baptism, good works, etc., as their plan of salvation? For clearly, all these try to come to Jesus APART from his finished work on the cross!
