I have been preaching the gospel and reaching out to sinners since I first came to know Christ. I have preached from East Coast to West Coast and have reached many for Christ. I have seen the way my preaching and evangelizing methods have changed over the years. During counseling sessions and talking with people about their problems it is very easy for me to apply the Bible to their life. The question I really thought about is whether the Bible is for un-believers?
I have heard some of my contemporaries, while preaching in the streets, say something like this, "Jesus has called us to live a holy life." "You need to stop drinking because this is wrong." "God loves you and has promised to bless you." and other statements like this. We try to apply the Bible to unbelievers.
First of all don't take me wrong. I came to Christ from reading the Bible. I am not saying that God does not use the Bible to bring unbelievers to Him. He does! Yet, is the Bible for unbelievers?
1) We must first understand that the promises of God were written to HIS PEOPLE who are HIS CHILDREN. That there is no way you can get the promises of God unless you are HIS CHILDREN.
2) Contrary to the world and spiritualist, we are not all children of God. Only those who are in Christ Jesus are Children of God.
3) The letters by the Apostles Paul, Peter and John and the letters of James and Jude were written to Believers not unbelievers. The instructions and promises were written to believers.
4) The Gospels were written to everyone and anyone.
5) The promises of Christ were given to those who accept HIM. The whole purpose of the Gospel is to call sinners to repentance and accept Jesus Christ.
In other words, a Pastor should never say, God is going to bless your life if the person does not know Christ. A person who does not know Christ is under a curse and such statement is a lie and misleading. It circumvents what Christ is saying to all, "Unless you come to me you find no rest." "Without me you can do nothing." PARAPHRASED.
The number one goal of every Christian when dealing with unbelievers is to preach the Gospel and bring them to Christ through the Gospel, not to spout off promises and such. The call to live a Holy Life and do what is right is to believers not unbelievers. God is not calling to sinners to live holy or "DO WHAT IS RIGHT", rather God is calling sinners to Repent of their sins and Accept and Him and then and only then they can do what is right and live Holy and then Partake of the promises of God!
Pastor Michael Salman
