The Power of the Word

Sydney Harris, once said, "I am tired of hearing about men with the 'courage of their convictions.' Nero and Caligula and Attila and Hitler had the courage of their convictions--but not one had the courage to examine his convictions, or to change them, which is the true test of character."

There are people in this world, however, who do have the courage to examine their convictions, and even to change them. This being the case, Christians need not be too concerned about the long term spiritual status of people with an open mind. Our concern instead should be about getting the Bible into the hands of people who have not fully studied the will of God.

When I was a younger preacher, I used to worry about my Bible studies. I would concern myself with whether or not someone would obey the truth, and when it would happen. If it was not soon enough for me, I might find myself being pushy with the progress of the person who had already humbled themselves enough to study.

As time has passed, I have let that go. The reason is simple. The word is powerful. It will not return to God void. What we need to do is enjoy reading it, and teach it, and simply let the Bible do the work. What will eventually happen is exactly what needs to happen. People will be converted to Christ by the teachings of the Lord, rather than being converted to us.

When you study with someone, avoid being confrontational. The Bible will confront a person plenty. Assist and guide with patience. Show how the word of God is changing you. Allow the plan of salvation to unveil itself before the reader's eyes. The time will come when you will not have to ask the student about baptism. God's holy word will have them coming to you pleading, "here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?" (Acts 8:36)

"But the word of God grew and multiplied." ~ Acts 12:24