One myth is that you have to get your life straight before you can have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the myth prevents people from stepping into a Church and away from the Gospel message.
This creates a challenge for believers tasked to follow the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
Making matters more difficult, many Christians struggle with the same myth. Sometimes we believe our efforts are what God considers the most important, and if we do enough to please him, only then will we have a deep, rich relationship with Him. Our lives might be marked by service, but void of the sustaining relationship made possible by a daily dependence on God.
How can we share the Gospel with those who don’t believe if we miss the point of the Gospel ourselves?
Understand the Love of Christ
During pre-flight on an airplane, you will be told if you have small children, fasten your mask before fastening theirs in case of a sudden loss of pressure in the cabin.
The same rule applies here.
We need to have the Gospel front and center in our life, understanding Jesus came, lived, died and was resurrected for us before we can share with others this good news out of a grateful heart.
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” – 1 John 4:10
We see from this verse it is God provided for our benefit, not the other way around.
Go Back To the Vine
Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
Fruit bearing doesn’t occur without remaining in constant connection with Christ.
Given our salvation and the help from the Holy Spirit, we are able to move away from our sinful desire to control our lives and submit to Jesus, remaining in the right order of relationship with Him.
Understanding you are a branch prepares you for a rich relationship with the true vine and fruit bearing can occur.
Invite Others to a Relationship with Christ
As we tell others about Jesus, we will be reminded about our hurts, pains and disappointments that the love of Christ has healed and is healing in our lives.
Jesus knew what it was like to feel the extent of human pain and suffering to the point of death. What better person to tell others about than the one who has felt it all and lived to conquer it?
Unbelievers want to know there is hope and we can share the hope we experience each day as we tell them about the joy and contentment found in our relationship with Jesus.
Apart from Jesus, you won’t possess the ability to get your life straight and you sure won’t help anyone else get their life straight either.
Abiding in Jesus will allow you the peace of knowing God is already pleased with you as He sees you through the saving work done by His son.
That’s no myth at all.
