Not so.
God's Word is invested with power.
By His Word He spoke everything into being. "In the beginning God created....The Word was God...All things were made by Him."
God says, "My Word shall not return unto me void, but will accomplish..."
Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice..."
I'm not trying to convince anyone, as if some rational argument will turn them to Jesus. It simply doesn't work that way. I'm simply confronting them with God's Word. He will do any work in that person.
How can they hear without a preacher? How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring Good News!
Amen.
>> Not so. <<
>> God's Word is invested with power. <<
>> By His Word He spoke everything into being. "In the beginning God created....The Word was God...All things were made by Him." <<
>> God says, "My Word shall not return unto me void, but will accomplish..." <<
>> Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice..." <<
>> I'm not trying to convince anyone, as if some rational argument will turn them to Jesus. It simply doesn't work that way. I'm simply confronting them with God's Word. He will do any work in that person. <<
>> How can they hear without a preacher? How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring Good News! <<
I do agree with the basic thrust of your argument, it's just that it doesn't quite fit the circumstances I was referring to. I would certainly endorse encouraging a non-believer to read the bible, particularly the New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, Exodus, Isaiah, etc., as a means of awakening their spirituality and leading them to Christ. I just meant that constructing bible-based *arguments* isn't effective if someone doesn't have a faith in the bible.
The traditional three-step evangelization is quote successful:
1. Act out of love and compassion.
2. When the beloved wonders where the love comes from, share the good news with them, allowing them to read through the bible.
3. Answer any questions they have about their reading and turn them onto a Church as a source of continued learning.