How to Share the Gospel with Gays, and Someone Who is About to Kill Her Baby

I was flying from Los Angeles to Miami when I found myself sitting next to two women. Sarah was sitting closest to me. She was 29, inappropriately dressed, with a ring through her nose, and she wasn’t the friendliest person I have sat next to on a plane. After we took off I couldn’t help but notice that her friend kept kissing her on the cheek, holding her hand, and rubbing her shoulder. They were gay, and that little revelation lifted my planned witnessing encounter up a big notch on the awkward-meter. I really didn’t want an angry gay couple complaining to the airline (and the media) that I was a homophobic fundamentalist, imposing my hate-speech by saying that they were going to Hell because they were gay.

I waited until she had eaten, finished her movie, and simply said, “Sarah. I have a question for you. Do you think there’s an afterlife?” She wasn’t sure, so I asked, “If Heaven exists, are you going there? Are you a good person?” She predictably said she was, so I took her through three of the Ten Commandments—had she lied, stolen, and taken God’s name in vain? She had broken all three, so we then looked at whether or not she would be guilty on Judgment Day and whether she would go to Heaven or Hell. I then shared the cross, and the necessity for repentance and faith in Jesus. I didn’t mention her sexual orientation; I didn’t need to nor did I want to. I simply shared the moral Law (the Ten Commandments)—because the Bible says that the Law was “made” for homosexuals—see 1 Timothy 1:8-10. She wasn’t offended, and I kept her friendship and stayed out of jail.

Trying to witness to someone who is about to take the life of her child is also high on the awkward list. It’s awkward, mainly because the mind of this person is preoccupied with what she is about to do and therefore it’s difficult to get her attention. However, if she would stop and talk I would handle the situation similarly to my conversation with Sarah. The reason for that is that I don’t want to reform people. I didn’t want Sarah to stop being gay and end up in Hell for her lying, theft and blasphemy. I don’t want to just stop a woman from killing her child, and have her go to Hell for her other sins. With God’s help I want to see more than a change of mind. I want to see a change of heart.

Contrary to popular opinion, most who take the life of their child through abortion believe in God. Even the staunchest fundamentalist atheist believes in God. I know because I have an inside source. I have a “Whistle-blower.”

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:20-22).

Those who abort the life of their children are “idolaters,” illustrated in the fact that their god condones the taking of a human life. They have no fear of God before their eyes. So your agenda, with the help of God, is to stir her God-given conscience to do its duty and put the fear of God within her, and you can do that, as I did with Sarah and the gay issue, without even mentioning the elephant in the room—the impending abortion. To put the fear of God in someone means that you will have to stay with the biblical gospel. Do not use the “God has a wonderful plan” message because it is both unbiblical and will do more damage than good. If you really believe that that message is biblical, think for a few moments about how the first eleven disciples were murdered for their faith. If you know Church history, you will know that the foundation of the Church is founded in the blood of the saints. Jesus warned that people would kill Christians thinking that they are doing God a favor.

Imagine you have been asked to preach the gospel to 1,000 people on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center the night before 9/11. You know that within 24 hours every person looking at you will die a death so horrific it defies human imagination. Many will be burned alive. Others will jump 100 stories to their deaths on the unforgiving sidewalks of New York. Others will fall with the building and be so crushed that their bodies will never be recovered. What are you going to tell them—that God has a wonderful plan for their lives? You can’t say that to people who are about to die! Instead you would soberly tell them that it’s appointed to man once to die and after this, the judgment. You would tell them that God is holy, that He will judge them by His perfect Law, that Hell is very real and that they desperately need a Savior. You would tell them that they could die within 24 hours, and plead with them to repent and trust alone in Jesus. If you have to change the message you normally preach, then you are not preaching the biblical gospel. Why would you have a different message for people who are walking the streets of this world, and are about to die? Every day 150,000 people throughout this world pass into death, many of whom will die in terrible ways—through horrific car accidents and through the suffering of cancer.

Think of David and Nathan the prophet. David had coveted his neighbor’s wife, stolen her, lived a lie, committed adultery and murdered her husband. He had violated the Ten Commandments but he wasn’t too worried. His conscience wasn’t doing its duty. God had commissioned Nathan to expose the king’s terrible sin. So what did Nathan say? Did he say, “David, God has a wonderful plan for your life”? What has that got to do with anything? David was a criminal, and Nathan was there to expose his crimes, not speak of some wonderful plan. The faithful preacher began in the natural realm with a story about the theft and slaughter of a poor man’s lamb, and when David became indignant about that man’s sin, Nathan said, “YOU are that man. Why have you despised the Commandment of the Lord!” And that’s when David cried, “I have sinned against God.” Think for a moment as to whether or not the wonderful plan message could never have elicited that response. Why should it? It doesn’t bring any knowledge of sin or the fear of God. It doesn’t stir the conscience. But the Law does. It made David tremble. The Law stirred the king’s seared conscience so that it would do its God-given duty, and we can see its result in the penitent prayer of Psalm 51. And that’s what we must do with those who see nothing wrong with the taking of the life of their unborn child. Their terrible sin must be made personal so that the fear of the Lord causes them to depart from it. The instant someone is converted to Jesus Christ they know that means no more lying, stealing, lust, pornography, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, idolatry and no murdering of your own children.

In Mark 10:17 we are told of the story of the rich young ruler who ran to Jesus, kneeled down and said, “Good master. What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He ran (was earnest), he kneeled down (he was humble), and he asked the question we so wish the world would ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” But instead of leading him in a sinner’s prayer, Jesus reproved him of his use of the word “good.” Proverbs 20:6 says, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,” and they certainly do. Ask anyone if they think they are a good person and most will say that they are. So Jesus used the Ten Commandments to bring the knowledge of sin to show him that he wasn’t good at all. He, like Nathan, made sin personal. Paul did this in Romans 2 when he said, “You who say you shall not steal; do YOU steal? You who say you shall not commit adultery, do YOU commit adultery?” Such faithful talk will cause the sinner to tremble as Felix trembled when Paul reasoned with him—not about some wonderful plan, but of “sin, temperance and judgment.”

The stirring of the dormant conscience coupled with a knowledge that a holy God will hold her accountable should be enough to put the fear of God within someone who is about to commit the murder of her own offspring. May God help us to be faithful, courageous, and give us wisdom and help us to stop such slaughter.

Why would you have a different message for people who are walking the streets of this world, and are about to die?
***Jesus had a message for the thief on the cross who was dying next to Him. It did not involve as much conviction of sin as it did the love of God.

It did not involve as much conviction of sin as it did the love of God.

I believe the thief knew he was a sinner. Seems like the lady thinks she is good and had to be shown otherwise... Are you a good person?” She predictably said she was, so I took her through three of the Ten Commandments—.

Jesus had a message for the thief on the cross who was dying next to Him. It did not involve as much conviction of sin as it did the love of God.

Consider the context and the most probable sequence of events: The thief was on a cross, and he got there by sinning. He knew he wasn't coming down from that cross alive, because no one ever had. Concerned about his eternal destiny, it's intuitive he had pieced together what the Scriptures said of the Messiah (the Christ), because the debate of the week in Jerusalem centered on the person of Jesus. So the thief had already repented, and engaged the only person who could save him.

Good point. Most of the people I’ve met know they aren’t perfect. They’ve heard the stuff about sin and it turns them off. But they don’t mind hearing about a God Who loves them.

Here’s an illustration. I’m going to introduce you to a friend, PresentlyHasScreenName. PHSN thinks you’re a slimeball because you trespass on his property every time you buy an ice cream cone, but he’s forgiven you and would like to meet you. Now, does PHSN come off as kind hearted or judgemental? Would you want to meet him? Would you have a better view of him if you were just told that knows a lot about you and is crazy about you?

Jesus said he came not to judge (John 3:17), so if we focus on what would be received as good news, people will listen. It’s good news to hear that Jesus was God Himself, not just some other prophet or “great man” or illustrious holy man. Conviction of sin is the Holy Spirit’s job, not necessarily ours.

Bell is one of those emergent-type heretics.

I do think that Jesus met people where they were at, so to speak. But I agree about the focus needing to be on our sinful state, and inability to be “good enough” to get to heaven on our own merit.

Comfort’s short movie “180” is definitely worth watching. Just do a search and you can watch it online, just 30 minutes long.

Now tell me who was judging here - I’d like to see where you got that from? Do you think Ray did?

Maybe ask your friend that you have walking on my property and see if he knows.

But I agree about the focus needing to be on our sinful state, and inability to be “good enough” to get to heaven on our own merit.
***After years of preaching the gospel, I have come to realize that there are tons of christians eager to point out that aspect. I don’t need to, because any further exposure to christianity will bring that out to someone who hears the gospel. So I can do what Jesus did and focus on the essentials, like agape love.

I don’t understand what you’re getting at. One question I can answer is, yes, I do think Ray was judging here. He asked a question in his article about whether we’d change the message to people facing their deaths, and it brought to mind what Jesus said to someone facing his death, right alongside of Jesus. It strikes me as significant.

The thief was on a cross, and he got there by sinning.

You're setting yourself up for a very rapid dismissal with this statement if you're attempting to sway nonbelievers.

Who else was on a cross? If being on a cross was de facto evidence of sinning, then what was Jesus Christ?

You've just lost that nonbeliever because the two plausible answers to that question are either that being on a cross is not evidence of sinning, or Jesus Christ was a sinner.

You'll appear to be illogical or even dishonest, unfairly yes, but that is the way nonbelievers will take that statement.

I don’t understand what you’re getting at.

Why not? You are the one who brought up judging, not me. What's not to get?

One question I can answer is, yes, I do think Ray was judging here.

Well you are wrong. Asking a question is not judging. I'm glad he was the one sitting next to this lady and not you.

I posted directly from God’s word.

What is your justification for going against the admonition “judge not, lest ye be judged”? And John 3:17 where Jesus said He came not to judge?

Instead you’re jumping straight to insults of a brother in Christ. Maybe you should spend more time in God’s word yourself.

The 7 woes.

Verse 4: They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
***Sounds a little bit like what we’ve been talking about. Jesus’s yoke is not heavy. Trying to get someone to acknowledge sinfulness before telling them about a loving God is a heavy load. I don’t think He intended for us to carry it, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict of sin. Placing such a heavy, cumbersome load onto others is a sign of hypocrisy, which Jesus isn’t very fond of. So, thanks for bringing up that passage in scripture.

I would say that we can’t understand the depth of God’s love for us unless we know that we are separated from a holy God by our sin, and know that despite our wretched sinfulness, God loved us so much that he gave his Son to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross.

Watch the 180 movie and see what effect knowledge of sin can have on people.

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