DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNCHANGING MESSAGE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNCHANGING MESSAGE

"Therefore, Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:19-20)

Paul's testimony was consistent. No matter who he was speaking to, the message was the same: repent, turn to God, and do works of repentance. He "stood before small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come – that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles" (vss. 22-23).

The Apostle Paul was uncompromising in his witness. Whether to the Jews or Gentiles, whether in Damascus or Jerusalem, whether to small or great, his message did not change to suit the listeners.

Even as he stood before Festus and King Agrippa, he did not deviate. His message was unwavering. It was that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and rose from the dead for our sins and that we should repent.

It is tempting to try to make the gospel palatable to people, to conform the message to what we think would be acceptable to the sinner. We want to see people come to faith, so we try to phrase it in comfortable language. We do need to communicate with people on their level, as Paul did with the people at Athens. But we need to be careful to not change the message to make it acceptable to the sinner. The Gospel is not intended to make people comfortable in their sin, but to convict them of sin, and that makes people uncomfortable until they realize that Jesus died to forgive sinners.

The approach to witnessing may be tailored to the listener, but the message of the Gospel must never be changed: Jesus came, died, was buried, and rose again. That is the Gospel.

Love, Dad