Good Words for Today: November 20

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). When lost people come to church, it’s like being a person who speaks only Portuguese and going to a church where the sermon is in Bengali. The message just doesn’t get through. Without the “translator” of the Spirit, the lost person will never understand the gospel. With this background, we can now understand those four key words of verse 14. The natural man cannot discern the truth of the gospel. Therefore, he does not understand the message and regards it as foolishness. And that’s why he does not accept it. The gospel will always be a mystery to the lost, and Christians will be a riddle to them. We should pray for God to open the eyes of those around us so that they might see what we have seen. Think of the work of evangelism as having two parts: We have the message and the Holy Spirit has the “translator.” Your words won’t work without a “translator” and the “translator” doesn’t do any good unless there are words that need translation. As you share Christ, pray for God to give your friends “the translator” that will help them understand what you are saying. Here is a simple prayer for effective evangelism. It balances our part, God’s part, and the greatest need of those who don’t know Jesus: Lord, give me the right words to say to those who don’t know you. And give them ears to hear the words you give me. Amen.”

November 20, 2016