I called Shannon before leaving work this evening. She asked me to stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some things for dinner. That was perfect because I needed an opportunity for some divine appointments to share the gospel.
As I looked up and down the aisles for one of the items, I saw a young man who worked for the store. His name tag said "Clay." I asked Clay if he knew where I could find the item I needed. He showed me. I thanked him and said I had something for him. I gave him a Russell Crowe celebrity million dollar bill gospel tract. He said he remembered me and that I had given him a gospel tract coin the last time I came in (which had to be a month or so ago). He said I gave a million dollar bill to one of his coworkers. I asked him if he read it. He said yes. I asked him if he acted upon it. He wasn't sure what I meant. I asked him if he knew where he would spend eternity if he were to die tonight. He said yes. I asked him politely how he knew for sure he was going to heaven. He said because he was trying to obey the commandments.
Me: If you're wrong, Clay, would you want to know?
Clay: Sure.
Me: Well, being good and trying to obey the commands are definitely important to God, but you will never earn your way into heaven by trying to be good enough. The very purpose of the commands, Clay, is to show us how perfect and holy God is and how sinful and desperately wicked we really are even at our very best moments. The commands show us how desperately we need a savior (Gal. 3:24). Clay understood.
I explained to him that's why Jesus died on the cross--to pay the penalty for our sins so we don't have to die for our sins under the weight of God's justice. He understood that, too. I explained to Clay how Jesus said we can get the benefit of what He did for us, how we can receive the free gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23). I explained that he needed to repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. He asked me if repent meant to ask forgiveness. I told him that's one side of the repentance coin and that the other side of the repentance coin is turning away from sin and going our way and turning to Jesus and following Him with our lives. I explained that following Jesus doesn't earn our salvation, but it can be evidence that we have genuinely repented.
I wish you could have seen how attentive and interested Clay was in knowing the truth. I urged him to repent and trust in Jesus Christ for his salvation today and to begin following Him with his life. I told him that following Jesus involves spending time in His Word and learning to fish for men. "By using these tracts," he asked. Yeah, I said, the tracts can be good tools for fishing. Can't take anything with you, Clay, except yourself and other people! Clay thanked me and asked me to be sure and come back to his check out aisle the next time I come back. Awesome! Praise the Lord for such a wonderful encounter!
I had a hard time finding another item, so I ran into another young man employee, Chris. He helped me find my item, and I offered him a gift, too. He got the Nicolas Cage celebrity million dollar bill. I told Chris it was a gospel tract and asked him if he knew where he would go if he died tonight.
Chris: I know.
Me: That's great! How do you know?
Chris: I just know.
Me: That's great, but how do you know you know?
Chris: I just know in my heart that I'm going to heaven.
Me: On the basis of what?
Chris: What do you mean?
Me: What's the basis upon which you know in your heart that you're going to heaven?
Chris: Like a dear caught in the headlights--well, I go to church.
Me: How many times do you have to go to church until you know you're going to heaven?
Chris: Well, it's not how many times you go.
Me: That's right. Nothing you do can earn your way into heaven. But what's the truth upon which you can know for sure your eternal destiny will be heaven?
Chris: Blank stare. Then he blurted as if asking a question, "baptism?"
Poor kid didn't really know how to get to heaven and his feeling in his heart lacked a foundation in truth and fact. In other words, he very likely was as lost as could be. I told him that baptism was good to do once you've taken the steps necessary for salvation, but baptism wouldn't save him. I explained to him that Jesus said He is the truth, the way, and the life and that no man comes to the Father in Heaven but through Jesus. I asked him if he was getting to the Father through Jesus.
Chris: Yes.
Me: How does Jesus help you get to the Father?
Chris: Blank stare.
Me: I explained to Chris how we all deserved eternal separation from God because our countless sins have separated us from God and have alienated us from a personal relationship with Him and that our just due was eternity in hell. I then explained how Jesus died in our place so we don't have to and so we can receive God's mercy and forgiveness if we will repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. I asked him if he had ever repented of his sins and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. He said he had done those things. If you've done those things and you're following him, then you can be sure your destiny will be heaven and not hell! Now do you know how you know for sure your destiny will be heaven? Yes, he nodded. Great! I said. Thanks for your help!
Chris seemed a little distant about the whole discussion. He didn't seem as actively interested and hungry for the truth as did Clay. Who knows, though, what type of "soil" filled their hearts and whether the seed of God's word fell on plow pan, stony ground, thorny ground, or good ground. I pray both were good ground that will produce some serious fruit.
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