A Pink-Haired Atheist & Ryan's Redemption

"You can lead an atheist to evidence, but you can't make him think."  I shared a gospel tract with a man who had bright pink hair.  He rejected it politely.  I encouraged him to take it, politely emphasizing that "nothing's more important than your eternal destiny."  "No thanks," he insisted.  "I don't believe in God," he added.  "Why not," I asked, trying to gain insight into the root cause of his unbelief.  He simply repeated that he didn't believe and didn't want to talk about it.

I could have simply walked away and left him alone in his atheism, but as my heart went out to this man knowing his horrific eternal fate should he continue to reject the Lord, the Apostle Paul's words echoed in my heart and constrained me from simply walking away from him:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men . . . ."  (2 Cor. 5:10-11).

I therefore pleaded with the pink-haired atheist one last time, reasoning with him as follows.  "If I offered you a million dollars for one of your eyes, would you give it to me?"  No, he quickly responded.  "What if I offered you $50 million dollars for both eyes, would you take fake transplants in exchange for that much money?"  No way, he promptly replied.  "Of course you wouldn't," I answered.   "You consider your eyesight priceless, because you enjoy life with your eyes.  If, then, your eyes are priceless to you, how much more priceless is your eternal soul that will spend eternity somewhere.  Don't gamble away your eternal soul, I pleaded.  I handed him a booklet that contains some compelling evidence for why faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is reasonable and rational.  He rejected it.

You can lead an atheist to evidence, but you can't make him think.  I pray the thought of his eternal destiny will be so pressing on his mind and heart as a result of our encounter that he will repent and trust Christ for salvation and follow him wholeheartedly!

Then there was Ryan, a sweet witnessing encounter.  In short, Ryan hoped he would go to heaven some day but wasn't certain if he would.  He did not know what Jesus said to do in order to have eternal life.  He listened with careful attentiveness as I explained the full gospel to him.  (I love when that happens!)  I was able to confirm that he did believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and that he had repented of his sins.  Jesus said "repent and believe" (Mark 1:15).  Ryan therefore received assurance of his redemption for the very first time and assurance that his destiny would be heaven based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on his behalf and based on his trust in Christ alone (1 John 5:11-13).  He now knows that his name is written in the Book of Life (Rev. 20).  The Apostle John wrote two books for the very purpose that people would know with certainty that they have eternal life!  (John 20:31; 1 John 5:11-13).  Jesus came that we might know we have eternal life!

Is your name written in the Book of Life?  What about those the Lord brings across your path each day?