All Things To All People: Telling People About Jesus

Good gospel community helps you identify your spiritual gifts - we have grown in the gift of evangelism and have a heart for outsiders who don’t fit the church mold. 

However, not long ago, I (Brown) was not a regular Sunday church attendee or one who served. Not too long ago, my wife, Becca, was trying to survive as a single mom of three. The point is God can change hearts. God can grow desires in you for the lost and your friends and family. You are not so far away that you can’t share the gospel with a loved one or be hospitable to a stranger or a person in need.

I was not born sharing the gospel nor had all the knowledge of the bible. I had to have discipline. I studied. I surrounded myself with believers that really believed and showed me the ropes. 

So, if you ask me how I evangelize or looking for tips to share the gospel yourself, I will first answer in a different way that you may not be accustomed to, but I will answer your question.

1. Grow Your Affections for Jesus

First, just like I would answer overcoming addiction, habitual sins, loneliness, and wanting a desire to know and love God more, I would say to grow your affections for Jesus. 

What does “grow your affections” mean?

Have you ever loved something so much that you couldn’t wait to do it again? Or saved money to buy that thing that made you happy? Then spent time doing the thing that brought you joy? That is the affections I am talking about.

What are the things that get you excited about Jesus? About God the Father? 

And if you don’t know what those things are right now, do the next right thing. Do what the bible says are good spiritual practices/disciplines until your heart catches up.

Read the scriptures. John Piper says “the Bible is kindling [for the soul]” (Desiring God), “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul” (Psalm 19:7).

Talk to God. If you don’t know what to pray, pick a Psalm and use it as a guide.

Find community. Find a church small group. Find good Christians that will feed your stomach and your soul.

Listen to awesome songs about the beauty of God.

Now try to remember when you were saved. Try to remember times you loved God and couldn’t wait to go to church. What are those things that make you happy in God? 

Do those things. Remember what the gospel is. 

The gospel is not something that just saves non-Christians, it is everything. We never graduate from the gospel. It is the good news that Jesus saved sinners. Redeemer. For those who believe, we get what we do not deserve and Jesus died the death we should have. We get eternal life with God the Father! 

If you never experienced a time like what David said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) or what Paul said, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:8), then talk to God or talk to a believing friend. Ask God to forgive you of your sins. Tell Him that I deserve death but I repent and want to trust in Jesus, who died for my sins. Confess that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

2. Love Your Spouse

Second, take care of your family, especially your spouse.

Again, you may be asking, “I thought this was supposed to be about evangelism,” well, when I meditate on why Becca and I are so “good” at evangelism and hospitality, I think first about my love for Jesus and how that overflows to loving the souls of other, and then I think about how I can’t do any of this without my helpmate, my partner, my other-half that supports me, loves me, submits to my leadership. 

Becca and I plan our weeks on Sunday. We pray and think about those in our spheres and who needs a touchpoint. A lot of times, we do this individually, which means we may go a few days or nights not seeing each other and the other spouse will have to help with the kids. Sometimes I may have to change my plans during the week to accommodate but if I was a jerk and just told my wife “This is what I am doing and you need to adapt,” that will not go well for my marriage or the people I am supposed to be ministering to. 

I find it refreshing when my wife comes home to tell me how her new coffee talk went with a lady. We both find joy in ministering. 

People see our life and all our kids and wonder how we do it. Well, we pursue the joy in the joy of others. God gets the glory and we get the joy. 

The driving and being at all the places can get tiring but we are renewed by blessing others, by sharing the gospel, and/or listening to what someone needs to say. We are joy seekers.

We have a few things going for us. We have all teenagers and they can feed and entertain themselves. I can get a long night's sleep. We are done with the baby phase. So, you don’t have to fill your calendar. Get creative, work when the kids are asleep and one parent can watch them. Invite them over to your house for dinner. If you already have lunch at work, meet up with someone or think about a thought-provoking question to ask your co-worker.

And several times, I don’t have something planned, I am just available. Be sensitive to what the Spirit is doing.

There was one particular day that my wife and I were in Dallas, and we got back at 9pm exhausted. The wife and I were in our PJ’s and at 9:45pm, that friend in my neighborhood texted me and invited Becca and I over, that friend who is not a Christian and someone I’ve been trying to connect with. What were we to do? In this case, I told my wife, “We need to put clothes on and go to our neighbor’s.” And that’s what we did.

This is in the marriage section because it is not always a “yes.” But I have an understanding partner and a kingdom perspective. I’ll still get some sleep but if not, how great it is to worship with my friend for eternity in the perfect Rest.

3. Speak the Truth in Love

Third, how do you evangelize?

I can’t overemphasize that “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34). You talk about what you treasure. 

Then I would add, spend time with the lost. Your co-workers, your neighbors, those you see at your regular hangouts. 

My Indian friend from one of my past jobs is a devout Hindu. He puts us to shame with his spiritual disciplines; however, he is trying to earn his salvation. He has invited me and my family multiple times to his house. 

Why?

Because we are friends and we both care for each other.

How?

He likes to go on walks and talk. Do you know what I do when it is 107 degrees in the Texas summer and I have dress slacks and a long-sleeved shirt on? I go on a walk with my friend.

I listen to him and respond. I relate and I question. He openly talks about his beliefs, which opens the door for me to talk about my beliefs. 

What if they are not like me? Some of you need to slow down and examine yourself. Just because someone drinks, into CBD, poor, or not an “Elite-O,” does not mean you should not share the gospel with them. Jesus came to save people like that.

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Matt 11:19).1 I want to be like Jesus. 

Becca has literally ministered to prostitutes, swingers, adulterers, lesbians, poor people, divorced, and many more. 

We take the attitude of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

If you don’t know where to start, start with something fun. If you like to golf, invite your lost coworker to golf. If you have a great backyard, invite your neighbor and their family for a backyard cookout. Pray and see what the Lord does. You will be surprised and hopefully rejoicing after taking these steps.

So many times, I am just here as a friend, but I stay cognitive if conversations move toward Jesus. Feel the conviction in your heart, take a deep breath, and ask them if they know Jesus or to clarify their spiritual thought.

Last challenge I have for you, if you made the connection, follow through. If they contributed to your business, go support their business. If they invited you to their backyard cookout, invite them to watch football at your house. Send a text. Respond in a relatively appropriate time to their text. That goes a long way.

Conclusion

Love Jesus, love your spouse, love others. Keep it simple. Jesus said all the commandments can be summarized into two commandments: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40, Romans 13:9). Do life with your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers. Everyone eats, invite them to eat one of the meals in the day. 

One of my favorite ways to share the gospel is something called “The Romans Road to Salvation.” It is just a few verses to memorize and summarizes the call to salvation.2

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” Romans 10:9

God requires perfection but we have fallen short of the glory of God. We can’t make up that gap. But God loves us and sent Christ to die for us. The just Judge God, rightly punishes our sin (the wages is death). All we have to do to be saved is confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. 

Lastly, don’t forget the five B’s of sharing your testimony: be brief baby be brief. Relate, share what Jesus did for you, but just share the gospel. It is the Spirit who saves anyway, God has just chosen His church as His missionaries in this world. Love ya. 

Soli Deo Gloria, Brown and Becca Nevels

Footnote:

1 Look also at Matthew 9:10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

And, Matthew 21:30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

2 https://www.forthegospel.org/read/the-romans-road-to-salvation

Twelve Lessons For Christians On How To Engage Politically And Live As Ambassadors, Not As Culture Warriors.

1. Join A Church.

The most powerful political action a Christian can take is to be an active member of a local church. By immersing ourselves in the life of the congregation, we learn and model Christ-like behavior. This authentic witness is essential for both the growth of believers and the attraction of non-believers. The church is where we are equipped and empowered to live out our faith in the public square, starting with our homes and communities. Ultimately, joining a church is about becoming part of a community that reflects Jesus to the world.

2. Fear God And Get Wisdom.

True Christian leadership requires a profound fear of God, not man. This fear fosters wisdom and enables long-term, principled decision-making, even at significant personal cost. Unlike many modern leaders who prioritize short-term gains and popularity, those who genuinely fear God are willing to challenge power and uphold biblical truth. The Confessing Church's courageous stand against Nazism exemplifies this, serving as a powerful reminder for Christians today to prioritize their allegiance to Christ over earthly kingdoms.

3. Obey And Honor The Government.

The Bible mandates respect for governing authorities, exemplified by figures like Joseph, Daniel, and Paul. While Christians are called to obey the law, they must also discern when a government oversteps its boundaries. As illustrated by a government employee who adhered to congressional law, Christians should be models of civic obedience and uphold the rule of law. This commitment to responsible citizenship aligns with Martin Luther's assertion that Christians make exemplary leaders and citizens.

4. Make Use Of Whatever Political Stewardship You Have.

Christians have a dual responsibility to obey and participate in government. This includes utilizing any influence or position to promote justice and uphold the rule of law, as outlined in Genesis 9:5-6. While not advocating for direct lawmaking, Christians should leverage their citizenship to positively impact society. This responsibility extends to all, regardless of social status or political power. Voting is a crucial aspect of civic engagement and a reflection of Christian love for neighbor. Therefore, apathy towards government is incompatible with Christian faith.

5. Know Your Political Culture’s Supreme Values (Or Idols) And Look For Common Ground.

American culture prioritizes freedom above all else, often at the expense of other values like justice. Both political parties strategically employ the concept of freedom to advance their agendas. This emphasis on freedom creates challenges for Christians who seek to promote justice in the public square. Balancing the pursuit of common ground with the need to challenge cultural idolatry requires wisdom and discernment. Christians must carefully consider the potential consequences of their arguments and avoid inadvertently reinforcing harmful cultural values.

6. Be A “Principled Pragmatist” In Your Public-Square Arguments.

Christians should approach political engagement with a principled pragmatism. Grounded in biblical truth, they must strategically employ persuasive arguments to advance justice. This involves understanding and potentially utilizing elements from various political ideologies while maintaining a firm foundation in Scripture. Effective communication, respectful dialogue, and a willingness to cooperate with others who share common goals are essential for achieving positive change. Ultimately, the aim is to influence policy and culture in ways that reflect God's heart for justice and compassion.

7. Be Willing To Invoke God In Your Arguments.

There are challenges that come with engaging in a public square where people hold different religious and moral beliefs. Christians often resort to common-ground arguments like appealing to conscience, natural law, or statistics to persuade others. However, these approaches can be ineffective because they ultimately rely on individual consent and fail to address deeper convictions. Instead, a "Polycarp approach," which involves openly acknowledging one's religious beliefs and asserting them in the public square can be effective. This approach, while risky, can lead to more honest and productive conversations. Ultimately, Christians should not shy away from openly expressing their faith in the public square while also being willing to engage in respectful dialogue with those who hold different beliefs.

8. Practice Convictional Kindness.

Effective public engagement requires a balance of conviction and kindness. By embodying Christian values like humility, gentleness, and open-mindedness, we can foster respectful dialogue. It's essential to represent opposing viewpoints fairly and to be receptive to alternative perspectives. This approach not only strengthens our own arguments but also builds bridges with those who disagree, creating opportunities for meaningful conversation and potential common ground.

9. Do Not Attribute Your Interpretation Of Historical Events To Providence. 

Christians should exercise caution when attributing specific events to God's direct intervention. History is complex, and often multiple factors contribute to outcomes. By claiming exclusive knowledge of God's plans, we risk committing idolatry, projecting our own desires onto the divine. It's essential to humbly acknowledge the limitations of human understanding and to avoid reducing God's actions to simplistic narratives that align with our personal or political agendas.

10. Know Your Own Party’s Strengths, Weaknesses, And Idolatrous Trajectories.

Christians should approach political parties with discernment. While both major parties hold some biblical values, they also exhibit concerning tendencies. Rather than blindly following a party line, believers should critically evaluate their party's strengths and weaknesses. By understanding the potential idols within each party, Christians can engage in the political process as ambassadors for Christ, seeking to influence their party towards justice while maintaining unity with fellow believers across the aisle.

11. Be Prepared On Occasion To Disobey The State.

Christians may face situations where obedience to government conflicts with obedience to God. While typically respecting governing authorities, believers must prioritize God's commands. This could involve civil disobedience in extreme cases of governmental oppression. However, such actions require careful consideration of potential consequences and the possibility of establishing a more just government afterward. Ultimately, Christians are accountable to God for their choices, and wisdom and discernment are crucial when navigating complex ethical dilemmas.

12. Pray For Government.

The power of prayer in shaping world events cannot be underestimated. While complex factors contribute to societal changes, the consistent prayers of God's people play a vital role in influencing outcomes. Christians should pray fervently for both just and unjust leaders, recognizing that their prayers have the potential to impact nations and bring about positive change.

Three Purposes For Government

The following is an excerpt from “How The Nations Rage” by Jonathan Leeman.

Three Purposes Of Government 

Purpose 1: To Render Judgment for the Sake of Justice

The first and most immediate purpose of government is to render judgment for the sake of justice.

The reckoning here requires parity: life for life. It’s not   .“life for stealing a horse” or “life because you hold different religious views.” It’s life for life. A principle of mathematical equivalency and fairness is built into God’s authorization in Genesis 9:5–6. The implication is that lesser crimes should also be punished with matching penalties. Whatever the severity of the circumstances at play, at the end of the day it’s about justice, and God requires it. It’s this divine “requirement” to shed blood for blood that provides the government’s authority with teeth. It can require you to pay your taxes or drive the speed limit or keep your employer from cheating you. It possesses the threat of force, and that threat is a morally legitimate one, says God. It gives a government the right to defend its citizens from foreign invaders, and it gives them the right to imprison people for life when they take life from others. 

The life-for-life principle is perhaps most obviously illustrated in discussions about capital punishment. Now, we can argue about whether life imprisonment or capital punishment is a more just and better way of establishing a “reckoning,” but here’s a point we must not miss. The punishment given for a crime—whatever form it might take—is not merely about retribution or paying someone back. It’s not just about deterring future crimes or rehabilitating the offender. Rather, punishment, most fundamentally, is about affirming the life and worth and value of the victim.

Look again at the last phrase of verse 6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (emphasis added). Taking the life of the killer demonstrates that the life of the person who has been killed really is worth that much. It’s that valuable. After all, it was a life in God’s own image.

Suppose I lose your diamond ring and say, “Goodness, I’m so sorry. Here’s a stick of gum.” My guess is that you would not feel justly compensated. You would feel justly compensated if I gave you something of equal value to the ring. Justice must acknowledge the value of your ring: it was valuable and precious and beautiful! 

the victim.

Ironically, the refusal to even consider the possibility of capital punishment, typically argued as a way of affirming a murderer’s life, undermines the value of the victim’s life. It says, “Sure, your murder was bad, but it can be weighed out against a few years in prison.” The mathematical equivalency of blood for blood affirms the value of the shed blood. It yields a reckoning. It doesn’t undo the crime, but it acknowledges fully for a watching universe the gravity of what’s been done. It offers justice. And justice, the rest of the Bible teaches, is a beautiful thing. It protects the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the hurting.

Are there limits to a government’s authority when it comes to rendering judgment? And what if the government uses force excessively and unjustly? Just ask the families of victims of police brutality how they feel about governmental force.

Yet here’s another beautiful element of the call in Genesis 9:6 for mathematical equivalency: it creates a governing mechanism that is self-correcting. The verse creates a boomerang effect against any excessive force, no matter the source. If a dirty sheriff shoots a man for a minor altercation in the town saloon, the verse boomerangs back against him, even if he is the dusty cowboy town’s lawman.

No person and no governing authority stands above Genesis 9:6. The dirty town sheriff, the power-hungry king, the genocidal dictator, nor the racist police officer should be permitted to use force unjustly. Rather, we should work to correct the injustice, even if perpetrated by the one in authority. God “requires” it, says verse 5.

In short, God grants authority to human beings to form governments for the sake of establishing a preliminary, this-world justice.

  1 Kings 3:28: And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

 Proverbs 20:8: A king who sits on the throne of judgement winnows all evil with his eyes. 

Romans 13:3–4: For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

  Governments should protect their citizens from threats from the outside and the inside. They should punish the Cains when they kill the Abels, or do what they can to protect the Abels in the first place. They should uphold the value of every single human life, young and old, aging and unborn, rich and poor, minority and majority.

Consider the Child Protective Services government agency. Insofar as CPS seeks to shelter children from violent and abusive parents, it is acting as God’s servant and fulfilling its Genesis 9:5–6 mandate. Christians should praise God that we live in a country where the government takes an interest in protecting children from abusive parents. And therefore we should be vocal and known for supporting CPS. CPS workers should find that Christians are the most cooperative. Church pastors, likewise, should not treat reports of abuse against the children of members as an internal church affair, but recognize that abuse belongs to the state’s jurisdiction and report those cases.

Purpose 2: To Build Platforms Of Peace, Order, And Flourishing

Governments don’t possess the authority to render judgment and establish justice for their own sake. The goal is to build a platform of peace, order, and even flourishing on which humans can live their lives.

Let’s get into the textual weeds for a second. Think of the context of Genesis 9:5–6. God had punished the world through the flood and just brought Noah and his family off the ark in chapters 6 through 8 of Genesis. Verses 1 and 7 of chapter 9, then, like two pieces of bread on a sandwich, repeat the charge given to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply,” God said at the beginning and end of the paragraph.

Then notice how the meat of verses 5 and 6 fits inside the two pieces of bread given in verses 1 and 7. The authority that God gave to shed blood for blood (vv. 5–6) facilitates the larger enterprise of filling the earth and ruling over it (vv. 1 and 7). Governments establish peace, order, and some measure of flourishing so that people can fulfill God’s greater dominion mandate.

Purpose one leads to and allows for purpose two. Justice leads to and allows for order and flourishing. So says Proverbs: “By justice a king builds up the land” (29:4; also, 16:12, 15). And we see commendable examples of governing authorities doing this in the Old Testament:

• Joseph as prime minister of Egypt helped the nation prepare for famine. 

• Israel’s law included provisions in its agricultural policy that cared for the poor.

• King Solomon pursued an astute export and import strategy that made Israel prosperous.

These leaders were concerned with more than punishing crimes and administering justice; they were looking to establish a foundation of provision from which the people could pursue God’s greater calling. Sometimes people describe government as a necessary evil. But that’s not right. Even in a perfect and unfallen world, someone has to decide whether cars are going to drive on the right or left side of the road. Order must be established for people to flourish.

A contemporary illustration of how governments bring peace and flourishing can be found in the work of the US Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA establishes regulations on everything from the installation of rivets on the body of the aircraft to the pilot’s command of weather theory.

Is this governmental intrusion? Is this going beyond God’s Genesis 9 authorization? You might try doing an Internet search on commercial airline crashes due to pilot error or technical malfunction over the past three decades. You will find dozens of major crashes from airlines of smaller, poorer nations. But you will only find one, maybe two, among US airlines in that time. In other words, the regulations of the FAA arguably save thousands of lives each year. And this is tied to the government’s mandate to do justice. Apart from such regulations, it’s likely that greedy interests would, from time to time, compromise various safety standards for the sake of financial gain.

In other words, governments exist to build a platform on which human beings can pursue God’s dominion mandate. It’s a platform of peace, order, and prosperity, albeit one that should always be tied to the more foundational call to produce justice.

Does this mean governments possess a responsibility to fund health care, education, programs like Social Security, or welfare programs for the poor? Two mornings ago I was walking from a breakfast diner to my church building. At East Capitol and 3rd Street, three blocks from the US Capitol building, I walked past a group of fifty or so marchers with picket signs. They were chanting, “Health care is a right. Health care is a right.” Not a very creative chant, but welcome to an ordinary day in Washington, DC.

I’m not going to make a case for or against an entitlement like health care. But if you want to make sure that your position is biblically legitimate, this is how you need to do it: try to make an argument from Genesis 9:5–6 and related texts that God authorizes government to provide health care or education for its people on the grounds of justice, as well as peace, order, and flourishing.

For instance, my more progressively minded Christian readers might argue that universal health care affirms the humanity of the economic underclass, making premature death or crime less likely. They might argue that certain systemic injustices have produced generationally entrenched ethnic and class disparities, and that these injustices and disparities require a reckoning.

Meanwhile, my more conservative Christian readers might point to the notion of private property implicit in the dominion mandate and the command not to steal. Then they might argue that once a taxation rate reaches a certain point, it risks becoming state-sponsored stealing, not to mention the injustices undermining the biblical principle of a laborer being worth his wages and various emphases on personal responsibility.

Here is a good conversation. Let’s have it! My point is, both perspectives should work to make their arguments through the grid of Genesis 9:1–7 and other biblical passages that elucidate its meaning. Either argue that suchand-such entitlement goes beyond God’s authorization or is unjust, or argue that such-and-such entitlement falls within the authority given in Genesis 9 and fulfills the requirements of justice. (And when I say “argue,” I don’t mean in the public square to non-Christians. I mean in the in-house attempt to arrive at your own position, or to persuade other believers.)

It’s right here in this argument between the conservative and liberal instincts regarding such-and-such entitlement that we are thrown back to the discussion of wisdom in chapter 4. Remember how the people marveled at the wisdom God gave Solomon to do justice (1 Kings 3:28)? We need wisdom to determine whether justice requires entitlement x. It’s possible that, in some circumstances, justice would require an entitlement, while in other circumstances, it wouldn’t. Wisdom might say, “Look at these statistics” or “Consider these trend lines and outcomes.” An argument for justice from wisdom can make use of all sorts of “common grace” material.

Criteria like peace, order, and especially flourishing are somewhat subjective. How much order? How much flourishing? And how do we balance the principles of justice highlighted by the conservative versus the principles highlighted by the progressive? Answering such questions requires wisdom. There’s seldom a black-and-white answer that applies across every situation.

For what it’s worth, if you find yourself applying a formulaic, black-and-white answer to any and every situation, as in “public education is always unjust and wrong,” you might be more driven by ideology (which turns wisdom into absolutes) than you realize. Call this a pastoral hunch. Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged demonstrated how ideological libertarianism can reach absurd conclusions when executed in absolutes; Chairman Mao’s “Great Leap Forward” in China during the 1950s and ’60s demonstrated the same thing for communism. We must avoid formulaic absolutes when it comes to matters of wisdom.

So, what belongs in a government’s jurisdiction and what doesn’t? What’s legitimately public and what isn’t? My concern isn’t to tell you precisely which areas of life fall into which bucket. It’s to help you know how to have the conversation and think through different topics for yourself. You need wisdom for the purpose of justice, and justice must yield peace, order, and the opportunity to flourish.

Here is one more illustration. My wife and I recently updated our kitchen. It was a pretty major job. Walls were torn down, an external door was removed, and a window was enlarged. The refrigerator and oven were moved, as were the water, electrical, and gas lines accompanying them. Our contractor asked us if we wanted to secure the necessary county permits for the job. Our county, like most, requires homeowners to take out permits for these kinds of jobs, which brings several county inspectors into your house both before and after the work. They make sure the work is done according to county code. 

“What does it cost to get the permits,” we asked our contractor.

“Just guessing, but probably around a thousand dollars,” he replied.

“What?!”

My contractor went on and encouraged me not to get the permits. Yes, he is a principled man, but he made an argument against permits based on my property rights as a homeowner. He had done work on too many houses where inspectors came and required literally tens of thousands of dollars of unnecessary work.

I was honestly perplexed. Did the government have the right to require me to fork over almost a thousand dollars for updating my home?

I e-mailed a LISTSERV I belonged to made up of theologians and ethicists. What did they think?

One ethicist replied with the single phrase, “My precious brother, Romans 13:1–7.”

Okay, that was slightly condescending. A friend on the list then texted me separately saying, “Ha ha, you just got Romans 13’d!” Yes, I did.

But I wanted to know, does the government have a legitimate biblical right to charge me this money? I discovered that many people, even Christian friends, simply don’t take out permits. After all, the county never knows and nothing happens. I admit that this was a tempting route for me.

Still another brother sent this e-mail: “The purpose of building permits is to provide for the safety of the residents of the county. I could point to horror stories of people doing shoddy work on their houses and creating great danger to the residents of the house and neighbors. 

Permits offer a check and balance against subpar work from a contractor.”

Now that made sense. I thought of the news reports I had heard of breaking-down apartment buildings or housing conditions in poorer neighborhoods where someone had cut corners to save a buck. Now people were injured or a bunch of children were sick due to something like lead exposure.

Building codes and construction permits, one could argue, find their basis in Genesis 9:5–6. Blood for blood, it says. Lives are precious, and governments must protect them. Therefore, my county government wants to make sure people don’t take advantage and endanger one another, especially the poor. So, with a little reluctance in my heart, but thanking God for a government that seeks to protect its citizens, I paid for the permits.

Purpose 3: To Set The Stage For Redemption

Finally, we come to the ultimate purpose for government. A good government sets the stage for God’s plan of redemption. It clears a way for the people of God to do their work of calling the nations to God.

Here we discover the relationship between God’s common-grace gifts and requirements and his special-grace purposes. The special-grace work of the church depends on common-grace gifts and realities. People must learn to read before they can read the Bible. People must eat healthy food and breathe nontoxic air so that they can live, know God, and worship him. Children benefit by having loving parents so that they can better apprehend the love of God the Father. Do you see? God means for the stuff of ordinary, everyday life to serve the purposes of salvation and eternity.

So it is with government. God authorized human beings to form governments in Genesis 9. He then called Abraham in Genesis 12, inaugurating the Bible’s great storyline of redemption. And Genesis 9 comes before Genesis 12 for a reason. The first builds a platform and sets the stage; the second begins God’s saving work.

The work of government is a prerequisite to redemption.

The New Testament says the same thing. Luke observed:

  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. (Acts 17:26–27)

  God has determined the allotted periods and boundaries of nations, and when those nations will rise and fall. Why? That there might be a platform for sustaining human life that people might seek him.

Why should Christians care about good government? 

Immediately, for the sake of justice. Ultimately, so that there’s a platform for salvation. Listen to Paul’s request for prayer:

  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:1–4)

  Notice the connection between the king, a peaceful life, and salvation. Paul said to pray for good governments, which provide for peaceful and quiet lives, which allows people to share the gospel and build churches. Christians should care about and pray for good government because they want people to be saved.

The governments of the Islamic State and Tamerlane, from a human standpoint, really did hinder the proclamation of the gospel and the work of salvation. The same is true in today’s Muslim nations. It’s becoming true in the so-called secular nations of Europe, where some in government want to classify belief in God as a mental illness, or criminalize proselytizing Muslims, or ban homeschooling because it allows for indoctrinating one’s children with Christianity. And it’s true in America wherever the government opposes religious freedom and the principles of Scripture.

Friend, pray and work for good government. Salvation, in one sense, depends on it.

The following is an excerpt from “How The Nations Rage” by Jonathan Leeman.

How To Stay Anchored Through Trials & Suffering

by Kaylan Keeney

I don’t think I’m qualified to share on suffering based on my amazing track record for suffering well. In fact, in my family I was called the “whiner”. I've suffered really poorly at times, and God has grown me through it. My prayer is that we would grow together to be a people who truly “rejoice in suffering.” 

What is Suffering?

The Bible speaks often of suffering and uses phrases like: affliction, trouble, oppression, grief.

We must understand that there is a difference between suffering and pain. Suffering is not just pain. Pain keeps the body sound. It teaches the body what to avoid and alerts us to a problem. Sometimes it must hurt or we don’t pay enough attention to it. 

For most of the world’s history, pain was regarded simply as a part of life. It’s only been recent that we think we deserve to be insulated from all pain. A modern world of comfort sees all pain as a burden.

Our real problem is not pain itself but seemingly senseless pain. Suffering can take many forms: sin caused by others, consequences of your sin, physical, spiritual warfare, or mysterious suffering.

So why is there suffering at all?

Plainly put, God has an enemy.

Genesis 3 reveals the snake sneaking around, deceiving and lying. We trusted the snake rather than our Father, and the Father responds with a curse. God has ordained suffering! Suffering is not something outside of His control. 

Suffering is not merely consequences. It’s also redemptive; it is God’s means of restoring rightness to his creation and rescuing us from the evil situation we produced. 

The curse condemned Adam and Eve to death. But it turned out that the most redemptive act of all was death: the death of Jesus. By taking the curse himself, God transformed the curse into redemption. 

Suffering also tells us something is wrong. If there was no suffering, how many of us would be concerned with God or the welfare of others? It gives us some indication of the magnitude of the wrongness in the world. 

When we look around and see the suffering and evil so clearly present we are forced to ask questions about God and His wisdom, justice, goodness, and sovereignty.

Why do Christians suffer?

• We are identified with Jesus

Our suffering connects us to Jesus. It transforms it into something redemptive rather than destructive. This isn’t because suffering is redemptive, but because it connects us to Christ’s suffering. 

By linking us to Christ’s suffering, our own suffering makes us like Christ and free from the dominion of sin. Paul found that he must die daily (1 Cor 15:31); Peter reminds us that we must suffer daily. This progressively divorces us from sin, so that we no longer live for our own pleasure but for God’s. 

• Training in righteousness

If all suffering is discipline, and we know that He loves us because He disciplines us, then we can see all suffering through the lens of a loving Father disciplining his children. It is refining us to love Jesus more than anything else. And what could be better than that?

Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees. Hebrews 12:7-12

• Getting ready for glory

1 Peter 1:6-7: You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is refining us, weaning us from the world, preparing us for glory that is to come. 

What anchors us through suffering?

Being anchored to something, you have a lifeline when the burdens of the world toss you about like the waves in the ocean. More than anything else, His love and word has kept me anchored in suffering.

• His love

I once had a counselor recite this verse over me. Close your eyes and listen to the words of this verse. Let the love of the Father wash over your soul. 

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-19. 

• His Word. 

  Know His word! Be like the wise man who built his house on the Rock. Before the storm comes, prepare yourself with truth.  

  Read a Psalm everyday

  Take stock of thoughts and feelings. Repent and align yourself with what is true. (Phillipians 4:8-9)

Lies and Truths in Suffering

Even with our souls being filled with His love and word, we often must fight lies that will invade our thoughts like: God has forgotten me, He doesn’t love me, He isn’t in control or this isn’t a part of His plan.

Counter those lies with the truth of what God says about you and Himself. 

• God loves me.

• God is faithful.

• God is with me. He is never going to leave me. “God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God knew.” Exodus 2:24 

• God’s plans work together for my good. His way is always better than mine. 

I love to read the story of “Going on a Bear Hunt” to my boys. I think about how suffering is much like the journey the family encounters through their perilous journey through mud, snow, and dark forest - they can’t go around it, over it, or under. No. They must go through it. This is the path He has ordained and is taking us by the hand through it, safely Home.