by KeithE » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:22 pm
I’m in agreement with Sandy and Haruo on this one.
When a person is in physical need, or feeling some sort of emotional trauma/disturbance or feel that they are subject to some social ill-treatment, they usually need these sores improved before they will feel the love of God. It is not that it is impossible to accept Jesus without other needs being met, but it is not the normal course of events. Thus as a tactical matter, helping meet human needs is a better approach to evangelism that trying to convince someone of some point of professed belief.
And once they feel that love of God’s people helping them, then the genuinely affected will in turn meet the needs of others. God’s greatest desire for His Creation is that we work together.
Public professions of faith without the fruits are not genuine, imo. They are often just to get some degree of group membership (a feel good sense of acceptance from others that act the same / believe the same - iow, perfect Pharisees who most of all love themselves).
Maybe some of you that have more time than I currently have (and are slaved to biblical proofs), might read about Jesus’s Encounters with People in Luke and John (or the other Gospels)
I have not proven it, but suspect mental ascent to say "Jesus is God” is not what Jesus was usually after. It was more a “Will you Follow Me” question.
Informed by Data.
Driven by the SPIRIT and JESUS’s Example.
Promoting the Kingdom of GOD on Earth.