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“We Do the Proclaiming, but God Does the Saving”

Thoughts for Today:

The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit begins the moment of rebirth. That is when the Spirit of God takes up residency within the life of the believer. Paul proclaimed the Gospel, but God gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles (just like the Jews) as they believed.

I recently returned from a mission trip to southern Sudan. One of my friends at church asked, "So how many people did you save?" "None," I answered. Shocked, he looked at me for a moment. Then, understanding began to spread across his face. He said, "Okay smart guy, let me rephrase the question: How many people did you witness to, and how many accepted Christ?" I laughed and said, "Now that is a much better question!"

It is something we need to remind ourselves of from time to time: We do the proclaiming, but it is God who does the saving. Often we think we play a far bigger role in whether or not someone comes to know Christ than we really do.

One guy told me recently, "The reason I don't share my faith is because I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing and offending the other person for life -- possibly "turning them off" to the Gospel forever." I think many people get lost in either taking too much credit when someone accepts Christ, or conversely too much responsibility if they don't. Somewhere in between is where the Lord wants us -- willing to share our faith, yet understanding it is God who with sovereignty, has chosen the names He has written in the Book of Life.

Questions to Ponder:

When was the last time you shared your faith? What's in your way? Fear of failure, pridefullness, or something else? Pray -- ask God for His will and His Words.

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.