Rusty Kuhn's Blog, page 10

Preparing a Testimony

Knowing that a testimony can be a powerful tool in sharing our faith you should take the time to prepare and sharpen one. You don’t want your testimony to be so prepared that it sounds like a well polished sales pitch. At the same time you don’t want to fumble through your words leaving the hearer in total confusion. You should take the time to think it out, meditate on it, and revise it as needed, so when you present it to the hearer it will be clear and to the point.
The first thing you need to consider is time. How long should your testimony be? If you are sharing your testimony during a worship service and the pastor gives you the whole service then giving a thirty minute account of your salvation story is appropriate. A lengthy testimony is also appropriate when sharing with a small group so long as you have the permission of the leader and the testimony is relevant to the small group discussion. However, if you share a thirty minute testimony with one you are witnessing to you’ve lost him twenty five minutes into your testimony. In one on one witnessing your testimony should be no longer than three to five minutes long.
Your first task in preparing your testimony is to pray. You need to spend quality time asking the Lord to show you what He would have you to share in your story of salvation. While spending time with the Lord He will bring back to mind certain aspects of your testimony that you may have forgotten about. He will also give you the words of wisdom that will pierce the heart of the hearer. Words and truths you could never think of on your own. Remember, God know the heart of the hearer-we don’t. Therefore, you need to be totally dependent on Him.
Once you have prayed you need to take the time to trim the fat and remove the excess. Remember, your testimony is your account of Jesus enacting salvation within your life and not your autobiography. You need to stay focused on the task at hand. If your story has elements that do not point to the work of Christ you need to remove it. Even, your life prior to Christ needs to point to Christ. “I thought I was helplessly trapped in my sin until I discovered I was a sinner in need of salvation.” Salvation is about Jesus; not us. We need to point people to Jesus, and not us.
Now you need to write it down. When writing something down you have a tendency to think about what you are saying a little more in-depth. At the same time you are able to read back over what you have written. Once reading over what you have written you may decide to revise your testimony. Remember, a testimony is never set in stone. It will be revised many times over through your walk with the Lord. Once it is written pray over it again asking God to reveal His approval or disapproval. Also, share it with other believers asking their opinions. Remember, Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). Another benefit of writing your testimony is that you can leave an account of your story of salvation for generations to come. Some of the greatest testimonies I have ever heard were from those who have gone on to be with the Lord.
Your testimony is now prepared and polished. You have prayed over it and written it down. You have tirelessly revised and revamped it to the point of perfection. It is now perfect in every way. Now, don’t be afraid to throw it out. Now that you have prepared it you need to present it. During the time of your presentation you need not be led by the written manuscript of your testimony, nor your preparation, rather, you need to be led of the Holy Spirit. He may lead you to say every word you have written down. Or, He may lead you in a totally different direction because what you have prepared is not what the hearer needs to hearer. Again, God knows the heart of the hearer-we don’t.
Why then do we bother with all of the preparation? We don’t prepare so we can have a well polished document to recite. We’re not going to simply read our testimonies as we witness to the lost. How impersonal is that? We prepare so we will become intimately familiar with our personal story of salvation; not so we will be well polished and put on a good performance. If we simply recite what is in our head to the hearer it will fall flat and be ineffective. Our proclamation should always be from our heart and not our head. When we are led of the Spirit God not only leads us but empowers us. We are in a spiritual battle. Therefore, we need the anointing of the Spirit of the Lord in all we do. Rusty Kuhn

Sharing a Powerful Testimony

One of the most powerful tools we have in being a witness for Christ is our personal testimony. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Many feel that they do not have enough knowledge of the bible to accurately share Scripture. However, everyone should know their testimony. It’s their personal story of what Christ has done in their lives. A Christian testimony is the story of how the power of the gospel has been enacted within their personal lives.
Some may not feel like their testimony is powerful. Theirs isn’t like the individual who was delivered from addiction or brought out of total heathenism to faith in Christ. They may never have had the Damascus Road experience, or what they would call a dramatic conversion. Allow me to be as clear as I possibly can on this subject. A testimony that is centered in the work of Christ is a powerful testimony regardless of who you are or where you have been. A powerful testimony has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Jesus. Paul said in Romans 1:16, “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Have you believed on Jesus for salvation? If the answer is yes then the power of the gospel has been enacted in your life. With this in mind you need to share what God has done in your life with a lost and dying world.
When sharing your testimony you should start off with who you were before placing your faith in Christ. Whether you were raised in church or raised in the pits of sin let the hearer understand your life prior to Christ. Let me give this warning though; do not glory in the past. I have heard testimonies of individuals who have gloried in their former sin and boasted in their accomplishments of their works of the flesh ending the testimony with, “by the way, I got saved.” The testimony leaves the hearer wondering why they ever turned to Jesus in the first place since they obviously enjoyed their former life so much. An unrepented sinner will then ask, “Why would I want to leave all of that and turn to Jesus?” There is no glory in a life apart from Christ. It is vial a putrid. It is lonely and loathsome.
After you’ve shared the story of your life prior to your faith in Christ, share how you came to know Him. How did you come to the point of surrendering your life to Jesus? What were the circumstances and the situations that brought you to the point of surrender? What sparked the conviction in your heart that made you know you needed to repent and turn to Jesus? Was it an easy decision or did you struggle with it? Was it a process or an instant decision? Was there a bible passage or a sermon that God used? Share what it was. Did God use someone or were you alone? Although everyone’s testimony is unique to their personal life we all need to come to a point where we repent from our old life and place faith in Christ for a new life. These facts must be emphasized.
Once you’ve shared who you were prior to knowing Christ and how you came to know Christ, share how your life has changed since coming to know Him. Don’t be afraid to share struggles that you have had since coming to know Him. We can set the hearer up for a fall if we make him think everything in their life will be perfect once they become a Christian. Christians face struggles; but they don’t face them alone. Share with them how Christ has strengthened you, provided for you, and walked with you through your Christian journey and how He has delivered you, given you joy, peace, and contentment. Share how Jesus has given you strength to overcome temptation and equipped you to turn from the lies of Satan. Share how your life has changed for the better since coming to know Jesus.
Sharing your testimony can be an intimidating experience. But, remember, it is a powerful tool to relate to people who don’t know Christ as their Savior. Especially if they have walked down some of the same paths of life you have. When sharing your testimony keep in mind, this is not actually your story, this is the story of what Jesus has done within you. When you stay focused on Jesus, your testimony will be a powerful one; regardless of where you have been or what you have done, and God will use it in powerful ways. For, He is our power. Rusty Kuhn

Our Authority

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 4:6, “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.” In this verse he is telling the church of Corinth that he and Apollos have made a standard for themselves not to exceed what is written. He is now telling the church of Corinth to follow their example. What was written? The scriptures. Clearly the Word of God is our authority that we are not to exceed or go beyond.
Paul also wrote in II Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” When one looks at this text in its original language they will see that the literal meaning of “inspired by God” literally means “God breathed.” God used many men to write down His word but all Scripture comes directly from the breath of God. It is God’s word not mans. II Peter 1:20-21 says, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” For anyone to go beyond what is written is arrogant, boastful, and blasphemous. God has given to us His word “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (I Peter 1:19).
Paul said that Scripture is profitable. He then listed several things it was profitable for. Since it is profitable we will gain and increase through the study of the Word of God which is God breathed. The end result we gain from Scripture is “that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Through God’s word we have everything we will ever need to be thoroughly equipped for service unto Him.
Paul first mentions that Scripture is profitable for teaching. When we are taught, the teaching must be centered in Scripture. When we teach, our teaching must be centered in Scripture. He then says that scripture is profitable for reproof. To reproof someone is to call them out for an error or a wrong. When calling one out for being wrong or for an error in their lives or teaching we must use Scripture. Our opinions are always susceptible to being wrong. However, Scripture is always right. Paul then said Scripture is profitable for correction. Correction is restoration to an upright position. We don’t want to be reproved and not know how to correct the error of our way. Scripture brings us back into the right path, out of the error. It corrects us.
Paul then tells us that Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness. Romans 3:10 tells us that, “there is no one righteous, not even one.” Most everyone will admit that they are a sinner. However, not everyone knows the guilt of their unrighteousness. Scripture makes it clear. Romans 3:22 then tells us that we receive righteousness by placing our faith in Christ and Romans 3:26 tells us that faith in Christ justifies us-makes us right with God. Yet, how will we or anyone else know these truths apart from the authority of God’s word? We won’t. And, apart from Scripture, how will we grow in righteousness? We won’t.
Whether it is for our personal growth, or teaching others, we trust in the authority of God’s breathed word. Paul said not to go beyond what it written. If we were to go beyond what is written it will profit us nothing and more than likely will cause great harm. However, when we trust in the authority of the written word that was breathed from God with our lives and our ministry we will be adequately equipped for every good work. In other words, we will be lacking in nothing. Rusty Kuhn

Know the Word

The number one excuse I hear people use for their reason of why they do not share their faith and serve God is fear. We will discuss that in a moment. The second greatest reason people give is that they do not know God’s word. My question is, why not? Why do you not know the Word of God? Do you not own a bible? The majority of churches in this world will gladly give you a bible for free. The Gideon’s give millions of bibles away yearly; therefore, not owning a bible is not a valid excuse. Even those who cannot read are without excuse since the bible is readily available in audio.
Not only is the bible readily available in our modern world we are blessed to have unlimited accesses to some of the greatest bible scholars along with an abundance of wonderful study materials. Therefore, not knowing the bible is a poor excuse. It represents laziness and callousness on your part. I Timothy 4:7 tells us to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” If you don’t know God’s word you have only yourself to blame.
The excuse of fear is invalid as well. Fear is a lack of faith. Romans 10:17 tells us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” When we study the Word of God, God builds up our faith. I have seen Christians who have sat in church pews for decades that are still babes in Christ. I have also seen brand new believers rapidly grow and mature in their faith. What makes the difference? One is indulging in the word and the other is not.
As already discussed, Satan is a liar. He is not only a liar; he is a very good liar with thousands of years of experience. When he came as a serpent to deceive Eve in the garden the bible describes him as, “more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” However, Satan’s only power over us is his lies. Therefore, if we know the Word of God, and stand firm on the Word of God, we have no reason to fear the lies of the devil.
Colossians 2:8 warns us to, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Satan’s false prophets are in abundance. They look Christian; they might even speak some Christian truths from time to time. But, the consistency of their message will drastically conflict with that of God’s. The root of their message is deadly and destructive. But, how will we know unless we know the word of God?
The Greek word translated into “spoil” in Colossians 2:8 literally means to “carry you off” or to “capture you.” In other words, Colossians 2:8 is warning us not to become a “spoil” of war captured and taken away. HBCS translates it this way, “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.” Satan would love nothing more than to capture you as a spoil of war. However, if you know the word you will not be tricked by philosophy or empty deceit of the traditions of man. You will stand firm in victory through your faith in God’s truth-His word.
Not only do we stand firm in the truth of God’s word, we also fight the good fight with it. It is our greatest tool to defeat the lies of Satan and win over those who have been taken captive. II Peter 3:15 says, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” What better way do we have to make a defense of our faith in Christ than “the word of God (that) is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart?” (Hebrews 4:12). Rusty Kuhn

Dealing with False Prophets

In Revelation Jesus told John to write to the seven churches in Asia. The first of those churches was the church of Ephesus. (Revelation 2:1-7). Jesus praised this church for putting to the test those who called themselves apostles and were not. By proving that they were not apostles and indeed false prophets they protected the integrity and true teaching of the church. We also find Paul in II Timothy 6:20 instructing Timothy to “guard what has been entrusted to you.” What was Timothy entrusted to? What did he need to guard? The church. Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus. Guarding and protecting the church from false teachers was planted in Ephesus DNA from its very beginning. For this reason, Jesus praised the church.
We test those who claim that they are of God with the authority of God’s word. If they fail to line up with God’s word they are false prophets. Let’s be clear though. We can have doctrinal differences with other Christians who are truly Christians. We simply disagree on certain subjects. One can believe in a pre-tribulation rapture while the other believes in a mid or post-tribulation rapture and another doesn’t believe there will even be rapture at all. I am a very solid pre-tribulationist. I personally believe that the pre-tribulation rapture is abundantly clear in scripture. Does this mean that I should view anyone who believes otherwise as a false prophet? Of course not. Christians can and will disagree on a variety of issues. However, a false prophet is one who denies the fundamentals of the faith such as the person and the work of Christ, along with the means and method of salvation. Once we have determined who is a false prophet we must then ask the question, “How do we deal with those who are sheep in wolves clothing; those who claim to be of God and are not?
First, don’t get distracted. Paul told Timothy to, “avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.” II Timothy 6:20-21. If Satan can’t trick us into his lies he will try to distract us from sharing truth. He is perfectly happy with us stomping out embers as long as we are ignoring the forest that is ablaze. If this happens he still wins. If we get caught up into debating “worldly and empty chatter” rather than proclaiming the truth of God’s word we are losing that battle. We must stay focused on the task at hand.
One of Satan’s greatest distractions is to try and bring guilt upon the proclaimer of truth. When the proclaimer of truth calls a false prophet out for being false the devil will say, “You are being judgmental and Jesus said we shouldn’t judge.” However, within the same text of scripture that Jesus said “Judge not least you be judged” (Matthew 7:1) He also said, “Beware of false prophets.” (Matthew 7:15). Don’t bother acknowledging the lies, stick with the truth, for the truth will set you free.
Secondly, although we do not need to be distracted by their deceit we need to pay attention to their deceit. Paul said in Romans 16:17, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned.” How is their deceit impacting our witness? How is their deceit impacting non believers? How is their deceit impacting the church? When we understand their deceit we are better equipped to counter act it with truth. In the mid 90’s I spent some time in Salt Lake City. Prior to going I studied what Mormons teach and believe. As a result I was better equipped to share the truth of God’s word. Because of this I saw many place their faith and trust in the Jesus of the bible: the true Jesus. Does this mean that we need to become intimately familiar with every lie Satan ever told? Of course not. He is such a great liar I doubt that is even possible. It does mean that we should be intimately familiar with the Word of God.
Lastly, we need to turn away from false prophets. Paul continued in Romans 16:17-18 in saying, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites.” Paul said to turn away from them. We should have nothing to do with them. When the true church disassociates itself from those who are false we make a clear and distinct statement; we are stating, “We are not of you and you are not of us.” Some would say that this is unloving. However, when we do not make a clear and bold statement of disassociation we are in danger of making others think we are in acceptance of the lies which makes them much more susceptible to receiving it which sets them up for destruction. Which is more unloving?
Our heart should be as God’s heart, not wishing that any should parish and that all would come to repentance. However, when our clear testimony of truth has been presented and they refuse to come to the truth and are set on following the lust of their flesh rather than the truth of God’s word we sever ties, especially if they are in our churches. The time must come when we wipe the dust off our feet and move on. We continue to pray that the seeds of truth that was planted continue to work in their lives bringing them to the truth. Rusty Kuhn

God’s Word is Powerful

It almost seems like a foolish question to ask, “Where do we receive our preaching material from?” However, the question must be answered. Our preaching material should only come from the Word of God. How many times have you heard a sermon or sat in a bible study and never heard the Word of God proclaimed. The preacher or teacher may dance all around the truths of God’s word but if the Word of God is never proclaimed the teaching and preaching is incomplete. God said in Isaiah 55:11, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” This promise is for the Word of God, and not our own. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s word is powerful all by itself. Our opinions, ideas, and illustrations are nothing compared to the power of God’s double edged sword. It must be proclaimed. Powerful preaching is immersed in the Word of God. It is The Word of God that is powerful-not our own.
Paul told Timothy to “preach the word.” (II Timothy 4:2). If I am going to proclaim the truths of God, what other choices do I have? None! God has given to us His word to let us know who He is, who we are, where we have come from, and how we turn to and trust in Him. He has given to us His word to let us know His standards, His statutes, and His requirements for our lives. He has given to us His word so we can know Him. Apart from the Word of God we would know none of these wonderful truths.
Not proclaiming God’s word is a foolish as a food critic describing the meal he ate without telling you what he ate, who the chef was, or the restaurant in which he ate the meal. Whether we are witnessing one on one, leading a small study group, or preaching to the masses, we must proclaim God’s word. Our word cannot penetrate the heart of the hearer and can often be misunderstood leading others astray. When we point others to the author of not only the bible but their very lives we are pointing them to the very one who can rewrite and renew their lives. Rusty Kuhn

Called for His Glory

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.” I Corinthians 1:26

More often than not God calls the weak to demonstrate His might. Why? He wants His glory to shine and not ours. What we perceive to be our strengths so often become our weaknesses in the kingdom of God. We think we have wisdom, strength, and might, and think our skills and abilities are sufficient, not realizing they can lead us to great failures when we don’t surrender them to the Lord.
Paul was a greatly educated man with great skills as a leader. However, he said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2). He also said in I Corinthians 2:4, “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Paul didn’t trust in his education or his skills; he trusted in the power of God.
Whether we are unlearned or greatly educated God will use us if our heart is to let His glory shine. If we are unwise and unskilled God will give us a great anointing and ability through His power if we are surrendered to Him. If we are full of wisdom and skills they too must be surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. Even the greatest of education and skills are nothing compared to what God will give to us if we are humble. However, if we are full of pride we will fail. God will not share His glory with another. Rusty Kuhn

How do I Know If I am Truly Saved?

As a pastor and an active witness for Christ the number one question I have been asked throughout the years is, “How do I know if I am truly saved?” That is a great question. It is a question of eternal consequences. This question left unanswered is deadly to the unbelieving and spiritually detrimental to the believer. This quest must be answered with love, genuine concern, and sound doctrine.
The short and simple answer is, you will know. The bible tells us in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Once one is saved God places His Holy Spirit within them to testify to them of their salvation. God will let us know through the witness of His Spirit within our lives.
However, simply telling people, you will know, isn’t a sufficient answer. Remember, Satan is a liar; and a good one at that. He will lie to those who are truly saved trying to place doubt in their minds to weaken them and bring them down so they are no longer beneficial to the service of the kingdom of God. He will also lie to the unbeliever giving them a false since of salvation. The one who is truly saved must rebuke this doubt and begin seeking God. His Holy Spirit will then bring assuring conformation to the believer. If one is unsaved God will bring conviction when they begin to seek Him, drawing them unto salvation.
John wrote in I John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John stated here that his purpose for writing was to give assurance of salvation. For this reason we should take a good look at what it is that John wrote in I John to gain a better understanding.
Remember though, John isn’t telling us that these are things we need to do in order to earn salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. He is writing to people that he assumes are already saved, sharing with them what true Christianity looks like, for the purpose of building them up and strengthening their faith. The things that John writes should come as natural as breathing to the one who is truly saved. If one is wondering whether or not they are truly saved the must ask themselves these three questions.
Question #1: is Jesus the Lord of your life and as a result of Him being Lord are you living in obedience to Him?
John writes in I John 2:3-6, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” The one who is saved will keep His commandments. He will have died to self and allow Jesus to be Lord of his life.
Question #2: do you love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?
John made it abundantly clear that true Christians will love their brethren. He said in I John 3:14, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.” He said again in I John 4:20, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” A third time in I John 5:1 he said, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”
Question #3: Have you believed on the person and the work of Jesus to save you?
John wrote in I John 5:10, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.” The bible is abundantly clear that we are saved by placing our faith in the person and works of Jesus Christ. Our works of love and obedience come after we have beloved on Jesus. It is then that we receive the Holy Spirit and can act in God’s divine nature. Apart from our salvation that is received through faith by grace we will not have the ability nor desire to live in obedience to Him or love as He loves. Rusty Kuhn

Follow Me

Repentance means to turn away from something. It is making a u-turn, going the opposite direction from where you were going. Repenting from sin is turning away from the sin. Biblical repentance not only requires us to turn from sin, it calls us to turn to Jesus. Repeatedly throughout the gospels Jesus says, “Follow Me.”
Biblical faith in Jesus isn’t just believing facts about Jesus it is also following Him. James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” Although Satan probably won’t admit it, he believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He was there. He saw it. Too many people today have a Christmas and Easter type of faith. They believe the facts of Christ but have never committed their lives to following Him. I am a huge Mustang fan. For this reason I know all kinds of facts about men who influenced Mustangs like, Lee Iacocca, Carroll Shelby, and Steve Saleen. Yet, I have never met any of them. I have never had a personal relationship with them. I do however know Jesus, because I have committed myself to following Him.
Romans 10:9 tells us, “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.” Clearly we need to believe the facts about Jesus. God did raise Him from the dead and that should be our foundation of faith. However, that alone isn’t good enough. Along with our foundation of faith we are to confess Jesus as Lord. This is our statement of faith. If Jesus is Lord over our lives we follow Him every day in every way.
In the tenth chapter of Mark we find one who obviously had great respect for Jesus. He came to Jesus knelt before Him and called Him “good teacher.” He inquired of Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him that he needed to keep the law. The young man quickly responded to Jesus that he has kept the law since his youth. Jesus then told him to go sell everything you own, give it to the poor, and follow me. Jesus was showing him that he hasn’t really kept the law. Although he had respect for Jesus, he was unwilling to obey Jesus and unwilling to follow Him. Many people in our world today have great respect for Jesus, yet they too are unwilling to obey Him and follow Him.
Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” Notice that He said “you must.” The requirement for following Jesus is denying yourself and taking up your cross. We need to remember that the cross was an instrument of death. It was the form of execution for the day. In other words Jesus is saying if we are going to follow Him we must die to self and follow Him. We need to have more than just respect for Jesus. We must have total surrender; a surrender that leads to denying ourselves and obedient service of Him. Jesus said we must.
While sharing the gospel with the lost we must make it abundantly clear that if they chose to accept Christ as their savior and Lord they are entering into a lifetime commitment. We need to make it clear that this walk should impact and influence every area of their lives. We have way too many Sunday-go-to-meetin Christians in our society who don’t mind going to church on Sunday morning but won’t allow Jesus to impact their daily lives.
We need to clearly communicate the fact that entering into a relationship with Jesus is a onetime decision. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” At the same time we need to clearly communicate the fact that following Jesus is a commitment that is renewed daily. Paul also said in I Corinthians 15:31, “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” Rusty Kuhn

Repentance Required

After the resurrection of Jesus He spent forty day’s with His disciples opening their eyes to the scriptures teaching them the reason He came so they could proclaim the gospel to all creation. Jesus told them that one of the requirements of accepting the gospel message was repentance from sin. Jesus said in Luke 24:47-47, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
What did Jesus mean when He said “repentance for forgiveness of sin?” When we believe on Jesus we believe on all of who He is, all of what He has done, and all of what He has taught. Jesus preached repentance of sin and holy living. True faith in Christ requires repentance from sin, for we believe what he taught.
After Peter preached the first gospel message just after he was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit the crowd was pierced to the heart and asked Peter what shall we do. They wanted to know how they were to respond to the gospel. Peter said they needed to repent. (Acts 2:38).
Sin hinders our relationship with God. It was our sins that Jesus went to the cross to pay for. When we chose not to repent we are telling God that we are not truly interested in a relationship with Him and that we would rather live our lives our own way through our own strength and wisdom. Make no mistake people who refuse to repent refuse relationship and fellowship with God. John said in I John 1:6, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” In other words, if we say we are walking with God yet we are living in open rebellious unrepented sin we are liars. However, I John 1:6 says, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” We walk in the light when we have repented of our sin and received the cleansing power of the blood of Christ that paid for our sin.
Paul went so far as to tell us not to associate with any “so-called” believer who is unrepented and living in sin. He said not to even eat with such a one. (I Corinthians 5:11). Associating with an unrepented individual only gives them a false since of salvation. If there is no repentance, there is no salvation.
In the next chapter he gives a non-comprehensive list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. In I Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul said, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” Does this mean that anyone who has ever been drunk or stolen anything will not be saved? Of course not. Paul is declaring their identity. This is who they are and how they live. This is the identifying mark of their lives. They are identified as a drunkard or a thief or whatever the life of sin is that they have not repented of. Paul went on to say in the next verse, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Such were some of you, but not anymore, for they had repented and were washed with the blood of Christ. The Christians identity is found in Christ-not sin.
Does this mean that those who slip into sin from time to time are not saved? Galatians 2:11 tells us that Paul opposed Peter to his face because he stood condemned. Peter was being a hypocrite acting one way in front of the gentiles and another way in front of the Jews. Was he condemned to hell for his hypocrisy? Of course not. Peter was very much a saved man that loved Jesus with his whole heart. He was eventually martyred for his faith. He however, slipped into sin and needed someone like Paul to help set him straight. Those who are indentified with sin due to their lack of repentance are not saved. Christians can and will slip into sin from time to time. They however, will be convicted of their sin and repent. An unsaved person however, will live in sin with absolutely no conviction or remorse and be perfectly happy it.
When we share our faith with sinners we must preach repentance. A gospel proclaimed without repentance is no gospel at all. We are setting the hearer up for failure if we do not proclaim the need to repent. Not preaching repentance is as foolish as a patient going to see a doctor for a chronic cough and the doctor not wanting to pry into the patient’s personal life by telling him he needs to stop smoking and simply gives him cough syrup instead. Smoking is clearly the root of his problem, just as sin is the root of our separation from God.
When preaching repentance we must do so with the love and compaction of Christ. While preaching repentance we must have a heart of love desiring the sinner to turn from his sin and trust in Jesus. God will not bless the efforts of the self righteous who simply want to condemn the sinner for his sin. We must get the log out of our eye before we can get the spec out of others. Remember, such were some of us. We once were sinners in need of salvation. Who are we to condemn others for their sins? We repented and received grace. This too should be our heart. It most certainly is Gods. For this reason out of an act of love and compassion knowing the destructive power of sin, we preach repentance. Rusty Kuhn