Rahwa - 26 years old

While attempting to find relief from the heat of the day under the shade of some trees in Kensington, we bumped into Rahwa. She was on her way to an appointment, but could spare two minutes to answer some questions.

Rahwa said she was a Christian, and had been born a Christian. Asked to describe her experience, she simply smiled and said she loved Jesus. [I like that answer. Anytime anyone mentions Jesus in their description of their religious experience, I tend to get excited.  But read on....]

She'd like to ask God, "What is the meaning of everything?  Why are we here?"

If God were to ask her, "Why should I let you into heaven?" she would say, "Because I have a good heart."

[Insert the sound of throwing a wrench into an engine. Answering this question would be the perfect time to be thinking about Jesus, not your own goodness.  Boy, I wish we had some time to ask her about that and seek clarification.  What do you think about some of the things that Jesus said, namely that there is no one good except God?  Why do you believe you have a good heart? etc.]

She'd rate herself an "8" on the goodness scale.

I thanked her for her time, gave her a copy of the booklet explaining Christianity, and encouraged her to read it.

I must confess, I don't know what to think of folks who follow Jesus, but claim to have good hearts.  That's so diametrically opposed to not only the clear teachings of Jesus (cf. Mark 7), but also of the entire Scripture (cf. Jeremiah 17:9).   Our culture often disciples us well on how to speak about ourselves and many professing Christians have adopted that language.

To be fair, perhaps if Rahwa had more time, she would have been a bit more precise in what she meant by that.  

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Romans 5:6, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."

Lord, while I'm thankful Rahwa claims to love you, I hope she does know the true Jesus and doesn't cling to a different gospel.   Help her to understand that you died for the ungodly--while we were yet sinners, you died for us.  

Christy - 34 years old

My friend, Pete D., & I met Christy in Kensington sitting on a bench texting.   She is a nice, spunky lady from a Roman Catholic background.

When asked to describe her religious experience, she said, "Strict."

"You didn't happen to attend a catholic school growing up, did you?" I joked.

"I'm a catholic school teacher," she replied.   We all laughed at  the realization of what I almost stepped into with that question.   But she was cool with it.  [And for the record, I don't know if she wears certain garb when she teaches].

She'd like to ask God what his plan is for her life.

She's fairly confident about what she believes and her own religious performance.  When asked what she'd say if God asked her why he should let her into heaven, Christy replied, "Because I'm good and believe in God.  I stay true to my catholic beliefs." She rates herself as an 8 on the good-o-meter.

We gave her a booklet explaining Christianity and told her she could take the good person test with the 10 Commandments.  She quickly said that she had kept them all.   My friend, Pete, said that he had broken them all, to which she gasped in unbelief.

"You have?  You've murdered someone."

Pete nodded, "I've murdered people in my heart."

"Oh, that's not murder."

"Actually, Jesus said that if you hate someone, you've essentially assassinated them in your heart," I said.

"No, that's not right.  He didn't say that, " she contended.  "I teach the Bible and theology."  

"He did say that," I replied.

"Nope.  That's not true.  Hating someone is not murder," she protested.

"You can read it here," and I underlined the passage in Matthew 5.

"Well, I will, but I don't believe hating someone is murder," she insisted shaking her head.

"You're not disagreeing with Jesus, are you?" I asked.

She smiled.  "I don't think he said that.  And besides if you do hate someone, you can realize your mistake and then forgive them."

"True," I replied, "but you still hated them."

We looked at some of the other commandments.  I explained that we break them because we are sinful and God must--because He's a just God--judge us according to His standard.

I asked, "If God were to judge you by this standard, would he find you innocent or guilty of breaking his standard?"

"Guilty," she admitted.

"Does that concern you?"

"Well, yes, but everyone would be guilty and no one would get to heaven."

"If God gave us what we deserve, that would be bad news indeed," I said.  "But do you know what God has done so that we could go from being guilty to being innocent?"

Christy thought for a moment.   "Does it have something to do with Jesus?"

"Yes," I answered.  "It does.  Jesus kept the commandments so he could die as a substitute for sinners like you and me."

Christy thought she was in the clear because she new that Jesus died for us.   We chatted a bit more but it was hard to discern who her trust was in--Jesus or herself, or Jesus + herself.  I encouraged her to read over the booklet and think about these things.  She said she would.

Looking back on it, I wished I would have pressed her on the fact that if we cling to our own righteousness, then that is the equivalent of clinging to filthy rags and presenting them to God in hopes of approval, as Isaiah says.   "All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Is. 64).   We need to be saved from both our unrighteousness and our righteousness, because if justification comes through the law, no one will be justified (Gal. 2).

Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable conversation lasting about 20 minutes or so.

Upon leaving, I told Christy that if I were in Catholic school, I wouldn't mind having her as a teacher because she seemed nice enough and didn't fit the stereotype of a strict teacher.

But Pete wasn't so sure.  :)

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Romans 3:27-28, "Then what becomes of our boasting?  It is excluded....For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."

Romans 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."

Holy Spirit, work in Christy's heart so that she will see that salvation is by grace alone and not on the basis of our performance so that she would not boast of any confidence she has in her own law-keeping.

Geraldine - 64 years old

On a sunny day in the Kensington neighbourhood in Calgary, Geraldine was enjoying a cigarette and a rest on a bench.   Pete D. & I approached her & asked if she'd be willing to spare a few moments to answer a brief questionnaire.   She was game for it and so we jumped into a great conversation with her that lasted a good half hour or so.

Geraldine is from Toronto and is passing through town on her way down to the States.   She described her spiritual background as Protestant, but over the last 30 years, she would describe herself as non-conventional.

When asked for some words to describe her spiritual background, she opened up about her experience that caused her to leave the church.   She said that she was going through a divorce and went to speak to her female pastor about it.   The next Sunday, her pastor stood up and began preaching on divorce.   The pastor said that they didn't want divorced people around because "one bad apple can spoil the whole batch." Geraldine couldn't believe her ears.  I couldn't believe my ears. She said she felt betrayed in opening up to her pastor, and so got up and left in the middle of the sermon and has never gone back to church, though she would consider herself to be a spiritual person.

When asked what she would like to ask God about, she said, "What can I do to help you make this world a better place."

"Wow.  That's a great question," I said.

Pete jumped in, "If everyone asked that type of question, this would be a much better place to live."

"Next question," I said.  "If God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into heaven?' what would you say?"

She thought about this for a moment and after asking for clarification, she said, "Judge me on how I lived my life...Because I believed in You and tried to live according to your standards."

When asked to rate her goodness, she said 7.5.   So I thanked her for her answers and gave her a copy of our booklet explaining Christianity.   "This booklet has a 'Good Person Test' in here that allows you to accurately judge your goodness."

"Oh?' she said.

"Yes, it's called the Ten Commandments?  You've heard of them, right?"

"Oh yes," she answered.

"Can you name any of them?"  She named a few of them and then went blank.  "That's okay.  There listed here..." and I pointed to the correct page.   She began reading them out loud.  She acknowledged that she kept some of them, but had broken others.

"If God were to evaluate your life against the 10 Commandments, would he find you innocent or guilty of breaking them."

She thought about this for a moment and said, "Guilty," she said and quickly added, "But everyone would be guilty if God judged us by the 10 Commandments."

"That's true."  I went on to explain that that's is the bad news.  God is holy & righteous and judges justly.   The final judgment for those who die in the guilt of their sins is hell.  That's what the Bible teaches.  That is the bad news."  Geraldine was nodding taking this in.

"Do you know what God has done so that we could go from being guilty to innocent?" I asked.

"He's merciful and forgiving."

"Yes he is," I answered, "but he has done something particular.  Do you know what that is?"  She shook her head.

"He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live and die like people like us."  She began nodding her head as if it were all coming back to her.   I went on to explain that Christ broke none of the commandments and because of that, he could die in the place of people like us.   He can give his record of righteousness to us because he takes our broken record upon himself.  I explained the necessity of repentance (turning from our sin & independence from God) and turning to faith in Christ.

She said that she does believe that she has done that and that Jesus is leading her in her life.   We encouraged her to reflect on these things, and she said she would.

Pete asked if we could pray for a few of the things that she had mentioned in our conversation and she said yes.  So Pete led us in prayer.

She was very grateful for our conversation.  I mentioned that her story about what had happened to her at her previous church broke my heart.   I told her that if she lived in Calgary, she'd be exactly the kind of person that we would love to have in our community at New City Church.

She again thanked us for the conversation, and especially for the way in which we engaged her in conversation.   As we walked away, she encouraged us to keep doing what we were doing.  

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Romans 5:2, "Through him [i.e., our Lord Jesus Christ], we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

Lord Jesus, enable Geraldine to understand the grace by which we are enabled to stand before You, and to rejoices in the hope of the glory of God.  Help her find her way into a good community of faith.

John (aka "Jerry Garcia") - 44 years old

Pete D. & I headed out on a beautiful but warm day in Calgary to Kensington which always attracts all sorts of colorful people.

John was one of them, and he looked like Jerry Garcia--could have been his brother.   Baptized Roman Catholic, John calls himself a Wiccan and finds himself very comfortable there.   In reality, John has a hodge-podge of beliefs that are part pagan / part postmodern.

When asked for words to describe his religious experience, he simply said, "Seeker."   If he could ask God one question, it would be, "Why?   What is my purpose?"

I asked, "If he were to stand before God and God asked him why He should let him into heaven, what would you say?"

He thought about it for a moment and simply said, "No answer."

"What do you mean by no answer?"

"I just wouldn't have anything to say?"

"Do you believe that there is life after death?  What do you think happens when we die?"

He answered, "I believe in reincarnation."

"How do you define that?"

"I believe that we continue on.  I cannot conceive of myself as not existing."

"Do you come back as an animal, an angel, a human?"

"I don't know.  I suppose you could come back as any life form."

"So you could come back as a mouse?"

"Sure, wouldn't you like to see life through the eyes of a mouse?" he asked me.

"No, not really.  Especially if I'm being chased by cats all the time," I responded.  He shrugged.

"Let me ask you a question," I said.   "Maybe you can help me understand reincarnation.  [This is the "Columbo" tactic I learned from STR's Greg Koukl which helps you to get more information & hopefully put a pebble in someone's shoe that will cause them to think on it more.]  Who or what determines how you come back?"

"I don't know," he thought for a moment.  "Maybe you determine that yourself."

"You can determine you own destiny?"

"Sure.  Why not?" he said confidently.

This is a shortened account of about a 20 minute conversation.  It was impossible to nail John down on anything definite as most of his questions were vague and open ended.   As a seeker, he considers himself as "open,"  but he had my head spinning trying to follow his logic.   It felt like nailing jello to a wall.  Pete & I felt like we took this conversation as far as we could.  And that's okay.  Hopefully, we were able to drop a pebble or two in his shoe.  Knowing that God is sovereign in salvation & in control when you feel like your conversation is going nowhere.  

He did rate his goodness at a 7, and we gave him a booklet explaining Christianity & encouraged him to read through it.  He took it and said he would.  We thanked him for stopping to answer some questions, and he thanked us for the conversation.

Later in the day, Pete & I were talking about the importance of reflecting on these conversations in order to sharpen our thinking and better prepare ourselves for future conversations.  Looking back, when he brought up the issue of reincarnation, I should have asked him the question, "What do you base your beliefs about reincarnation upon?"

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Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."

Lord Jesus, would you seek out and save John who is very far from you and very lost.   Use the Gospel given to him today to draw him to the Saviour.

Goals: To Pray

I have a handful of goals for this blog...

• To Obey
• To Pray
• To Learn 
• To Teach
• To Model
• To Report 
• To Encourage

To Pray.   The Apostle Paul wrote to the young evangelist, Timothy:

"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. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time" (1 Timothy 2:1-6).

The mission that we are a part of is a participation in the very mission of God.   He is the Lord of the harvest, and we are called to pray to him.

So at a very basic level, this blog exists as an aide to prayer, both for myself and for others.   Writing about gospel conversations with people in Calgary helps me to remember names to faces as well as imprinting the conversation more firmly in my memory.

Would you join me in praying for these folks?

I'll try to include a brief prayer at the end of each Gospel Conversation.   There's a place where you can register your prayer as well...

Stephanie - 18 years old

Stephanie nailed it.

Stephen Ave

I met her downtown as she was out promoting the work of an agency that rescues animals from abuse.  She had a mustache on a necklace that she would hold up to her lips to get people's attention.  I stopped to say hello, and she said she had a question for me.

"Good," I replied, "because I have a question for you."

"Well, I'll answer your question depending on how you answer mine" she said.

"Fair enough."

"What's that?" Stephanie asked looking at the questionnaire in my hand with the title "Spiritual Questionnaire" in big letters.

"These are the questions I'm going to ask you about.  But you first."

So she told me about her agency which sounds like a good one.   I told her that our treatment of the environment and ecology depends on how we view the world.   We tend to either deify creation or denigrate it.   Stephanie used the term 'creation' herself so I was curious as to her beliefs.

"Okay, now we're done with my part, I'm curious as to your questionnaire," she said with a look of curiosity.

I told her what I was doing, and she said she was game.

Stephanie is from a Roman Catholic background, but now goes to and evangelical Bible college.   She said that she looks back on her experience with the RCC and saw it only as obligation.  In fact the folks she knows who still go there seem to do it out of obligation.   She spoke of a personal relationship with God now that is "real & relevant" for her life.

She'd like to ask God, "What is my purpose?"   I'm guessing that's a good question whatever your age, but especially pertinent for an 18 year old.  She had plans to go to Israel in the fall and wanted to do some humanitarian work, and then go to university to study international relations.

When asked what she would say if God were to ask her why he should let her into heaven, Stephanie answered, "Are you kidding me?  You're a Christian aren't you?"  I nodded.  "I've done nothing.  It's only by grace and I need the Lord Jesus to save me."

"I like your answer," I said, "but not everyone who says they are a Christian gives the kind of answer your do."

"Really?"

"Yeah.  Look here."  And I showed her the answers from a previous conversation where a professing Christian lady said that if God asked her why he should let her into heaven, she would say, "Why not?"

"Wow," Stephanie said.

"Yeah, wow.  Well, I don't need to ask you the last question...."

"Why not?"

"Well, because you nailed the answer."

"Ask me any way."

"Okay, if you would rate your goodness on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being very good and 1 being very evil, where would you be."

She laughed and said, "Uh...a zero!"

I smiled.  "Same here."

I wished her well saying that I trust the Lord will use her wherever she ended up.  I encouraged her to continue strong in the faith and thanked her for the conversation.

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Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Lord, I pray that you would use Stephanie for your glory, and enable her to live all of her life for the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to you through him.

Proclaim Course

When it comes to training folks in the task of evangelism, my go-to material is The Proclaim Course.  This course was designed by the folks at Sovereign Grace Ministries & Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA.

From their website:

Want to share your faith buy don't know how? The Proclaim course is a DVD-based evangelism class designed to help everyday Christians like you grow in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Through seven sessions you'll discover how to communicate the gospel more clearly and how to trust God more fully in evangelism. Prepare to be practically equipped and biblically motivated as you join God in this unstoppable spread of the gospel!

PROCLAIM SESSIONS

• The Unstoppable Gospel
• Gifted for Evangelism
• Becoming a Friend of Sinners
• Breaking the Sound Barrier
• Proclaim the Bad News
• Proclaim the Good News
• Putting the Go in Gospel

Why do I like this course?
I like the proclaim course because...

1. ...it is solid theologically (which is no small task these days)
2. ...it uses the 10 Commandments to explain the bad news of both our falling short of God's standard and the necessity of God's justice (the bad news); 
3. ...it nails the fact that God's solution is found in the LIFE and DEATH of Jesus Christ (the Good News)
4. ...it explains the significance of the resurrection (more Good News)
5. ...it calls for a response
6. ...it has an attractive booklet that you can leave with folks [you can download a ppt of the booklet here].  The last two pages are left blank so you can add your or your church's contact info
7. ...plus it has a handy handy questionnaire which is very useful in getting people to actually talk with folks. The questionnaire is low-key and friendly. It is a great tool in intentional evangelism with people on the street.

Check out this promo:



You can see the materials of the Proclaim Course or order them through Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Andrew - 20 years old

I met Andrew waiting at a bus stop in Kensington.  He's a student studying the culinary arts.

Andrew's from a Roman Catholic background, but was eager to say that he is not currently practicing.  When asked to provide some words to describe his religious background, he said, "Boring, irrelevant, & controlling."

"You didn't happen to attend catholic school, did you?" I asked.

"Yes."

"I'd probably use those same words myself."

When asked what one question would he ask God, he said that he didn't really believe in a god.   I asked, "IF God exists, what would you want to ask him?"

Andrew nodded his head, and then pondered the question, and then said, "I don't really know."

"IF God exists and you were to stand before him when you die, and he asks, 'Why should I let you into heaven?' what would you say?"

"Because I was a good person," he said, and then quickly added, "but I don't really believe in a heaven."

I asked, "What do you believe in?  What do you think happens when we die?"

"Well, I believe in reincarnation.  I think we come back as different things."

"Can I ask you a question about that, Andrew?"  He nodded in approval.  "This is something I never been able to understand or figure out:  Who gets to decide how you will come back?  Who judges that?"

Andrew began to backpedal a bit & bristled at the idea of any sort of judgment.  "Well, I don't really believe there is any kind of judgment.  I just think that our energy and matter gets absorbed by the universe and is used for different things."

"Oh, okay.  So you don't hold to a traditional understanding of reincarnation, then?"

"No," he replied.

I told him about my background as a philosophy major and seeing folks journey away from God and towards him.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your goodness (with 1 being very evil, and 10 being very good)?"

He said, "About a seven."

So I gave him a booklet on Christianity that had the 10 Commandments listed by which he could test himself.   I mentioned that it would give him some stuff to think about in light of his background.  We chatted for a moment as I was mindful that the bus would arrive at any moment.  I thanked him for the conversation, and as I walked away, I looked back over my shoulder and saw him reading about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Looking back on this, I wish I would have probed a bit deeper into his reasons for rejecting his Catholicism, since he has thrown Christianity out the window with that.  But I knew the bus was coming and had probably taken that conversation as far as I could.

-----

Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Lord, as Jesus preached repentance, would you grant repentance to Andrew?  

How not to evangelize!!!

While out & about in downtown Calgary, I came across a fellow who was wearing a sandwich board that said, "All Canadians need to be re-educated in Russia?"  I smiled and took his literature, and this is what it said,

"Canadians are mentally retarded creeps and bums."    

Not the best way to win friends and influence people.  I asked him if this was effective, and he said yes.  I asked him if he needed to be re-educated in Russia, and he said no.  I tried to engage him in conversation, but he just kept answering "Yes", even to questions that were not "yes/ no" questions.

At any rate, whatever his message, I'm not sure that this is the most effective way of getting people to listen to you.

Jan - 54 years old

What do you do when you meet a professing Christian who regularly attends church, but is not solid on the gospel?  That is the question that I was thinking on as I chatted with Jan.

I met Jan eating lunch on a park bench at the Olympic Plaza.   She said she was a Christian who attends a non-denominational church in Calgary.   I was encouraged when she used "Faith, Christ, & Hope" to describe her religious experience.   I'm always encouraged when someone mentions the name of "Christ" or "Jesus" in their answers.

When asked what one question she would ask God, and after thinking a moment, she answered, "What is my purpose?"

But when I asked her the next question, "If God asked you, 'Why should I let you into heaven?' what would you say?" she responded "Why not?"   Major red flag.

"Why not?" I sought to clarify.

Nodding her head, she affirmed "Why not!"  She went on to rate her goodness at a 7, and I gave her a booklet on Christianity that explained that most people rank their goodness at a 6-7.   I told her that the booklet contains a "Good person test" based on the 10 Commandments.  I asked her if she kept the Commandments and she said, "Yes."

We went through a few of them and it became obvious that she hadn't.  I told her that I'm in the same boat.   I went on to clarify that the reason we break the 10 Commandments is because we are sinners.  Our fundamental problem is that we challenge God's prerogative to command obedience from his subjects.

When asked if God were to judge her by the 10 Commandments, would he find her innocent or guilty of breaking them?

"Guilty, but we are all guilty."

"Yes, and you are quoting Scripture."

"Do you know what God has done so that he can forgive the guilty?"

"Does it have something to do with 'grace'?"

"Yes, and it has something to do with Jesus, right?"   Jan was nodding her head and it looked like the light bulb was going off in her head as she was connecting the dots.

So I explained that Jesus lived the perfect life that we are called to, and died the death that we owed.   I gave her the booklet and told her that she might want to read through it again because our only hope is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I thanked her for the conversation.
------

Acts 4:1, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 

Spirit, convince Jan that there is salvation in found in Jesus Christ alone.

Devon - 14 years old

I met Devon hanging out outside the YMCA in downtown Calgary.   Asked if he'd be game for a spiritual questionnaire and he said yes.

Devon has a Christian (Lutheran) background.  When asked if he still attends, he said, "A little."  He describes his experience as "respectful, reassuring, and rejoiceful."  I commended him on his use of alliteration.

When asked about  what one question would he ask God, he said, "Hmmm.  That's a hard one."  After thinking about it, he said, "How did you create everything?"

"If God asked you the question, 'Why should I let you into heaven?" what would you say?"

"Wow, that's a hard one!"

"That's okay.  Think on it for a moment."

"Because I believe in heaven," which sounded almost like a question than a statement.   He'd rate his goodness at a 7-8.   I sensed he was getting a bit nervous because the questions were a little more challenging than he had perhaps thought.   That, and a 40-something was asking him questions.

So I gave him a booklet on Christianity and told him that I bet he would find it helpful.  He thanked me, and I thanked him for his time & thoughtful answers.
-----

2 Timothy 2:5-6,  “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all….”

Lord, would you cause Devon to see that Jesus is the one mediator between God and men?

George - 44 years old

Calgary Olympic Plaza

I want to tell you about one conversation with a man named George, 44 years old.   I met him at the Calgary Olympic Plaza watching a band set up.  George just arrived in Calgary two days ago, and though I didn’t talk to him until about 11:30, he said I was the first person who talked with him today.  

He was eager to do the questionnaire, and he told me that he was from a Roman Catholic background, but had not been active since he left home.   He said his religious background was boring as a kid, but he got inspired to go again when he had kids.  

“What one question would you like to ask God?”  I asked. 

He thought about it for a moment and then said with a chuckle, “Why am I not rich?”

“What do you think he would say?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking him.”  We both laughed.

“If God asked you, ‘Why should I let you into heaven…’ what would you say?”   I asked.  

George replied quickly, “I don’t break the law.  I don’t sin other than drink beer.  And I believe.”  

Asked how he would rate his goodness on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being very evil and 10 being very good, he said proudly, “A 10!”  I thought, Hold on, let’s see what the God’s Law will do with him.   And I wasn’t surprised.  

I gave him a booklet on Christianity that explained that most people rank themselves at around a 7, to which George said, “Ooops!”   Then I went on to explain that the Bible actually teaches that it’s impossible to get to God by being good enough, like jumping the Grand Canyon.  Some will make it further than others, but all will come up short. 

I asked George if he had heard the 10 Commandments before, and he said that he had.  When asked if he has kept them, he said, “Sure.”  

“Let’s look at a few of these, George.  The 9^th Commandment says, You shall not lie.  Have you lied?” 

“No…well, if you count the few times….”

“That counts George.”  

“Have you ever stolen anything?  The 8^th Commandment says, You shall not steal.”

“No.”  

“Ever?”

“Well, yes I have stolen.”

“How about this one:  the 7^th Commandment says, You shall not commit adultery.  How about that one?”

“Oh, I’ve kept that one!” George replied a bit relieved.

“Did you know that Jesus said if you look at another person with lust, that you have committed adultery with that person in your heart?”

“Jesus said that?” he asked a little taken aback.

“Yep.”

“No one has ever told me that.”

“One more, George:  The sixth says, You shall not murder.  How about that one?”

“Nope, I’ve never murdered anyone.”

“Did you know that Jesus said that if you’re angry with another that you’ve committed murder in your heart?”

“Really?” George asked. 

“Yep.  Have you ever called anyone an idiot, or been really angry with someone?”  George nodded his head.  “That’s essentially assassinating someone in your heart.”

George replied, “No one has ever told me that Jesus said that.” 

“Yep, he did.  Now let me ask you a question, ‘If God were to evaluate your life against the 10 Commandments, do you think he’d find you innocent or guilty of breaking them?”

George thought for a moment, and as I watched his eyes, I could tell the answer was dawning on him.  “Guilty,” he said nodding.  

“George, I’ve got some bad news for you and some Good News.  Bad news first.”  I went on to explain that the reason we break God’s Law is that we are sinners, insisting on doing things our own way.  The Bible says that we are storing up wrath—justice—for ourselves.  And the ultimate judgment for those who die in their sins is eternal separation from God in hell.  Our sins separate us.   “Does that concern you that if you were to die tonight, and God the just Judge evaluates your life against the Law, that you could end up separated from him forever?”

“Yes, that does concern me.”  

“George, I told you there was some bad news and some Good News.  Do you want to hear the Good News?” 

“Yes” he said, nodding his head.  

I went on to tell him that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life; that if we judged his life according to the 10 Commandments, he would be found innocent.   In fact, Jesus said in the face of his harshest critics, Who of you can accuse me of sin?  And no one could answer.  

“Really, he said that?”  Yes he did.

I read to him John 3:16, and asked him if he had heard that verse before, and he said yes, and then said, “You know, a common mistake people make is to think that Jesus is God.”

“Well, George, Jesus was God, not God the Father, but God the Son.  You’ve heard this before, haven’t you in your Catholic background?  God is one being in three persons:  Father, Son, Holy Spirit.” 

He nodded and that seemed to satisfy him.  

Having told him the bad news and the Good News, I told him that the Scripture calls us to turn from our sin (repent) and turn to God in faith trusting in his promise to forgive all those who turn to him.  

It got a bit confusing at this point as it seemed that George still wanted to hang on to his goodness/ good works as meriting something.  He told me that whenever he passes a cross on the side of the road where someone was killed, he crosses himself and asks for a blessing.  

I told him that God calls us to trust in Him alone for our salvation and not in anything we can do.   I gave him the booklet and asked him if he’d read over it. 

“Sure.  I’m going to read through this again.   You’ve given me a lot to think about.   I’ve never thought of myself in terms of the 10 Commandments.  I’m going to have to think on all this that you have said.”  

“Fair enough,” I said.  

We talked a bit about his search for a house, his new job, and his first two days in Calgary.  

I gave him my number & email and told him to touch base with me if he needed help on anything.   I gave him a card inviting him to New City Church, and explained to him that we at NCC try to create an environment where folks from all different places spiritually can safely explore Christianity and learn more about it.  He thanked me for the invitation, and I thanked him for his kindness in speaking with me.  

I think this is a good illustration of the principle, “Law to the proud, Grace to the humble.”  George, like all of us, thinks he is pretty good when compared to others, but when we compare ourselves to the 10 Commandments, we see that we fall short.   Once the Law does it’s work, then the grace of the Gospel can come in. 

Please pray for George, that he wouldn’t trust in his own righteousness, but would run from it to Christ.  Pray that he’d be willing to receive the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus.
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Acts 10:43,  “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives the forgiveness of sins through his name.”  

Spirit, enable George to see his need for forgiveness and believe in the name of Jesus.