A Worldwide Pandemic

 The COVID Pandemic has affected every single person in the world in one way or another.  The response has been varied and wide, sometimes even within the same household.  I believe that this pandemic can teach believers in Jesus Christ a thing or two about how to respond to others by comparing cultural responses to the pandemic with sin.  Specifically, there are three thoughts that can help us in evangelism that  are necessary to meet people where they are in order to take them where they need to go.

1. Everyone is affected by sin, but not everyone believes they have been. 

Just like COVID, sin has affected the entire world.  Scripture tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory."  However, there are many who believe that they are good, moral people.  They are not evil and therefore have no need to change or even listen about a Rescuer.  To even suggest differently is an affront to them.

Christians do not need people to agree that everyone has sinned in order to share the gospel.  Our role is not to have everyone agree with us, it is simply to present the gospel.  We must understand that the natural man will always believe that he is better than he truly is, and we cannot, nor need to change his mind.  Disagreement never means that we cannot love the unsaved.  If we are to be like our God, we must love them.  John 3:16 is just as valid now for the unsaved as it was when you and I were in darkness.  God loves the world.


2. People view sin from different lenses.

Culture, upbringing, choices, and many other factors go into how people perceive sin.  Some think that nothing is ever their fault.  Some believe that life is what you make out of it, there is no "higher power."  Others live as if there is no God.  There are those that believe there is no such thing as sin, only survival.  And there are some who are haunted by what they have done, thought, or said and are searching for help.

We must know and understand that what people believe has an impact on how they hear the gospel.  Everything that we hear is filtered through our own perception and biases.  Thankfully, we serve a God who goes past those things to the soul and calls men and women to Himself.  Yet, we do not know who is being called or when she is being called.  All we know is that we are to spread the seed of the gospel on every type of soil.  Our job is to be obedient in the sowing and watering of gospel seeds.  It is God who will bring forth the crop in due season.


3. You will never force people to believe they need the antidote, Jesus Christ.

One of the hardest pills for many believers to swallow is that you and I cannot save anyone.  We could not even save ourselves.  We k
now that Scripture tells us that "by grace you have been saved, not of yourselves, it is a gift of God so that no one may boast about it."  

Unfortunately, we do not live this way when we share the Gospel with others.  We try to reason and sometimes even rage against those that we are wanting rescued from sin.  The church has often turned to Bible beat downs instead of gently and faithfully helping the lost find the Way.

Learning from this pandemic we can be sure of these things, first, everyone is in their own isolation in their minds and spirits because of sin.  Second, believers must spend time in quiet and with the Father, praying and seeking guidance.  Third, we must, like Jesus, meet people where they are currently, not where we want them to be, in order to share with them the news of hope.  Finally, we have to leave God's part to God.  As we live this way, we live on mission with our God.

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