This weekend, a friend shared the news that a close relative had passed away. My friend and her family faithfully shared the gospel with him at numerous times throughout his life, but had always received significant resistance and at times, even direct pushback. At one point, they were even asked to leave his home after they persisted in peacefully sharing the gospel.
When faced with such stark opposition, how many times should Christians share the gospel with the same nonbeliever? After this weekend, my friend and her family decided the only appropriate answer was “one more time.” With faithful perseverance, my friend’s family had ventured out one more time to present the gospel to the dying man. The man’s ears and heart opened in God’s perfect timing, and just hours after accepting Christ as his personal savior, the man took his final breath.
The Posture of Our Hearts
This should prompt us to examine our hearts and consider how willing we are to share “one more time.” Are we too quick to jump to the conclusion that it’s time to “shake the dust off our feet” (Matt. 10:14), instead of adopting my friend’s compassionate attitude? Consider what was at stake for this man if they had walked away instead. Could God have used someone else in his last hours? Certainly, but it was the willing posture of their hearts that was exactly what God chose to use. They were accessible.
Our Call
Jesus said we are to forgive “seventy times seven,” and I can’t imagine that our Savior would want us to share the gospel any less. The entire gospel message is that with repentance comes unlimited forgiveness and eternal hope. So how can we impose a limitation on the number of times we are willing to share that news with others? God is ultimately responsible for the results. We are responsible for faithful and peaceful perseverance to deliver His message.
Until the Last Moment
We’re equipped with our assurance of salvation and the peace that only Jesus can give (John 14:27). It’s up to us to persevere with soft hearts, remembering that we likely didn’t heed the call initially either. Maybe today we could share the Good News one more time, recognizing that every moment counts and that there is indeed hope, until the last moment.
