The effect of gospel preaching is threefold. On the one hand there are a few who hear the message of the Cross and receive it unto eternal life. There are many who hear the message and do not receive it, but stumble over it, and see it as foolishness, resulting in eternal death (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).In the case with these two young ladies, it’s impossible to know how they will ultimately receive the preaching they hear throughout their life – unto eternal life or eternal death. Nevertheless, the preaching has GOD’s desired effect. It accomplishes exactly what He desires.
These young ladies listened to the preaching for at least twenty minutes before I engaged them. In the end, the gospel seeds were sewn. It’s up to our Sovereign Lord to do with them as He will – to eternal life or eternal death.
And that leads us to the third effect of gospel preaching – GOD IS GLORIFIED. No matter what, whether the lost person receives the preaching unto eternal life or eternal death, GOD is glorified in and through it all.
The threefold effect is absolutely true, brother. I am so relieved and grateful that the act of conversion in a person's heart is not our responsibility, for we are absolutely powerless no matter how well we preach the word. Our responsibility is to just be obedient to the Great Commission and GO to preach the gospel in Spirit and in truth. We are the harbingers, the messengers, the proclaimers, the seed sowers, the seed waterers. As the Scriptures reveal, it is the Lord who handles the harvesting aspect of things. All glory belongs to him.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting gospel giving encounter, as per usual, brother. The brunette's responses, her friend's silence, the facial expressions of both mixed with their body language seemed to indicate an uneasiness in what they were hearing which would not surprisingly be actual conviction in the works. I pray it was.
That was a great one 2 one .The seed was sown. There is No King but Christ!!
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