Truth:

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
Philemon 1:6 (New International Version)

Thought:

The shoes described in Ephesians 6 were strong, heavy sandals that were durable and provided mobility and availability to the commander.  In our case, our commander is Jesus.

We need to be prepared to have an intelligent account of the Gospel. So many Christians don’t even understand the basics of the Gospel. The kerygma (message) of Paul is straightforward -

Jesus Christ has come in the flesh He died for our sins, was crucified, buried and raised from the dead, He ascended to heaven and will one day return to judge the living and the dead so repent!

It is a Gospel of Peace. We can only transfer peace to others if we have it ourselves. If we don’t have peace then it’s no use trying to give it to someone else. If you need peace, meditate on, and put into practice Isaiah 26:3, Romans 15:13 and Philippians 4:6-9.

Erwin McManus has an incredible story about a radio talk show host asking him: “So are everyone but Christians going to hell?”

He responded with something similar to, “Let me be up-front, I am a follower of Christ and know that He said He is the way to the Father. But He also didn’t come into the world to condemn the world, so that’s not something I can do either.”

I enjoy Erwin’s thinking because it’s similar to my own. I was speaking to a Comparative Religions Class at a local university about the early church councils. It led beautifully into the question, “Is Jesus God?” I asked, “Have you ever been offended by someone telling you Jesus is the only way?” All but three were quick to agree.

I responded, “I’m a follower of Jesus and I ask you for forgiveness for others who name His name and use His words to condemn you. I’m sorry.”

That got their attention, so I continued, “It would be perfectly legitimate to feel offended at Jesus, if He was just a man and He said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.’ But what if He was more than a man? What if He was the one who put 400 million stars in our galaxy and 400 million galaxies in our universe, and who knows how many more universes there are left to imagine? It would mean He wasn’t being exclusive when He said He was the way, it would mean He was being inclusive, making a way where we couldn’t make one on our own.”

If the teacher wasn’t a Muslim, I would have tried an altar call. People respond to a gospel of peace.

Having your shoes on means often doing for God right there what He tells you to do. You obey without hesitation. You don’t stall in communicating the Gospel of Peace in a way that meets people’s needs right there and then.

Are you ready to put into practice the will of God expressed in Scripture?

Prayer:

Lord, I know You want me to be active in sharing my faith. I know You’re not willing that any should perish. I know You will tell me what to say. I know You want my conversation full of grace seasoned with salt so I’ll know how to answer everyone. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for empowering me to be Christ’s witness. Empower me to make the most of every opportunity today to plant, water, or harvest Your word. I’ll do it all for the glory of God.

Challenge:

Find someone to share the Gospel of Peace with today. Pray knowing its God’s will for you to share your faith. Pray believing the Holy Spirit will teach you what to say. Then share your stories with us

Declaration:

I choose to put on the full armor of God. I put on truth. I put on righteousness. I put on peace. I put on faith. I put on salvation. And I choose to learn to use the word of God with great power and in love.