The moment of realising who Jesus is

As we witness to people about the Gospel, we must remember that it is about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It does not concern how much money we can get and any other benefits. Yes of course God can do that, but the reason people need salvation is to save them from a lost eternity in a place of torment created for Satan and not about things or benefits they can receive.

The jailer in Acts 17 didn’t fall on His knees in front of Paul and Silas and say,  “What must I do to get God to give me a new donkey?”He asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved”?

There will be a moment when a person realises in their heart who Jesus is and why He died for them. That pivotal point comes only by revelation from God. When it happens, they will be changed forever.

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew16:16-17

At our local fellowship every month, we have a visit from David, a exceptionally gifted Bible teacher who is able to expound the word of God in such a way that I am always left stunned as he shares from the scriptures. It is a joy to witness one of the five fold ascension gifts of teaching in operation on a regular basis, as well as being able to become more rooted and established in the word of God.

In our session yesterday evening he explained that unless a person receives revelation by the Spirit of God they do not appreciate who Jesus really is.

As I sat there listening, I pondered on his words, that people can know about Jesus, read about Him and even sing about Him, all of which is good – but it is only when a person receives revelation by the Holy Spirit that they are able to move into a real relationship with Him and become a sinner saved by God’s grace.

I have written, taught and preached about this many times over the years, very often using the example above of Peter when the disciples were asked by Jesus, “Who do you say that I am”?

Another example of this was shared in our session when the example of the Centurion at the Cross when Jesus was crucified.

“The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” Luke 23: 47

Reading that scripture must mean that as the centurion watched the events unfold, he must have realised at some point that there was more than just an ordinary man hanging on the cross. When we receive revelation from God it becomes a life changing event.

In my own case from the very moment I realised who Jesus was and most importantly what He had done for me, I asked Him into my heart, made Him Lord of my life and started to tell people about Him much to the embarrassment of my then un-saved wife. Nothing has changed since that time. I still have a passion and a desire to see people come to know Him in the way that I do now.

As we share the message through our testimonies (which must be Jesus- centered) or, by sharing scripture we need to remember that it the Holy Spirit who convicts hearts of sin, opens spiritually blind eyes and breaks down the barriers in peoples hearts.

Key Point: The Holy Spirit convicts hearts and reveals who Jesus really is.

He is able to penetrate the toughest of hearts and the most stubborn minds. He can change the lives of people who are far from God. This happens when the heart and mind of a person truly understands who Jesus really is. As an evangelist I have seen it happen many times and I never tire of it. I love it, and of course it the reason that I want people to know Him.

Therefore, as we witness for Jesus we must intentionally rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us. There are a few essential points that we need to remember:

We need to be prayed up before we witness: This is essential. We must ask God to provide us with opportunities to share and then take them when they arise. Also we must be ready to make opportunities for the Gospel.

Pray as you witness: We need to be quietly praying in our hearts and minds as we share. I often speak to the Holy Spirit in my mind in situations like this. Saying things like “Lord, give me the right words to say” or “Speak through me Lord”. If you are witnessing for Christ the Holy Spirit is right there with you.

Continue to pray for anyone that you have spoken to: Ask God to continue to speak to the person. He can do that in many ways. Sometimes it can take some time for the seed of the word to germinate in a person heart.

It is God who gives the increase, not us. We are vessels that He works through to accomplish His will. Wow!! That is just fantastic! The God of all creation working through you to save people from a lost eternity. Yes, and He wants to work through you and me!