Devotional Thought for Tuesday, December 9th

From the "Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950:"

Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners?

This is a tricky question because we might respond to it by throwing ourselves into the evangelistic work with a hamfisted zeal that will do more to draw attention to our desperate antics than it will to the man on the cross. Doing everything in my power for the salvation of sinners does not mean that I am required to try and convert every telemarketer who makes the mistake of dialing my number. It doesn't mean approaching people in public restrooms with the good news.

But neither can anyone be said to be "doing everything in his power to save sinners" who has friends that are unaware of his faith.

Doing everything in your power begins with sanctification. Remove everything from your life that would contradict your testimony of God's saving power or curb your tongue when it comes time to tell of it.

Then doing everything in your power requires prayer: lots and lots of earnest prayer. Pray for the salvation of your friends and family and the guy who cut you off in traffic. But more than that, pray that God would give you opportunities to share your faith. Then, when he answers that prayer, take advantage of the opportunities he gives you. It's really that simple.

And since sanctification is God's work in us, and since the success of our prayer is a matter of God's working to answer it, we can say that doing everything in our power for the salvation of sinners means doing everything in God's power for the salvation of sinners. I find that reassuring.

Jude 22-23 (ESV) "And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh."