By Quinton Fitts
I believe Psalm 51 and John 14 hold some of the greatest encouragements for us.
In Psalm 51, when it’s boiled down, what we see is an imperfect person who loves God and is responding to the sin in his life. Throughout scripture, we see that God has preserved this description of David as a man after God’s own heart and yet we also see his tragic sin laid before us. It’s not until the prophet Nathan confronts David and the weight of his sin festers in his heart that we see David’s response in Psalm 51.
In John 14, Jesus first starts out by confirming for us that He is the only way denying all other religions and paths to heaven. I always find it so interesting that every other religion makes room for Jesus saying He is a good religious teacher or a very special profit or some kind of enlightened person, but when you look at the words of Jesus Himself in John 14:6, He denies everything and everyone else! We also read of an incredible promise in John 14 – the Holy Spirit. One of the things captured in this promise is that the Holy Spirit will “bring to remembrance all that I said to you.” This verse can give us full confidence that the testimonies of the Gospels are true and accurate because they were written by men “moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
I think there is a neat linkage about the Holy Spirit and evangelism found between Psalm 51:10-13 and John 14:26-27.
In the Psalm we see this:
Verse 10 – repentance
Verse 11 – seeking the Father
Verse 12 – renewal
Verse 13 – obedience
Humility comes first in the pursuit of an intimate relationship with God. What is so beautiful though, is how God is able to transform us from the inside out and equip us through His Holy Spirit to accomplish His Kingdom work. We may feel ill equipped, unworthy, or uneducated theologically to share the hope of Christ with non-believers – but this a lie! God is able to use a contrite and willing heart to reach the lost. Like David, the Holy Spirit will give us the ability to sing to God that we will “teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.”
The profound love of God has no end. Not only does He go to the cross to wash us clean, but He sends us help to walk in this new life that He has called us to. Towards the end of John 14 where we see the promise of the Holy Spirit, there are two powerful attributes that stick out. First, that the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things”. The Spirit will help us discern the things of God, so we must lean on Him for understanding. Second, that the Holy Spirit will “bring to remembrance” all that He said. Like the disciples, we must store in our heart all of Christ’s teachings so that the Spirit can bring these things to remembrance.
I have a heart for evangelism, but there was a time where I had no idea how to talk about my faith and I was so scared to engage in spiritual conversations. But where do you even start? I think the scripture we looked at today is a great starting point. Realizing that God will equip us to do the things He has called us to do is so freeing! Its not our job to save people, its our job to proclaim the good news – God will save them! Don’t put all the pressure on your shoulders.
Where is our heart at though? Like David, there might be some unchecked sin in our lives that we need to address first and man it would be nice to have a Nathan to call us out so we knew! Well maybe there is something that comes to mind right now and the Holy Spirit is illuminating that thing for you to address.
Are you seeking the Father? There are so many distractions in our lives, but if you wrote down a priority list, where does God fall on that list? Is He your way, your truth, and your life? What is one step of surrender that you can do today to show God that you are ready for His renewal in your life and ready to experience His peace that He promises.
Lastly, do you have a Kingdom mindset? Reaching the lost does not need to look like you standing on a street corner, God has surrounded you with the people He wants you to reach, but do you trust that He can use you? Maybe you need to store the truths of His Word not only in your head, but also in your heart so the Spirit can bring these things to remembrance.
Lord thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. Help me to live by your Spirit and not by my flesh. Illuminate in me the things that are displeasing to you and help me to overcome them. Give me wisdom and discernment to know you more intimately so that I can share your light with others more accurately. I love you and praise you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.