Something unique about my husband is that he absolutely LOVES it when Jehovah’s Witnesses come to the door! Most people would cringe and try to pretend they are not home (come on you’ve all said it, “Ah! It’s the Jehovah’s Witnesses again!”) But on a Saturday morning (that’s when they like to come in our neighborhood) when the doorbell rings, I’ll often hear, “I think it’s a Jehovah’s Witness!!” And in glee he runs to the door to chat it up with them.
Jesus is enough for me, thank you.
The man pictured above is one of the guys who actually had the guts to discuss his religion with Paul for nearly an hour and said he would come back to talk more, although he never did. He is one of the many who unknowingly knock on our door, oblivious to the fact that the man I live with is a passionate evangelist for Christ’s grace, and is willing to defend it for an uncanny amount of time!
This past Saturday was my favorite episode yet. An African American man and an African American boy (who was apparently not his son) came to convince us, once again, of their works-based religion. I did what I usually do, follow behind Paul and ask him if he needs his Bible.
Paul began the conversation by saying, “Look, I appreciate that people need to know about the love of God, but I don’t think you’re out here to love me, because every time a Jehovah’s Witness comes to my door, I give them my number and they say they’ll come back or call. And they never do. Now I know this is because YOU feel that you’re getting into Heaven because of your works. And so you come out here every Saturday to proclaim your religion, which is what you feel justifies you before God. Now, if any of you really loved me, you would check up on me. I don’t think your religion is that of love, it is one of works and obligation…” (or something of the sort, Paul is better at laying out the apologetics than I am)
The man went on to adamantly profess that one must live a life doing good things, and that doing good things and following God’s commands is how he will get into Heaven. The nearly heart-breaking moment for me was when Paul asked the young boy, maybe 7 or 8, “how do you think you are getting into Heaven?” And the boy replied, “if I do good things I will get in.” Paul has them read aloud Ephesians 2:1-9
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Emphasizing verse 8, “for it is by grace you have been saved through faith.” The young boy got to hear the gospel.
The man kept using Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you;depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
to try to convince Paul that it is by what we do that earns our righteousness. I think one can see, even from this verse, that it is not at all what we do that makes us right before God. Paul pointed out that Jesus says “I never knew you”, which highlights our need to be in relationship with Jesus.
As the conversation escalated and became more heated as the man realized Paul was big on grace and not on works, the man got more and more agitated and began accusing Paul of contradicting himself, when really he just asked questions, and read aloud the Scriptures. Finally, Paul said, “Jesus is my savior. YOU are your own savior, and you are coming here, telling ME to be my own savior and that, my friend, is NOT the gospel.” (here is where I got goosebumps)
The man angrily said, “Thank you very much, come on (kid’s name).” And the child did come….. but only after staring at and listening to Paul so intently that he nearly walked backward down the stairs. Father, I do pray that that child heard your gospel of grace and comes to know your salvation. Amen.
