The Hope of Glory is a wonderful substitute to the trite non-sense common to so many so-called devotional books. It is a devotional book you would do well to read.
Far superior to most standard devotional reading, Storms challenges his readers to think deeply and practice passionately their Christian faith. Storms isn’t into spiritual pop-tarts. He’s into helping Christians live their faith.
For instance, in his chapter entitled: “Salty” Speech and the Salvation of Souls, Storms comments on Colossians 4:5-6:
I’m convinced he [Paul] is talking about evangelistic witness, and for three reasons. First, as noted, evangelism is on his mind in the immediately preceding context (see vv. 2–4). Second, he wants all of us to be fully equipped to “answer each person,” those he calls “outsiders” (undoubtedly a reference to those outside the church, i.e., non-Christians). And third, the word translated “speech” in verse 6 is the same Greek word (logos) used in verse 3 where he asks that God open a door for the “word,” i.e., that he be granted opportunities to preach the “word” of the gospel, the mystery of Christ.
From The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians by Sam Storms, © 2008, pages 329-330. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
Devotional books normally don’t challenge Christians on their spiritual deficiencies, but then again The Hope of Glory isn’t a normal devotional book. Storms then gives five points about sharing our faith.
First, we are exhorted to conduct ourselves wisely toward outsiders. I think at least two things are in view here. I’m immediately reminded of our Lord’s words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matt. 7:6). Wisdom requires that we be discerning as to when we speak and to whom. Sometimes we need to be bold and forthright, while on other occasions, because of the calloused and hostile posture of our audience, we need to keep our mouths shut.
From The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians by Sam Storms, © 2008, page 330. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
That comment alone ought to root you to the Holy Spirit. “Discernment”, a concept virtually consigned to evangelical obscurity, is freely advanced by Storms. No “one-size-fits-all” “cookie-cutter” evangelism here. Wise reliance on the Holy Spirit is what is necessary.
Second, we mustn’t lose sight of the urgency of our task. The ESV renders this, “making the best use of the time,” while older translations retain the more literal translation, “redeeming the time” (KJV). Commentators do a good job of highlighting Paul’s emphasis. Peter O’Brien renders it, “snapping up every opportunity that comes.” Murray Harris is even more to the point: “In the open market where the commodity of ‘kairos’ [time] is on sale, Christians are to make a ‘timely’ purchase for themselves. In other words, they are to seize eagerly and use wisely every opportunity afforded them by time to promote the kingdom of God.”
Don’t waste any opportunity that comes your way or squander the chance to walk boldly through an open door into the heart of an unbeliever! Every encounter has the potential to be soul-saving. Don’t let fear or hesitation or lack of preparation steal that moment.
From The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians by Sam Storms, © 2008, pages 330-331. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
Storms confronts the reader with another word all but lost to evangelicals—“urgency”—and graciously reminds us “Every encounter has the potential to be soul-saving.” No statement could be sweeter, more encouraging and yet more convicting at the same time. Evangelism must recover its sense of urgency.
Third, our witness must always be “gracious” (v. 6), which is to say, as charming as possible without crossing the line into compromise. Be accommodating and kind, says Paul, but not at the expense of truth.
What matters is not simply the content but the manner or spirit in which you speak of Christ to others. We are to be both pointed and pleasant in our witness. Sadly, many embrace one to the exclusion of the other, finding it difficult to embrace both in delicate balance. Either they care for nothing but the truth, regardless of how it is conveyed, or they are so afraid of sounding offensive or pushy that they end up diluting the truth and fail to articulate the realities of sin, death, and hell.
From The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians by Sam Storms, © 2008, page 331. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
Well, if Fred Phelps would promise to read this chapter, I’d buy him a copy. Sadly, Storms is accurate. These are virtually the only two extremes modern evangelism knows. Of course, to say Phelps cares “for nothing but the truth” would be extremely generous. But the point is that the angry, “you’re going to hell, sinner” type approach seems to be the only alternative to silent apathy.
Fourth, our proclamation of the mystery of Christ must be “seasoned with salt” (v. 6). Let there be a pungency to our preaching, a flavor worthy to savor. There’s no virtue in being dull or insipid or lukewarm in the presentation of the gospel.
My former professor at Dallas Theological Seminary Howard Hendricks was often heard to say: “According to the old adage, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. That’s true, but you can feed him salt!” Do you talk of Jesus in a way that makes people’s mouths water? Do your words and manner create the opportunity for a spiritual thirst to emerge?
The psalmist said, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 34:8a). Do people see and sense the sweetness of the Savior when we speak of him? He is altogether lovely and should not be made known in an unlovely or unappealing manner. Jesus tastes good! Don’t spoil the flavor by sinful additives and sour dispositions.
From The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians by Sam Storms, © 2008, page 331. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
To borrow from a book title from John Piper, there is too much duty in our evangelism and not enough delight. Christians used to testify because Jesus had changed them; because they were so in love with Him; because they adored and worshipped him. Now, we have to get ourselves worked into a frenzy, overcoming our cowardice but a dutiful delivery of a “gospel presentation” which is all too often stale and dispassionate.
Fifth, and finally, we must be diligent to answer “each person” (v. 6). He doesn’t mean that we should speak the same way to “everyone,” but that we ought to speak appropriately to “each separate person” as he or she has need. We must supply perceptive and discerning answers in accordance with the unique circumstance of each individual. Not everyone hears the gospel the same way. Some encounter Christ with probing intellectual objections, while others are struggling with deeply entrenched sinful habits.
Evangelism should never be monolithic, as if one mode or manner of presentation is suitable for all souls. Yes, each is in need of a savior from sin. Of course, there is but one Savior and his name is Jesus. But each person is also at a different stage of life, facing a unique set of trials and troubles, each with varying degrees of understanding of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished. In sum, be adept to adapt, and pray that the Spirit would awaken all hearts to see and celebrate the mystery of Christ!
From The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians by Sam Storms, © 2008, page 331-332. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
With such meditations, The Hope of Glory promises to do a gentle, but effective work in stretching the Christian’s devotional life by deepening our resolve to live true to our professions. It’s a book that is truly devotional.
1 comment:
interestingly storms stands firmly against MBC's executive board (A29) buffoonery and has made it pretty well known
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