He who saves.

One-to-one: could we be direct as well as gentle?

What would make for a really ineffective ministry? Not being a very good strategy maker, lively speaker, or …. I want to suggest that one of the creeping dangers in our ministry is that although we believe preachand teach the necessity of conversion, we don’t apply this doctrine in personal work.

By the necessity of conversion, I mean, the need to be born again as we read in Scripture. I’m used to talking about the benefits of a relationship with Jesus to people- but I’m sure there needs to be more personal challenge, like: ‘Are you saved? Have you been rescued by Jesus?’ Jesus and the disciples ask some very direct questions in the gospels and when they do, people ask questions like ’what must I do to be saved?’ This past week I have asked this question twice and am persuaded I should keep doing so.

I’m aware I spoke about Baxter in the last post, but in the Reformed Pastor, his outstanding handbook for pastors, we see that Baxter took every effort to establish people’s spiritual state.

Questions: why do we stop applying the necessity of conversion one-to-one? How can we get better to the bottom of people’s spiritual state? Wisdom/ encouragements/ alternative opinions welcomed