Sharing Your Faith

Philemon 4-7 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
 
THE Bible’s message is very clear about our response to receiving God’s gift of eternal life: we are to share the good news with everyone. Paul underscores this reason for the sharing in Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? With love for God and for our neighbors, we must speak God’s wondrous love, “Jesus saves!” This is how the good news has moved throughout history from continent to continent, from heart to heart, to this very moment.  
    Paul gives Philemon another reason for sharing your faith in verse 6: I pray you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. It’s true, isn’t it? When we talk of the people we love, we more deeply experience the love in our hearts. The relationship becomes more real as you tell someone, “I love you.” or you tell another, “My _______ is such a blessing.” Speaking love deepens your own convictions of the relationship. Sharing your faith, offering your testimony of how you love God will deepen your own understanding of God.
    Speaking the good news brings God’s love to the surface. The words, in effect, move from your mouth to your heart to a world who needs a Savior. You experience more personally the good of the good news. Your faith is more secure and real for you when you speak it. And it becomes more real for others around you. Sharing your faith, you will refresh the hearts of the saints as others in the church also begin to see more deeply, “Jesus saves!”
 
Life Thought: Speaking of Jesus deepens your love for him.