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| “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world…” |
| —John 3:19 |
Six years ago, the area where I live was marked by an amazing event: “Rock the Lakes.” Sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and featuring a long list of contemporary Christian musicians, this event brought standing room only crowds to the Erie Insurance Arena, which seats 7,000, with an overflow crowd seated at the historic Warner Theater and watching a video of the event.
Franklin Graham, son of the now late evangelist Billy Graham, offered a clear proclamation of the Gospel. Franklin Graham pulled no punches. He met our current culture head on, calling out sinful behavior and declaring what God has done by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins.
Yet, Franklin Graham did not speak harshly. As he told the truth of God’s written Word, he did so with great clarity but also with obvious godly love and concern for each person present.
Franklin Graham followed a pattern set by Jesus Himself as recorded by the Apostle John in John 3:16-21:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Today, as God brings people across the pathway of our lives and prompts us to share what He has done in our lives, in a very humble and loving way, let us give a very clear testimony of God’s mercy, love, and grace. Such a clear testimony will more likely be used by the Holy Spirit to irresistibly draw the person with whom we share into Christ’s Kingdom.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, June 18, 2015
