The Calloused Heart
The last park I went to on the NYC Missions Trip was called Bown Playground. I was really hoping I’d get to see Daniel, because I told him where we’d be that day. Anyway, it was good because I was able to talk to a lot of people that day.
One man I got to speak with was named Melvin. He looked like he might have been homeless, but perhaps not. He was sitting on a bench with Nathan (someone from our group), talking about how he just can’t accept the fact that God made everything in the world. We had a good conversation, and I tried to not debate so much because that doesn’t do anything for anybody.
I told him Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” No matter what man says, the Bible says that all men can know that God is real just through observing nature. There is so much that can be said for stuff like this, but I didn’t want to move the focus away from Jesus.
We talked about how we all sin (which is why he claimed there could be no god), and I told him how Jesus can save us from our sin. I told him about God’s incredible love, and how Christianity is the only “religion” that has a God who loves. Christianity is the only “religion” where you can actually experience God, proving His love to be true! I said he could ask anyone who was there with us; they’d all tell him not only how Jesus has saved them, but also how Jesus has transformed their lives.
Well, this was probably the first time in my entire life that someone just flat out rejected the Gospel. He wasn’t mean or anything; actually we were both enjoying the conversation. But he kept telling me how it’s just impossible to believe in God, etc. No matter what I said, he kept repeating that. “Oh we don’t know everything so He can’t be real,” among other things. I found it strange that his heart was so closed. Not angry, not hateful or resentful: just closed.
Mark 6:52 says that Jesus’ disciples were amazed when He walked on water and calmed the storm, because their hardened hearts originally prevented them from understanding a past miracle Jesus had done. Ephesians 4:18 even warns us that hardening our hearts will separate us from the life of God (and this is actually talking to Christians, so you’ve gotta watch it too!).
Melvin had a closed, hard heart towards God. Everything was right in front of him, yet his own choice has been separating him from the life God wants to give him.
We all have to watch that. God desires much more than we can possibly understand to love us, to give us life, to know us and have us know Him. Don’t let the fact that you can’t fully comprehend it stop you from accepting His wonderful gift, whether you’re a Christian or not!
One man I got to speak with was named Melvin. He looked like he might have been homeless, but perhaps not. He was sitting on a bench with Nathan (someone from our group), talking about how he just can’t accept the fact that God made everything in the world. We had a good conversation, and I tried to not debate so much because that doesn’t do anything for anybody.
I told him Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” No matter what man says, the Bible says that all men can know that God is real just through observing nature. There is so much that can be said for stuff like this, but I didn’t want to move the focus away from Jesus.
We talked about how we all sin (which is why he claimed there could be no god), and I told him how Jesus can save us from our sin. I told him about God’s incredible love, and how Christianity is the only “religion” that has a God who loves. Christianity is the only “religion” where you can actually experience God, proving His love to be true! I said he could ask anyone who was there with us; they’d all tell him not only how Jesus has saved them, but also how Jesus has transformed their lives.
Well, this was probably the first time in my entire life that someone just flat out rejected the Gospel. He wasn’t mean or anything; actually we were both enjoying the conversation. But he kept telling me how it’s just impossible to believe in God, etc. No matter what I said, he kept repeating that. “Oh we don’t know everything so He can’t be real,” among other things. I found it strange that his heart was so closed. Not angry, not hateful or resentful: just closed.
Mark 6:52 says that Jesus’ disciples were amazed when He walked on water and calmed the storm, because their hardened hearts originally prevented them from understanding a past miracle Jesus had done. Ephesians 4:18 even warns us that hardening our hearts will separate us from the life of God (and this is actually talking to Christians, so you’ve gotta watch it too!).
Melvin had a closed, hard heart towards God. Everything was right in front of him, yet his own choice has been separating him from the life God wants to give him.
We all have to watch that. God desires much more than we can possibly understand to love us, to give us life, to know us and have us know Him. Don’t let the fact that you can’t fully comprehend it stop you from accepting His wonderful gift, whether you’re a Christian or not!
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