I’ve often said how much I love the Living Waters ministry.
Ray Comfort goes out on the street and asks strangers very poignant questions about life, death, and eternity. It’s always interesting to see how people react.
The guys in this video do something that I’ve had done to me…try to distact Ray with questions.
As you watch, listen for the questions you’ve either asked or had asked of you.
Observe how Ray answers them. I love it! This, my friends, is the Gospel…plain and simple.
Filed under: Christian | Tagged: Christianity, Living Waters, Ray Comfort |
AuburnChick's Adventures 
The trouble with this video is that these men are not ready to hear the gospel. One keeps saying that he believes that when he dies he will be in a box and the other is not sure that there is even a God.
Our hatred of sin comes out of a love for God and a desire to honor God’s sacrifice through the blood of Jesus. So how can we expect people to hate sin if they do not believe in sin? How can we expect people to want to go to heaven when they do not believe that there is one?
The problem, I’d say, isn’t with the video but with the men’s perspective. As you said, they do not believe they are sinning. Ray used the Law to try to show them that they are not good people…i.e. they are sinners. I can’t help but wonder if maybe they’ll hear his words echoing in their ears when they are out partying. All we can do is plant seeds. God’s Spirit and the willingness of their hearts will determine if those seeds sprout.
Sure they have a problem, but the ugliness of sin is not apparent until we have a love relationship with God. These men did not think that there was really anything wrong with what they are doing… I am not sure that they were even paying attention by the looks on their faces.
My fear is that the message they received is one of judgment and shame rather than entering into a love relationship with Christ.
I see where you have an issue. It’s with the way Ray is presenting the Gospel. I’ve gotta say that I love that he presents the law. He uses it to bring people to an awareness that they are not good people, as is the way that most everyone in society views themselves. Ray doesn’t point fingers. He allows people to see it for themselves. I did see these guys recognize what they are doing is sin. However, the one young man appeared to be reveling in it with little to no remorse.
I do not believe that we can enter into a love relationship with the Lord without first understanding the price of the gift He gave us.
Think about a wayward child. How much real “love” does he have for his father? Not much, really. He continues in his sin, hardly giving thought to what he is doing. However, what if that child is caught and made to stand punishment for his life of partying? The child begins to realize that maybe he’s in some trouble. And yet, he still doesn’t necessarily act in love toward his father.
Now, if that father steps in and says, “Hey, I’m gonna go to jail for you. You’re free.” I think it’s at that point that the child realizes the depth of the love his father has for him, and inside grows a love for the father in return. That love was precipitated by the knowledge of the ramifications of the wayward life.
That is what this ministry is about.
The Word teaches that it is the Law that convicts, not love.
That is why too many people fall away from the Christian walk. They initially respond in love without a true awareness of their sin and what it cost our Savior.
When I hear love preached, a part of me cringes…especially when it is not preceded by a message of law and conviction. It’s scary.
I hear your theology and it is sound. That is not the concern for me. I think that as Christians we love to hear the Word preached and our sin found out because we have already come to believe.
I am a licensed counselor who studied at 2 Christian colleges. I have a Masters in Counseling and a BA in Bible and Ministry. Believe me I am passionate about sharing the Word of God and seeing people’s lives changed.
In addition to sharing our faith, we also need to be willing to listen to others and actually have conversation with them. You may respond to that statement by saying that there was dialogue back and forth. My contention is that it has more of a feel of being on the witness stand where the other person is not allowed to stray from the questions asked.
I have major problems with the method that Cameron begins the video with. It is highly inappropriate to challenge people in a way that prevents us from listening to them.
We are not God and we are not responsible for the changed heart. It is God who convicts if that it the most appropriate way to begin. It is also God who loves and pours out his mercy on us.
I think that our job in evangelism is to open dialogue, not interrogate. Our job is to love, it is God’s job to convict. Perhaps it is the guilt that will lead people to God, but I am not sure that can be effectively done by someone handing out a list of convictions to random people on the street.
My work over the years has been primarily with those who are on the streets: people with drug addictions and alcoholism. They are not interested in talking about the things they have done wrong without first building a relationship with them. I have seen it work literally hundreds of times to actually resist accusing them and instead building a love relationship with them myself. They begin to realize that I am not out to get them and then they are willing to confess their sins and make steps toward repentance.
Thank you for the dialogue and giving this opportunity to challenge myself in thinking about this important issue in sharing our faith.
I, too, have enjoyed this discussion.
I’ll admit that I don’t have the education or experience that you do. I’m just your average soccer mom and teacher-to-be.
What I do have is a heart that hurts for the lost. I also have a great concern for those who may have undergone a false conversion. I live in the Bible Belt where going to church is almost expected of you every Sunday and Wednesday. I moved away for several years to a place where being a Christian made you stand out. Now that I’m back to the “South,” I’ve discovered that people appear and think they are saved, but when you start to dig (in love, of course), you find out that they are lost and just don’t know it. It breaks my heart.
I think that sharing the Gospel involves both bringing an awareness of the Law as well as trying to build some sort of relationship in love. Missions trips often involve service to those in need…words displayed in action that often do more to spread the Gospel than any sermon.
Jesus fed people, healed them, and cared for them in many other ways. However, He also used the Law to convict them. Granted, He is God, and that’s God’s job, so to speak. But still…I believe He modeled what we are to do…tend to each other’s physical (feeding, clothing, etc.) and spiritual needs (sharing God’s Word).
You made an interesting point about it seeming like the guys were on a witness stand. I’ve gotta tell you how much better to be on the witness stand while alive than after you’ve died and be ill-prepared to face God. I have a mental picture of mock trials that attorneys use to practice their craft when they’re in school. Such exercises serve to teach them the law, and they walk away educated.
You know those guys in that video walked away with stuff in their heads. They couldn’t help it. You can’t take out what you’ve heard no matter how hard you try.
I don’t think that Ray was convicting them. He was trying to get them to understand what they will face one day.
Should they be afraid. You betcha. Should they be ashamed. You betcha. Sin is not something to be proud of. The knowledge of it should bring us to our knees in humbleness.
That’s where grace comes in. Ahhhh…sweet grace. God’s love is always there. During judgment, it’s there being used to help us straighten our lives out, just as a parent who loves his/her child will discipline them in love.
Ah well…we could go on and on, I suppose.
I applaud you for the work you do. It certainly must be a difficult task. May God be glorified through your willingness to serve Him.
You bring up a great point about Jesus and his interations with others. If you pay careful attention he was very kind, attending to needs, and enjoyed those who were considered “sinners” and non-religious.
It was the Pharisees and religious leaders that he made every effort to confront and challenge with Scripture. I do think that it is our duty as Christians to challenge other Christians on what they are doing in the name of Jesus. But I also think that people on the street really do need a completely different approach than the one in the video you posted.
Again thank you for your continued conversation on this topic. I hope that my responses have been open and respectful.