This morning, some of our squad had the opportunity to do prison ministry at a high security prison for ages 14-28. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect… what could a 14 year old be in a high-security prison for?
Me: “Do any of you think that the reason you’re here right now, what you’ve done, is too bad of a thing for Jesus to accept you?”
Group: “No, we know that He loves us no matter what, and that He forgives us for our sins.”
Knowing that in the group of 6 imprisoned individuals I was sitting with, there was only 1 who had asked Jesus into his heart, I posed this question:
“If you believe that nothing you could ever do could separate you from the love of Jesus, knowing that He died for your sins, what is the one thing that is holding you back from accepting Him as your savior?”
We’ll call him “Forgiven”: “When I was little, my parents didn’t want me. They were into drugs and I was placed with a family that adopted me. They were a Christian family, but they reminded me of an apple. On the outside, they looked pretty and perfect, no bruises or imperfections. On the inside though, it was terrible. It was bruised and ugly and tasted bad. That was the picture of Christians that I have been given. It was all about money, and it destroyed everything I knew. It was like they had a mask on, to cover up what was on the inside, and if that’s what being a Christian is, then I don’t want it, it scares me.”
This child of God, who is loved and cherished, knows that Jesus loves Him and that He is seeking after his heart. He knows that He died for his sins.
The ONE thing that is keeping “Forgiven” from accepting Jesus is the image of Christians that has been displayed to him.
Christians, Church, people who say you follow Jesus, do you hear what I’m saying?
Do you realize how important your actions as believers are?
Me: “Forgiven, what do you need to happen in order for your perspective to change?”
Forgiven: “I get out of here in 5 months. I need someone to come to me and take me to church with them.”
An invitation, how easy is that?!
I challenge you to think about what you display… Do you display corruption in the Body? Or, do you lead a life that displays Jesus and makes people look at you and say, “I want whatever it is that they have!”
I challenge you to invite a non-believer to church; your invitation could be the only thing that they are waiting on, and the only thing keeping them from receiving Christ Jesus.
If changing your actions as believers would lead one soul to Christ, it would be worth it.
“Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess”—Deuteronomy 5:33
