I was recently on an airplane sitting next to a lawyer who specialized in "toxic tort" cases. That means he sues large chemical corporations who've hurt everyday people by neglecting to take proper safety precautions, often winning settlements of millions of dollars for his clients. He was a very sharp-minded and eloquent orator who also happened to be a Christian.
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We got to talking about sharing the gospel and he mentioned how he had recently taught his Sunday school class a very important lesson. He told them, "When I'm speaking to the lost, I must remember that I am not selling them a 'fire insurance' policy, but a 'new life' policy." He made a good point. As Christians, we know there is new life in Christ, if a person genuinely repents and trusts in the Savior. But I immediately remembered the Scripture that instructs us to "save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 23) and the words of Jesus -- "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). So which is it? Do we tell sinners to "flee from the wrath to come" or to "come to Christ for a new and improved life"?
Several days earlier, I asked a friend what he thought would happen to him when he died. He believed he was going to heaven. He smoked, he cursed, and he partied, but said that between him and his identical twin brother, he was the "good twin." I liked his sense of humor. His life was going great -- he had a successful career, a healthy family, and lots of toys. He was funny, popular, and very comfortable in his own skin. Everybody liked him and he liked himself. Life was good.
I knew that if I simply offered this guy a "new life" policy, he likely would have turned it down -- because he was already living the good life. Instead, I did what Jesus did and stirred his curiosity about how God would deal with his sin on Judgment Day. I told him that "friends don't let friends go to hell." I then walked him through the Ten Commandments to help him see how he had sinned against God and desperately needed His forgiveness. When I sensed that he was feeling conviction, I shared the good news that Jesus came to save him from sin and its consequences. He could then see the incredible love God had shown him in sending Jesus to die for him on the cross.
Source: Way of the Master Ministries
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