Influencing With Good News
We are all involved in the work of influence.
Some of us make our living by selling things. Some of us are even selling information. Others influence people by sharing information. That includes good and evil – good news and gossip.
Whether we are trying to change someone’s mind or simply inform them so that they can decide for themselves, we are all happy when we can share good news. It is very good news (“gospel”) that Jesus died for our sins so that we don’t have to die forever. That is salvation good news.
It is also good news that He has revealed Himself in the earth as a King over all beings and places. It is astonishingly good news that we can have a family relationship with Him – related to Him by being family members means that we are part of the ruling Family in the entire universe! He is interested in our lives. He cares about our feelings; about our health; about all that touches us!
Every subject that can be raised in conversation around us is an opportunity to share something about the good news that affects all of our lives. If you are too shy to bring it up, pray for courage. If you have difficulty thinking of what should be said, pray for words. If you are not seeing opportunities, pray for them. Pray for people to be influenced by the wondersful good news that saturates our lives.
Knowing, then, the fear of the Lord, we persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance rather than in the heart. For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: if One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.
From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him like that. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Holman Christian Standard Bible ®©)