Discussion with an ordained Baptist Deacon?

Today we were back at the homeless shelter for our once-a-month service. The Lord blessed our time, and our prayer is that He received glory and honor as a result of the service and time there, and that men were challenged and encouraged in their walk with Christ Jesus.

After the service, and while the men were eating I happened to strike up a conversation with a man that was in our area as a result of Hurricane Katrina (he was originally from New Orleans). We talked a bit about his vocation (computers) and then I brought up his relationship with the Lord.

I found out very quickly that he claimed to be an ordained Baptist Deacon, and that he had been to Baptist Seminary. And yet, my heart went out to him as we talked about the Lord Jesus Christ.

I brought up the ten commandments, and when I asked if he had kept some of them, none of them, or all of them, he felt he had basically kept them all – or at least that was his goal. “So, would you consider yourself to be a good person”, I asked. “Definitely good, in fact, I’m awesome!” was the response.

He said that at a Baptist Convention (I wasn’t sure how much of this I was believing, but I didn’t want to debate minor details but rather focus on the major issues) they had discussed the commandments, and decided that the 9th commandment, “thou shalt not steal”, was the most important. I pointed out that God had put the most important one first, but that all of His commandments are important. He would have none of that, and kept explaining the importance of economics and stealing.

As we talked, it soon became very clear that he doesn’t believe the Word of God. He felt that God was logical, and, as such, we could use our logic – apart from God’s Word – to define Who God is. I agreed that God is logical, but said that He has revealed Himself to us in His Word. For example, God said that if we break His law, we are guilty and deserve hell. That’s very logical to me. Here is the law – and here is the consequence (that's the way human court systems also work). This man vehemently disagreed. He felt someone that had only committed 500 sins would be much more worthy of heaven than someone that had committed a million sins.

When I shared Romans 3:23 with him and showed him the verse (For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God), explaining that, in God’s eyes, 1 sin, 500, or 1,000,000 – it doesn’t matter – we have all fallen short of God – he once again vehemently disagreed and felt that was my opinion.

I tried very hard not to argue with him, and it soon became obvious that sharing with him was going nowhere – and that it was fruitless. I gave him a tract to read later on (titled “Are you a good person?”).

At one point I asked him if he was aware that the Jesus had specifically said that no one is good but God - his response was that Jesus didn’t say that (Matthew 19:17 And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God… Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Luke 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.) At that point, I said the conversation wasn’t of any benefit and that we obviously disagreed, because I believed God’s Word – word for word – and he had chosen not to.

I got up to end the conversation, and was surprised that he got up to continue the conversation with me. He had become very animated and fairly upset through it all.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will use the conversation that we had to get a hold of his heart.

My goal had been to share the truth in gentleness and love, and I trust his becoming upset was a sign that the Lord was working in his heart.