Gospel Tracts

Over this past Independence Day holiday (July 4th), I had a chance to travel to Millers Creek, North Carolina to visit my son, Alexander, at the Christian summer camp he is working at, called Uplands Reach Conference Center. While driving around, I scanned the radio looking for Christian programming, and came across a broadcast of "Turning Point", with Dr. David Jeremiah.

Dr. Jeremiah is a highly respected and well known by many Christians. He was speaking on being a witness for Jesus Christ, and during his broadcast he made a remarkable statement. I will not try to quote him, but it was something along the lines of this: "Being a witness for Jesus Christ doesn't mean we run out and button-hole the first person we find, and cram a gospel tract down their throat." I believe he was trying to emphasize living a life that reflects the reality of Jesus Christ in our lives, maybe even similar to what I posted earlier this week "That All Men May Know...."

Do you know what a "straw man" is? In debate, a straw man is a logical fallacy, an argument in which you misrepresent your opponents position, which is then is as easily knocked down as you

would a straw man, appearing to have won the argument. The illustration (left) is from Answers in Genesis (AIG), depicting how Evolutionists use straw man arguments when dealing with Creationists. It seemed to me that Dr. Jeremiah was taking the same line in his broadcast: misrepresenting what Christians are doing when using gospel tracts to reach the lost with the hope of the gospel.

I give out a lot of gospel tracts. I do so for many reasons: God is real; sin is real; Heaven and Hell are real; I love my neighbor, and without saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will bring swift, complete, eternal judgment and justice to bear on their eternal soul - Hell forever and ever and ever. God has given me the gift of eternal life, and I want to pass it on. I want to be busy about the Father's business. These are some of the reasons. I'm not doing it out of guilt, or to make me look good, or to earn God's favor.

But given that, I have never grabbed someone and crammed a tract down their throat, in their ear, or up their nose, for that matter. The way I see it, our job as disciples of Jesus, is to deliver the message, whenever we can, to whoever we can, however we can, as often as we can, in the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking the truth in love, as clearly as possible. If someone I offer a gospel tract is offended, I have already come to the conclusion that I will risk offending them in this life, that they might have eternal life in Christ.

So what do you think? Do you use gospel tracts to reach out to those around you? Or, maybe you feel that is outdated or antiquated, and not effective. I'd like to hear from others, especially from outside the United States.