Cliffe Knechtle has been dialoguing with university students for over 20 years. The focus of his conversations? Jesus! Knowing Cliffe's expertise and effectiveness one would think he's a walking one-man evangelistic band. Read what he says and you will quickly change your mind.
A person’s coming to Christ is like a chain with many links. There is the first link, middle links, and a last link. There are many influences and conversations that precede a person’s decision to covert to Christ. I know the joy of being the first link at times, a middle link usually, and occasionally the last link. God has not called me to only be the last link. He has called me to be faithful and to love all people. Cliffe Knechtle, Give Me an Answer, p. 164.
I appreciate Cliffe's words. Too often when it comes to sharing the gospel, I think I am the link! I get the mistaken notion that everything rests on me. It doesn't! God does the saving -- and he uses lots of people to get his work done.
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 ESV
God does the saving. John makes that quite clear (John 6:44). It brings me great relief and great joy to know that he is using a chain of many links to draw people to himself. I get to be a part of that chain and so do you. Sometimes I am the first link, many times the middle, and occasionally the last. So today I'm going to heed Cliffe's words to be faithful and love all people.
FOCAL POINT: String three paper clips together and put it where you can see it as a reminder to be a faithful link in God's chain today.