“‘And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.’ This He said, signifying by what death He would die.” (John 12:32-33). By His being lifted up upon the cross in His sacrificial death, Jesus would draw men to Himself.
Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). They had a part in bringing men to Christ. They and Jesus’ other apostles were commissioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:18). They were drawing people to Christ through the gospel. Do Christians have any part in drawing men to Christ? Of course they do! May I suggest three things to be mindful of.
First, men cannot be drawn to Christ except through the knowledge of the truth, and that involves the preaching and teaching of the gospel. God desires that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), and only the saved, the church of the living God, is going to teach and preach that truth, for no other people are called out as the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). So Christians have responsibility to teach when they have opportunity and support those who do likewise.
But secondly, if Christians are going to help draw men to Christ, they need to shine as lights in the world by being a harmless and blameless people (Philippians 2:15), having their conduct honorable (1 Peter 2:12) in holy living (1 Peter 1:15) in the world. Christians need to be examples of purity and distinctiveness which is according to the gospel, bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Just as the Gentiles are said to have blasphemed the name of God because of the Jews’ ungodly behavior (Romans 2:24), the name of Christ as well as His church will be spoken evil against if the people of God live like the world. And what would draw others to Christ if it appears Christ has made no difference in the thinking and speech and deeds of one claiming to be of Him?
Third, Christians should be a people who are grateful and joyous about their own salvation (Philippians 4:4-7). Murmuring and complaining are marks of ingratitude, and they must be put off in order to shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14-15). Nobody’s attracted by murmurers and ingrates.
Christians have a responsibility to bring others to Christ. While we know that requires sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is also imperative that we live holy and distinct lives filled with thanksgiving and joy, adorning the doctrine of Christ in all things.
-Larry Jones