I try to sell God.

Often, there rises within me a sort of force that tries to grab people and tell them all the effects of this drug that I use prolifically called God. First I try to tell them it's great, and free, shortly adding, "well there is a cost (side-effects)". Next is the procession where I tell them God gives me "happiness", soon retracting my statement trying to articulate the actual feelings, but there are too many for them to understand anything of what I am saying. Stumbling on in my sales pitch the thought emerges, "well it's not really about feelings or the cost it's about God"

Imagine a man who is dedicated to truth, and not feelings, perspectives or popularity. This man is a Christian. Countless Christians have been branded as simply offensive. Anyone who claims to have truth that is applicable to more than one person is branded as an arrogant, ignorant, intolerant fool.

Bearing in mind that the truth is exclusive, Jesus made quite a reasonable claim. Truth cannot be everything, for everything is also nothing. "Everyone is good, except the ones who kill people" well there's already a stipulation that brings an exclusive look into the word good. If the truth is nothing then I cannot expect an explanation for anything. If there is not anything that follows any sort of rule or organizational structure what am I hoping to achieve by attending college? By definition truth is exclusive. When I look at a bottle it cannot also be a car. One of these descriptions of the object is true...not both.

To be a Christian a person must proclaim a belief in truth. That truth is Jesus Christ. Elaboration reveals him to be Lord and Savior of this person.

Much of the world is shrouded in misconception. Taking part of truth and just bending it ever so slightly.

The savior position dictates that the person was helpless and needed the help of someone to save them, which so many normal people deny (whether they are proclaiming to be a Christian or not). My mind then begs those Christians, "Why do you need a savior if you don't need saved from anything, and want to retain your personality as it is?" In my life asking for forgiveness and thanking God for his saving power is typical, and a major part of repentance. This practice may not be instituted everyday, but it happens enough to be of note. Observation of more mature Christians has shown that this practice only heightens, as they grow with God and understand more fully the sins that are committed regularly.

Lord is the other position Jesus should take in the Christian's life. Jesus as Lord holds sentimental value, because for whatever reason I overlooked this part of the relationship between me and God when I was young. Understanding Savior, but overlooking Lord led me to leave my faith at a young age.

Lord leaves a bad taste in the mouth of a 20th-21st century person. This word conjures up images of kings, aristocrats and men in armor mistreating their subjects who own little more than mud huts if anything at all. Not the most accurate depiction of God, though we do need to listen to him and follow through with obedience. Mainly that is the reason that most fall away from faith. Accepting the fact that you were saved by someone is good, but it does nothing for your immediate condition. Servants understanding that their master has saved them is not necessary outside the fact that it reveals the character of the savior. However, if they know he has saved them it should equate with the honor they show him, but without listening to their master how can they expect to reap the rewards of their master's promises of things yet to come?

For myself I found it infuriating that I never "felt" God or had anything to show for believing in his "saviorism", and this empty relationship left me when I was truly willing in my heart to submit to his authority. What master commands a servant to do something they know the servant won't do? or better yet what master gives a command to someone that hasn't even submitted to being a servant? It is in the greatness of God we find this Love that he does not force us to follow him. Even to Saul he gave no command, but simply inquired "why are you persecuting me?"

Unveiling of Truth is a vital aspect of Christ as Lord. In submission to Jesus Christ/God there begins an understanding that accompanies that individual. Jesus said a good many things, and lived a good many things. From his lifestyle and his words we may derive that the Bible is the word of God and therefore a handbook for Christians, and a truth we may believe in.

Hebrews 4:12 elaborates
"12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." NIV

This verse doesn't sound like it's describing a book, or for that matter a person.
Because the Bible is not just a book, and Jesus was not just a person.

John 1 refers to Jesus as the word of God, and also links God's word with himself. It is amazing that anything God articulates with word is himself. He does not use words frivolously, furthermore each word is a revelation of himself.

Jesus asks his disciples to eat his body. Moses writes that man lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus is a word from the mouth of God, and here we find the answer to what we're selling.

Life

It's hard to describe to a dead person what Life is like. Any description of the living world to the dead goes over their heads, even the fact that the living may be trying to communicate with them. They were once alive, but have forgotten its grandness.

Impossible to search for a proper means to illustrate what we mean when we've "found the Light" we appeal to other things they do know.

God makes you Happy (sometimes, but it's usually more complex than that)
God will always be there for you, though you may not feel it.

Forsaking all that is sacred in a dialogue of desperate communication entitled "What God can do for you" shouldn't be the ideal way of ministry. It bears bad fruit, as does the whole salesman charade.

You're not a salesman. You're not selling a thing. (If you are selling God it holds that you have the power to sell, give or package him, which is not true) At best you get to introduce God. When I spoke frequently of my friend Chad and how great he was to all my other friends (especially Ashley) they wanted to become familiar with him. It's similar with God (Chad is not God) generally a person at least wants to be acquainted to with the person they are pledging themselves to.

Remember the end of the story. We marry God. It's an atrocity on our side to try to get people to accept a bride-groom that we're selling. Gambling's not my thing, but I'd wager that if anyone advertised a member of the opposite sex to be your husband/wife you'd call the cops, laugh in his face, be overally disgusted by the whole thing or all three.

God's a big boy. He lives in us. He can make himself known. All we have to do is listen and obey.

It's not the place of the servant to pledge people to the Lord, but merely to bring those people to the Lord.