by Nick Kerr
It started as an average day of deer hunting. I parked my car at an old friend’s house. He and his son, Junior, joined the hunt that day. When that day ended I had to drive my four wheeler past Junior’s deer stand. He stopped me and said that he had shot a deer and asked if I could help him take care of it because his carpal tunnel was very painful. He said he couldn’t even clap his hands in church. The light went on—this was an opening for the Gospel! While helping Junior with the deer, I asked him what church he went to. He said he had gone for years to a megachurch near Minneapolis. His job at the church was to set up large screens in different buildings so the overflow crowd could watch the service. He told me of the many services and programs that the church had; but he never men-tioned Jesus. I wondered, “Was he just religious?”
I then told Junior about the surveys that our church does and asked if he would be interested in taking one. He said yes. Later we went into the house, and while taking the Gospel survey Junior said he was only 80-percent sure of going to Heaven. I asked him why he only had an 80-percent chance of making it to Heaven and he said, “There are some sins I have to take care of.” I said, “Let’s look at the John 3:16 diagram to see who took care of your sin problem.” I read John 3:16 to Junior and began to explain it to him. I told him that God is holy and without sin (Ps. 99:9). I explained next that God gave mankind the 10 Commandments, not to get to Heaven but to show us how we compare to a per-fect, holy God, as Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Junior knew he had broken some of the Command-ments and that he was a sinner, and he understood that God could not allow sinful man into His holy Heaven. I read to him Romans 6:23, which says, “The wages of sin is death,” explaining that death is eternal separation from God in Hell! Junior now realized that he was lost as an ungodly sinner, hopeless, helpless, and hellbound since there was nothing he could do to remove his own sins.
“Junior, so far this has all been bad news. But the Good News is coming next!” I pointed him to the love of God: “For God so loved Junior that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to come down to earth to die on the cross to pay for all Junior’s sins—past, pre-sent, and future—and then to rise from the dead.” Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Your sin penalty was paid in full! “Junior, does this sound like Jesus died for only 80 percent of your sins or 100 percent?”
Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” “Christ died as your substitute, Junior, because you could never take away your own sins!” Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves [not Junior’s 20 percent]; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” I explained to Junior that grace means God will give you something you do not deserve—the free gift of eternal life! “Junior, if Christ paid for all sin, what is left for you to pay? Nothing!” Junior’s eyes were now opened! He saw that Christ had paid it all and there was nothing for him to do except receive eternal life as God’s gift to him by believing in Christ alone. Looking again at John 3:16, I explained that if Junior “believes in Him” (by putting his trust in Christ and His work 100 percent and 0 percent his own work), then God’s promise is that “you should not perish but have everlasting life.” I told Junior he could know right now he had eternal life, as 1 John 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” Junior said, “I see and believe and know 100 percent that I’m going to Heaven, not because of what I’ve done, but what Christ did for me. I am so thankful you showed me this clear Gospel diagram! I’ve never heard this message before!” At the end of the day, lost, religious deer hunter was found! ■
Nick Kerr is a believer in Jesus Christ who attends Duluth Bible Church.