The Smell of Smoke

Heart Prep

Pray and ask God for guidance as you talk with a friend or another person that you know needs Christ. If you can’t think of anyone, ask Him to bring someone to your mind. Ask Him to give you wisdom to know what to do and what to say. Pray that He will give you the strength to be strong in Him, and to be a good example to your friend(s).

Jude 1: 22-23 “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”

We all have friends who are unbelievers, friends who don’t have a dash of Jesus in them and whose lives are leading them to hell. You can tell which ones they are by looking at the way they live. Our job as Christians is to snatch them out of the fire of hell. We need to have mercy on them, not judgment. But one problem we can have when we are around them a lot is that it may be tempting to become like them. They can rub off on us very easily.

It’s kind of like, if you’re around cigarette smoke long enough it won’t bother you anymore. At first, the smell gave you a terrible headache and it stunk. But over time, it doesn’t bother you anymore and you decide to try smoking. Now you enjoy the smell, you become desensitized and you don’t realize that you carry the stench with you everywhere you go. Sin is like that. If you stay around it too much you will become desensitized to it. You may decide to take part in it. And you may find that you enjoy it. But it will stick to you and be the “aroma” you carry around.  So when you’re snatching your friend out of the fire, be careful. Stand strong, in the armor of Christ, and don’t become polluted by sin. Don’t put on the garment polluted by the flesh. Hate that garment, but love the one who wears it. Present the Gospel of Salvation to that one, and if they accept Christ you will have snatched them out of the fire. They will be brought into a fresh, healthy life and be given garments of white. If they refuse Christ and don’t want to leave the path they are taking, continue praying for them.

Life Application

 Is God calling me to reach out to a friend in my life and share the Gospel with them?

What boundaries can I set for myself to ensure that I don’t get burned?

What are some temptations that I know I need to steer clear of when I’m with this friend?