Adam, Where Are You?
The purpose of God’s question in the Garden of Eden was not to home in on Adam’s location, but to help him reflect on his spiritual condition. Our commission to make disciples necessarily involves an assessment of where people are spiritually, in order that we might lead them to Christ for salvation and then lead them on in following Him as a disciple.
Every human being fits into one of two categories – saved or lost. Each person God brings across our path is either “Spiritual” (biblical definition important), or “Natural” (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). God wants these “Natural” men to “come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). He wants them to understand who Jesus is and what He has done. He wants them to repent and believe in Christ.
For that to happen, God’s plan is to use His servants as His instruments. This is our assignment: meeting people, loving people, sharing this message with them and pointing them to Christ. If we would be partners with God in this task, we must pay attention to the spiritual condition of the people we encounter.
A man’s spiritual condition has to do with his heart. We are not talking about determining his age, describing his physical characteristics, discerning his temperament or defining his educational level and mental capacity. A man’s spiritual standing depends on his heart condition. Scripture teaches us that it is the heart that receives the Word (Luke 8:15), it is with the heart that a man must believe in Christ (Romans 10:10), and it is in the heart where he decides to reject or obey the truth (Romans 6:17).
Unfortunately, the heart cannot readily be seen. When we need to diagnose a mechanical problem in an automobile, we can often plug in the scanner and get a read on what is going on under the hood. With people it is not that simple. The things of the heart are hidden (1 Corinthians 4:5). The heart is deceitful, so a person may not even be aware of the thoughts or beliefs in his own heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Perhaps he has never given a thought to his heart condition.
God, however, perfectly knows what is in a man’s heart (2 Chronicles 6:30; Psalm 7:9; 44:21; Jeremiah 12:3; 20:12), and it is there that He is at work. As we talk with people, we can be sure the Holy Spirit will be convicting them (John 16:8): and as we give out the Word, we know it will penetrate their heart (Hebrews 4:12). Still, it will help us to better wield the Spirit’s Sword if we have some sense of what is in a person’s heart.
Since words proceed from the heart (Matthew 12:34-35), we can learn something of what is a man’s heart by listening. Jesus was a master at assessing where people were in their spiritual understanding so that He could build a bridge to the spiritual truth they needed (we might do well to study his evangelistic approaches). What does this person understand in his mind? What does he believe in his heart? In what does he trust? By asking questions we can ascertain where someone is spiritually.
But remember, the important part is not asking the questions, but listening to the answers. We must learn to be good listeners. Have you ever had someone ask you a question and then cut you off before you finished your answer because he had other things HE wanted to say? Not only is doing this rude, but it will also hinder our opportunity to share the truth of Jesus Christ. People will be more willing to hear us (care about what we know), when they sense that we are listening to them (know that we care). More than just hearing the words, listening involves seeking to understand what the person meant by those words. This is especially important when talking with people from a different cultural or religious background.
In most cases, we will have to earn the privilege of talking with people about matters of the heart. Knocking on their door and announcing that you are a pastor will probably not do it. Generally, it will be necessary to invest in building relationships so that people are willing to talk about what’s in their heart. This will mean an investment of time and a willingness to give of ourselves.
As in the case of Adam, asking questions also serves to give people something to consider. The combining of a truth from Scripture with a question for someone to ponder, then, becomes a very effective method of evangelism. Using the Scripture is key, because it alone can penetrate the heart (Hebrews 4:12) and then work there to produce new life (1 Peter 1:23).
If we would be effective evangelists and church planters, we must sharpen our skills in spiritual assessment.