While I agree how we live our lives is a testament, a witness, it cannot provide the content of the Gospel, which is what they need to hear, for the Spirit to bear witness. Granted the Gospel is foolishness to them who do not believe, but God has chosen the spoken word as His primary way of operating by the Spirit to remove hearts of stone, to do His work of regeneration bring light to darkness. The way we live our lives can never replace the work of the Spirit in hearts, minds, and souls, it is no substitute for the Gospel of Christ. I would apologize because I feel I have offended, but this is just the truth, forgive my lack of eloquence of speech.
No offence received and likewise my direct words are not to provoke offence.
Jesus spoke in parables for the revealed purpose that "seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand" (Mat 13 v13). This is from the immediate context of the parable of the sower (v1-9) where as the sower scattered seed "some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up" (v4) he later reveals the meaning of the path and the birds saying "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart" (v19).
Jesus implicitly calls the people who he is telling the parable to as people along the path, because the seed (the gospel) along the path (the harden hearts) are unable to understand the message, they comprehend the words but miss the point, and so "seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand" Thus he speaks in parables to them. We too should highly contextualize the gospel so that people can receive it. If someone doesn't want to talk about God (or only wants to argue about it) then the truth must hide in the words and actions we do use. Jesus himself tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves. How do you love yourself, by harping on a topic you don't want to hear? Love them how they will receive love and they will see the glory of God through those actions.
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