The Power of Word Pictures

Jesus employed analogies to describe salvation: born again, bread of life, justification.  These metaphors are inspired, because Jesus used them in his own salvation preaching.  The analogies remain with us today showing how these word pictures still communicate.  We can make use of these scriptural analogies while evangelizing.  These analogies can become background for scripting conversations with our hearers.  Jesus was very keen on this method of communication.  For example, he used Bread, a staple of sustenance, and living water, a necessity for survival. People could immediately understand how important these items were in their everyday life.  Jesus used these metaphors to teach spiritual lessons. 

We can also find our own cultural analogies for engaging people in spiritual conversations.  For example, movies often portray themes of forgiveness and sacrifice. Popular songs speak of desire for commitment and true love. Movies and music are ordinary activities in which virtually everyone participates.  In both the Old and New Testaments God uses ordinary objects to communicate extraordinary truth. God employs the same principles today to communicate His truth to individuals.  He uses signs, symbols and stories from everyday life.

Contributed by Dr. Lyle Pointer

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