I react negatively to high-pressure sales people, whether it be in a clothing store, on a car lot, or over the phone. Nonbelievers may react in a similar way to Christians who try to pressure them into making a decision to trust Jesus as Savior.

Our Lord showed us a better way. He patiently taught truth, plainly declared the dire consequences of deliberate unbelief, and tenderly invited the lost to come to Him for salvation. He never manipulated or coerced.

The scribe who came to Jesus with a sincere question was delighted with the Lord's answer (Mk. 12:28-34). He also greatly admired Jesus, unlike most of his colleagues. All that remained for him to do was to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and place his trust in Him. The Lord encouraged him by saying, "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (v.34). We don't know if the scribe ever took that step of faith in Jesus, but enough had been said, and the decision was the scribe's to make.

We can learn from Jesus' example. Our role is to speak the truth lovingly so that people can clearly see what they need to do to be saved. God's Spirit does the rest by moving a person to trust Christ. We can't make people believe, but we can make sure they hear about Jesus.  — Herbert Vander Lugt