Personal Evangelism
If you are in Christ and know the forgiveness of sins, it’s because at some point someone told you about the truth of the Gospel. Praise the Lord they did and that you know the hope of eternal life! Someone took the time to tell you about the bad news of sin and its consequence of eternal judgment, and the good news of salvation in Christ alone. This person had the courage to warn you of sin, and plead with you to repent from sin and put your trust in Christ. This person was probably someone we knew or who cared about us.
Each one of us who know this hope is a witness to Christ’s work in us! The hope of glory! But as a witness, sharing our testimony, telling the truth of the good news, or explicitly pleading with someone you know to repent and believe can be very hard; even fearful. Seeing a neighbor’s house catch on fire also involves a lot of fear, but should not keep us from letting the neighbor know there is a problem and they need to escape and they may need a firefighter to rescue them. Instead of being fearful, remember the grace that is sufficient in times of weakness and the power of Christ in us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)!
Remember, our task is not to save each person, “win souls,” lead them to make a decision for Christ, or still worse, “accept Jesus.” Our task is to be faithful in declaring the whole counsel of God so that the Holy Spirit might pull back the scales from their blind eyes (Acts 9:18), turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19). This means telling them of their sin, the just punishment before a holy God, the sacrificial substitution Jesus made for sinners who put their trust in him and repent, and telling them of their need for mercy.
Motivations for telling others about the only way of salvation:
- Fear of God and fear of their eternal destiny.
- Faith that God is in control and has the power of salvation to those who believe.
- Fortitude or confidence in Christ established as we joyfully talk about our Savior- Faith comes by hearing.
- Fun of sharing what is most important to you!
- Fake gospel being proclaimed by others- (works salvation, add Jesus to your life, health/wealth/prosperity, live however you want).
- Fuel a revolution of Christians who represent Christ boldly to over 7000 unreached people groups (3 billion).
-Kurt Bekins, Pastor of Family Ministries and Outreach
Resources on Personal Evangelism:
- Way of the Master– See excellent videos and examples of street evangelism and resources for learning how to make disciples of Christ. Beginner and Intermediate Video Training Course available in our library.
- Personal Evangelism 101– A selection from The Gospel According to Jesus.
- Always being prepared to… what?– The greatest hope you have is in Christ.
Other Helpful Resources:
- I can do all things through Christ– A closer look at a common phrase!
- Is America Post-Christian?- Collectively, is our nation on a moral decline or are we sinners in need of the Gospel?
- 5 Things Every Christian Should be Doing with God’s Word– “it is better than thousands of gold and silver pieces”.