Have you heard the good news? There is something better to this life than what you are currently experiencing – not necessarily easier, but definitely better. And the best part is that what I have to tell you is not only for this life, but also about the life to come!
In our culture, conversations about the biblical gospel could possibly begin in such a way. Such a conversation would be awkward with a stranger, and maybe only slightly more natural with a friend. Regardless, it will lead to way more dialogue than the following statement:
Did you know that you are a sinner, and are destined for hell? However, God, because of His great love for you, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sins, and rise again from the dead. If you will just believe in Jesus for eternal life, you can go to heaven and be with God forever when you die.
If you have ever tried to “evangelize” with such a line, you know how (in)effective it is! And yet, the vast majority of Christians today seemt to think that evangelism us best accomplished with option number 2.
Here is a nice rule to remember when trying to engage people in discussions about spiritual matters: Your immediate goal is not to win a conversion, but to win another conversation. (I read that somewhere, and cannot remember where.) Of the two options above, which one is most likely to win another conversation?
Only pick the second one if your idea of a conversation is someone saying “F*** you!” as they walk away. Sadly, many Christians are fine with such a response, because, as I shared in my last post, they believe that as long as they “share the gospel” the “blood of that person is on their own head.” In my view, this reveals a very poor understanding of the gospel. Of course, I am not even sure that the first option above is a good beginning point either. While the first option is more likely to result in dialogue, if you start off with such a statement, it reveals a misunderstanding of the nature of evangelism.
To truly engage people in discussions about Jesus and the gospel, a few things are necessary. Many believe that a relationship or friendship with the person is necessary, but I disagree. While a relationship is incredibly helpful, it is not required. Instead, at the most basic level, two things are required: First, an understanding of what the biblical gospel is, and second, a good grasp of how to share this gospel with others (aka “evangelism”).
I will briefly discuss both over the next couple of posts.
I have a problem with both approaches. The second one is obviously a little too over the top to begin a conversation-but it is true. The first one is problematic in that a couple of questionable aspects in my mind come to light: 1st off accepting Christ’s gift of eternal life is not an experience-though it can and should lead to better experiences. It (eternal life) is being persuaded of the truth of Christ’s person and promise. 2nd:It is the easiest thing in the world (salvation-not easy to believe, but once believed the easiest thing because its all a gift)-now the Christian life of dsicipleship is not easy- but that isn’t the equivalent of eternal life. I know the age we live in is VERY feeling oriented and lord knows there is nothing wrong with feelings, but truth be known substance will always have to be presented despite the feelings that may accompany such truth. My approach is to engage someone in friendship (if I have the time) and let them know what God did for me. If it is only a short contact I can still try to find some common ground and reveal what God did for me. I find that people like to hear more “I” statements than “you” statements ie: “I was given eternal life because I am a sinner and His gift was presented to me” vs. “You can be given eternal life because you are a sinner and His gift is present for you to accept”. Eventually of course I would offer them the gospel, but first I want to let them know what I believe and what I accepted myself. I certainly don’t claim to have the answer to evangelism, and I have tried all the approaches mentioned, but my observation of people is that they really have a hard time distinguishing working their way to God and being given a gift. I know how happy and enthused I am when I receive a gift and I want to present the gospel in a manner that emphasizes the gift God has given me and the absolute freedom of it. The other day I witnessed to a guy at my job (he is homosexual and really hasn’t been presented with the gospel) I stated the freeness of it and he said “Well then I guess I could just go and sin as much as I want and at the end believe”- I said “Well, you could, but you may not get the chance because your death may not be as slow or as predictable as you assume”. I also said “Yes, you could still sin freely- thats how free it is, but I don’t think you would want to and because you would have a new Father- you might be pretty appreciative and He would probably lead you away from that desire”. I shared some of my own journey with how God deals with me when I become wayward. He said he hadn’t heard it all presented that way. Anyway that’s some of my view-just my view. Sorry its so long winded, but this is such an important subject. Thanks for presenting it.
Mark,
Thanks for the great comment. I agree with you. As I kind of indicated in my post, I am not thrilled with either statement, and think both reveal a misunderstanding of the gospel and of evangelism. I’ll show why later.
Thanks for weighing in!
Thanks Jeremy. I will be looking forward to it. Thanks for bringing such good stuff here, it helps me think and act better and more biblically.