A Serious Matter

I saw a Facebook status some time ago which said 'how much must you hate someone to not share the Gospel with them?' The Holy Spirit used this to make me think much deeper about evangelism and to search the scriptures for help in it. After having meditated on it for some time I have become ashamed of the number of people for whom I have displayed hatred - all the people with whom I could easily have shared the Gospel, but I didn't due to my being ashamed of my Father of Heaven. Now I say no more tomfoolery in evangelism, this is a serious matter!

We often get excited at the thought that when we evangelize we might be used by God to bring people to salvation. Truly, this is a glorious thing to be excited about. But consider this, perhaps when we fail to evangelize someone God uses our lack of 'Gospel action' to condemn them to an eternity of suffering. God uses means for many things. I say again, this is a serious matter.

"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" (Romans 10:13-14)

The fact is that no one who does not hear about what Christ has done for sinners will call upon the Lord and ask Him for salvation. The responsibility is ours as 'God's fellow workers' (1 Corinthians 3:9). Jesus Christ himself commanded those He taught to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20). We are commanded to share the good news of Christ's death, resurrection and ascension to 'all nations'.

"...Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Indeed we should speak the same way of ourselves if we do not spread God's Word. Let us "endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of  the Gospel of Christ." (1 Corinthians 9:12) May we not be obstacles.

In order to be moved to do this we must greatly appreciate, no, adore the Gospel story and what it has done for us and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We evangelize to all kinds of people all for the sake of the Gospel because of the most wonderful blessings we already share in (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). If we truly care for Christ and what He has done for us then surely we would love to see more and more people loving and adoring Him with us - having the same joy and peace as we. Before continuing in this text, let us stop and ponder again the amazing gift of salvation we have received because of this very Gospel.

How can we now keep this silent? How can we still be ashamed? Friends, we do not have to have eloquent speech or clever words to share the Gospel. We dare not boast in ourselves as we share Christ's works (1 Corinthians 1:17). It is Christ's power that saves not our measly words and yet He chooses to use our words! Perhaps we are shy to evangelize because we believe the Gospel's power can be limited to how well we can present it. We must repent of this at once! But still we must strive to be well prepared:

"...but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15)

Perhaps we do not share God's Word because we are afraid of ridicule. Live for Christ and share your hope in Him with respect even to slanderers and they will be put to shame (1 Peter 3:13-17). There is no reason to keep silent about God's Word.

Therefore, let us boldly demonstrate God's love through evangelism rather than cowardly demonstrating our own sinful hate for those around us through inaction. And let us be ever in the Gospel ourselves so that we may never lose our love for it. We might just find that sharing the Gospel with others preaches peace and love to our own souls as well. This is the power of Christ through His Gospel. Let us say with Paul:

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)