I share Jesus with others through personal proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 1:8
Every week we go to the University of Texas at Arlington campus to share the gospel with college students. I remember one day when we walked up, there was a man standing on a rock and holding a sign. The sign read, “Ask me why God says you’re going to hell!” As you might have guessed there was an angry mob of students around this guy shouting objections, hurling insults, and spewing all types of profanity. Even the cops were called to keep peace! All the while this man kept preaching the gospel and shouting above the crowd’s objections. The Bible does say that we must have faith in Christ for our salvation, and anyone who does not believe will spend an eternity apart from God. So, the message was correct, but his method was driving a wedge between him and his audience.
We often focus on the verses and the methods for sharing the gospel, but we often forget to prepare the path for the gospel to be heard. It has become a guiding principle for me to remember that Christ came full of grace and truth. Both of these are important and should be held in balance. We tend to favor one or the other. Sometimes we are very gracious and so much so that we compromise on the truth of God. Other times, we hammer away at the truth and forget to be gracious to those who need that truth. Jesus figured out the balance and he was full of grace and truth. The result was a compelling and refreshing life that continues to inspire believers and non-believers.
The truth of the gospel is found all throughout the Bible. Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 10:9 explains how to receive that gift: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” These statements sum the gospel up well.
The greatness and free availability of God’s gift, along with the eternal consequences of not receiving it, should compel us to share the gospel with anyone we can. We have the hope the world needs, and without Christ, they have no way of getting it. With him, they have hope not only for eternity but also for today. And he’s given us the privilege and responsibility to introduce them to him (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Therefore, the truth of the gospel needs to be firmly within our grasp. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with two or three methods for sharing the gospel (and there are many to choose from), and to look for opportunities to bring it to bear in your conversations and interactions with others.
But just as firmly as we hold to the truth of the gospel, we need to be devoted to a gracious approach. More often than not, people will disagree with us when we share the gospel. I have often found myself in a debate that could have easily turned into a shouting match. Disagreement often can spin out of control, but a gracious answer dissipates even the quickest tempers.
God is ultimately the one who changes hearts. Neither our words nor our gracious actions can change someone, but God employs our words and our actions to draw the listener closer to him. The love that we show truly reflects the love of God, and people get a glimpse of what the Lord has to offer to all who believe.
When we display God’s love and hope in our lives, people may be curious about its source. First Peter 3:15 tells us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have,” but also reminds us to “do this with gentleness and respect.”
Being right rarely draws people to Christ, but showing God’s love does.
PRAYER
Dear Father, would you help me to communicate the truth of the gospel to anyone who crosses my path? Give me boldness to speak up, even when it’s unpopular to do so. Please help me see people as you see them and to show them your love. Help me to prepare the path for the gospel by living full of grace and truth. I pray you empower me to be your witness wherever you put me. Amen.