5 Tips to Equip You – Yes You! – for Evangelism
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Evangelism, though a particular gift from the Holy Spirit in which some people particularly thrive, is a mission tasked to all believers as we walk out our lives within the love of Christ Jesus. We are called to love one another and share the good news of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Though all of us will not have pastoral careers or specific assignments in the field of ministry, we are all called to evangelize the Gospel, and here is what that means in our everyday lives.
Jesus is the Living Word of God. No one comes to the Father except through Him, and He is the Word of God! John chose to begin his Gospel account emphasizing who Jesus is. Whether we enjoy reading or not, it’s crucial to our lives as believers to talk to God, and also listen to His end of the conversation, which He mainly communicates through His Word – the Bible – through Christ!
Walking out into the world to evangelize without spending time in Scripture daily is like walking out into a rainstorm without a jacket, boots, or umbrella. It would be like jumping into the deep end without a raft or the ability to swim. It is the power of the Holy Spirit in us Who strengthens us for the work we are called and purposed to do.
Once we have established a disciplined prayer life and set aside time daily to read God’s Word and listen to His response, we must obey Him. The Lord is purposeful. When we ask Him for confirmation on what He would like us to do next in our lives, He is faithful to give us the confidence we need to know the directives are coming from Him. When we have prayed for a door to open and it does, we can confidently walk through it, knowing God will equip us on the way to do the work He has called us to do, and evangelize to the people He has placed in our lives.
Paul spoke a lot about what it means to truly love one another, as Jesus commanded. He followed the example set before Him by Christ, and was touched when the people he evangelized to followed his lead to Jesus. True love requires us to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and the example He walked out for us on this earth.
“The distinction between witnessing and evangelism is important because it is easy to think we are evangelizing when all we are doing is bearing witness to the Savior,” Ligonier Ministries explains. “No one is converted by our kindness or honesty; they are brought into the kingdom of heaven only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:25-34).” Evangelism walks hand in hand with the way we love each other as Jesus commanded.
To evangelize to anyone, we have to be willing to be friends with everyone. Jesus called us to love one another, and much of the work of love is done inside of friendships. People are complicated and flawed, and thus so are our friendships. But, when we learn to love each other, fight for each other, forgive each other, and hold each other accountable, the message which comes out of our mouths as we evangelize falls on fertile ground. Friendship, connections with the other people God has placed in our lives and the ones we obediently seek out in all corners of the world, is the ripe ground for evangelism.
Evangelism is different than sharing our testimony. It’s an obedient act to go and tell of the Gospel truth. When it’s hard. When it’s uncomfortable and inconvenient. To the people we love, and the people we can’t stand and don’t understand.
“Because it is God’s mission for which he has delayed the end of the world, it obeys the ‘great commission’ of Jesus to make disciples of all nations,” TGC explains, “and it is the means by which the Holy Spirit draws all who are chosen for salvation from the horrors of hell into the happiness of heaven, to the glory of God forever.” Let us go and share the Gospel to those who need to hear of the hope we have in Jesus. Hope available to them. Available to all.
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