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What Is Evangelism?

When we have come to believe the message at the heart of the Bible and be changed by it, we tell others the good news about Jesus out of love for them and love for Jesus. Discover why followers of Jesus are so eager to share the good news about Jesus, and the motivations behind their evangelism.

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Why Do I Want to Tell You About Jesus?

Why are Bible readers so adamant to tell others about Jesus? Yes, sometimes they can be obnoxious, or insensitive, or talk about him in a way that feels like they’re selling something. Sadly, sometimes they don’t even have the right motives.

But by the Bible’s own testimony, it’s genuine love that compels Christians to talk to non-Christian about Jesus.

Love? You say. Yes, followers of Jesus tell others about him because we have come to know and love God, and because we love and care about non-Christians so much that we are willing to risk our reputation and comfort to tell them the truth so that they also might experience the love of God.

Here are three reasons we evangelize, that will help you understand how evangelism is all about love.

First, we tell others about Jesus because Jesus is worth telling about.

In other words, evangelism is all about publicizing the love of God.

In the Bible, we discover that we are all in great danger—that we have rejected the God who created us and choose to live in rebellion against him. Thus, eternal judgment awaits our offenses against our eternal God (Romans 6:23).

In the Bible, we also discover the loving character of God, and repeatedly witness his reflex of mercy towards our sin. We read that God made a way for us to escape his just punishment at a cost to himself in the death of his own Son (John 3:16).

In the Bible, we discover that God offers to remove the punishment for our sin so that we can have a loving relationship with him once again (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13-14). Part of that relationship includes God working in us a new heart that can know, love, delight in, and follow him (Ezekiel 36:26). Having a relationship with God through Jesus also includes the hope of spending eternity with him (John 14:2-3).

The Bible tells us that there is a God in heaven who not only is love but has proved his love to us in time and history through the life, death, and resurrection of his son Jesus, who went to the cross not out of compulsion, but out of joy at the thought of redeeming us (Hebrews 12:2)! Romans 5:8 says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV).

We tell others about Jesus because we have discovered in the Bible the exciting news that God is love, has shown his love to the world, and invited us to enter into a loving relationship with him (1 John 4:8).

We also tell others about Jesus because we have come to love Jesus.

In response to God’s love, we love him (1 John 4:19). Jesus tells us that our love for him will compel us to trust his Word and keep his commands (John 14:15). Before Jesus left earth, he commanded all of his followers to call other people to follow him. That means they must forsake their sin and believe in Jesus’ sacrifice for them, identify with him, and know God through a lifelong relationship with him (Matthew 28:18-20).

Christians want to obey Jesus, and so we publicize the goodness and grace he has shown to humanity. This isn’t a burdensome task, or a Christian to-do list item. The more you know Jesus, the more you love him and want others to know him too.

Jesus tells us to tell people about his life, death, and resurrection—that they can be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God (1 Corinthians 15:3). He tells us that God has chosen to actually change people when they hear the message about Jesus (Romans 1:16). And he’s invited us to participate in saving souls out of judgment into eternal life (Jude 1:23).

Finally, we tell others about Jesus because we love the lost.

Part of this wonderful news about Jesus includes some scary news we often find offensive. God demonstrated his love radically because we needed serious rescue. This life is not the conclusion of reality. God will judge the world—every person—before we enter an eternal existence (Acts 17:31; Romans 2:16). This is also part of the Bible’s message.

Having believed God’s love for us shown in Christ, and learned to trust Jesus, we take him at his Word that every person needs salvation from their sin, or else they will suffer eternal consequences (Romans 6:23).

To think that those who don’t know Jesus will suffer his wrath for all eternity makes us shudder, and even weep. Because we are deeply convinced that God is serious about his coming wrath, we warn others, no matter how uncomfortable we may be. We tell others about Jesus because we love them, wanting what’s best for them now and in eternity.

Anything God asks us to do falls under one of two categories, which help us understand his will for our lives—loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:35-39). This is true of evangelism—or spreading the good news. We do it out of love for God and love for others, because we believe that through proclaiming the gospel message, people will come to experience the love of God.

by Bibles.net

OPEN YOUR BIBLE

Evangelism Is Telling Your Friends How to Be Forgiven

“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses."
(Acts 13:38-39 NIV)

Read Acts 13

Evangelism Is Sharing Good News of Great Joy

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
(Luke 2:10-11 NIV)

Read Luke 2

Evangelism Is Initiated by God

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
(Acts 8:26-28 ESV)

Read Acts 8

Evangelism Can Happen at Home

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
(2 Timothy 1:5 ESV)

Read 2 Timothy

Evangelism Is Obedience to Jesus

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Learn More

Evangelism Includes Telling Those Closest to You What Jesus Has Done for You

And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
(Mark 5:19-20 ESV)

Read Mark 5

Theme Verse

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.