Chapter Thirteen

 Personal Responsibility in Evangelism

             Christians, who live for the Lord Jesus Christ, must witness regarding their faith before a lost world.  For the believer there should be a sense of necessity as he realizes the greatness of his salvation, and all that God has done and will do for him.  The Lord Jesus made this truth crystal clear when speaking to the disciples (Cf. Matt. 10:32-33).  The Son of God expected Christians to confess Him before the world. As a consequence the Son of Man will then confess the believer before the Father.  The Gospel is for all men, great or small, good or bad, rich or poor, halt or strong, regardless of race (Cf.  Matt. 22:9,10). 

            Furthermore, evangelism should be worldwide in scope because the sacrifice of Christ was infinite in its provision.  The Apostle Paul indicated this as he wrote Timothy.  He wanted Timothy and all Christians to make intercession for "all men" (I Timothy 2:1).  It is significant that the apostles viewed Christ's atonement as unlimited in its scope. The need, therefore, for worldwide, evangelism is a necessity (Cf. I Timothy 2:3-6; Acts 17:30).  The Apostle Peter also affirms his belief that God desires all men to be saved, even though he knew that many would reject Christ (Cf. 2 Pet. 3:9).  The Apostle John also summarizes this same doctrine in John 1:7-9.  The Lord Jesus also taught conspicuously that He was and is the Savior of the world:  John 12:32,47; 3:16.

            It is certainly evident that evangelism is one key result of good doctrine.  Whether this evangelism was to individuals or large numbers, the sense was the same: that the world is lost, and   therefore, the world must hear the Gospel.   This study of evangelism will show that evangelism is: a mandate from God, a necessity to obedience, a proof of our love, and natural outgrowth of maturity.

 EVANGELISM AS A MANDATE FROM GOD

             There are many Christians who have never led one soul to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They have not experienced the joy of a friend coming to Christ, or neighbor believing the Gospel.  The very fundamentals of Christian growth dictate obedience to the commands and directives of the Bible.  Yet there are so many who have not placed themselves under the authority of the Scripture or followed biblical principles.  When Paul and Barnabas were in Cyprus they "preached the word of God" (Acts 13:5).  This was their command from the Captain of their salvation.  Go "into all the world and preach the Gospel" was the mandate to the apostles. Thousands came to the Lord, churches were established, and believers matured in faith. All of this was a direct result of the preaching of the Word of God.  We don't need anything "new" or contemporary, we need the powerful preaching of the Word of God.  The preaching of the Gospel is what the world needs!   The mandate to preach the Gospel is in all four Gospels, and the book of Acts.  Soul-winning is a command that we must obey for God's blessing in our lives (Cf. Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21;  Acts 1:8).  With commands this clear it is amazing how many have not followed this step of obedience.  We follow the Lord in so many areas, why not this important area?  One of the main reasons for the giving of the Holy Spirit  was to supply the needed power to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is no other way for the world to be saved from their sinful condition and have eternal life in Christ (Cf.  John 15:16).

 EVANGELISM IS A NECESSITY TO OBEDIENCE

            Obedience should characterize the Christian life, demonstrating to the unsaved world the truth and power of the Gospel.   Obedience to the commands and principles given by God should be obeyed because of our love and gratefulness for all that God has done.  It is with this compulsion which the Apostle Paul spoke to the Corinthian church. It was out of this necessity that Paul preached the Gospel (Cf.  I Cor. 9:16).   We must also witness for Christ out of love and compulsion.  We have a special calling to go and bring forth fruit.  As Paul's conscience would not permit his being lazy so we should be provoked by the Spirit of God to fulfill our godly commitment (Cf.  Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1).   What a tremendous desire and burden Paul had for the souls of men.  Each believer should have this kind of desire.  Our churches and our lives would be full of the joy of the Lord if we would begin winning men, women and children to Christ.

 EVANGELISM IS THE PROOF OF OUR LOVE

 It is one thing to say that you love someone, but it is quite another to demonstrate that love.  The Lord Jesus taught this principle in John 13:34.  If we love Him we would obey His commandments.  We have already seen that we have a mandate from God, and that it is necessary for us to be obedient.  The most logical way for us to demonstrate our love for Christ is to obey the great commission and be soul-winners.  It is our love for Christ that constrains us to reach the world with the Gospel (Cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15).   We need to prove the sincerity of our love, and we need to give of ourselves in sacrificial evangelism.  It is not impossible for the working man, in the church, to go soul-winning.  He can reach people where he works and in his neighborhood.  Live it!  Love them! Give them the Gospel!

 EVANGELISM IS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF MATURITY

             As a Christian grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, he senses the great work that was accomplished for him.  In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 the Apostle Paul shows that each Christian has the call of God to evangelize.  His new position in Christ and the knowledge that Christ died for him personally, energizes him to obedience.  God has changed us completely and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  The initial work of reconciliation has already been accomplished by the Jesus Christ. It was God who committed the "word of reconciliation" to His children.  God's Son has done the work and God's children have the responsibility.  We are to preach the truth of reconciliation as found in the Scriptures.  This commandment to preach is given to the church as a whole.  As we mature in the Lord we should work harder to bring the great truths of the Bible to the lost world around us.