To Evangelize or Not to Evangelize…
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist delivers a famous soliloquy in which he wrestles with the weighty questions of life and death, weighing the merits of each.
It’s not uncommon to hear similar poetic waxing among Christians who struggle with whether or not they should evangelize a friend or neighbor. “If I share about Jesus now, it might fundamentally alter our relationship. But if I don’t share now, I may not get another opportunity.” Does that sound familiar?
We want to be wise here. We know there is a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and we’ve been commissioned by Christ to preach the Gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). At the same time, we’ve been instructed to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We must speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), making the most of every opportunity and letting our speech be gracious (Colossians 4:5–6).
Our evangelistic methods should be thoughtful and discerning, but they should also be demonstrations of the Spirit’s power (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). When we walk in the Spirit and pray for His leading, we stop asking if we should evangelize and start asking when and how. Some of the most courageous evangelists in Scripture were specifically described as being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaimed the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, and about three thousand souls were added to the church (Acts 2:4, 14, 41).
Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the truth with such boldness that his hearers could not withstand the wisdom and Spirit by which he spoke. His faithfulness ultimately cost him his life (Acts 6:5, 10; 7:54–60).
Paul and Barnabas reasoned with the Jews in the synagogues, proclaiming the Word of God until opposition arose and they turned their attention to the Gentiles. Later, the Holy Spirit set them apart for the work to which God had called them (Acts 13:1–4, 44–47).
Philip was led by the Spirit to approach an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the prophet Isaiah. Beginning with that very passage, Philip preached Jesus to him, and the man believed and was baptized (Acts 8:26–39).
Apollos, an eloquent man who was mighty in the Scriptures, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus. He vigorously refuted his opponents in public, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:24–28).
All of this is to say that these were ordinary men like you and me. They weren’t perfect, but God used them in spite of their shortcomings. In fact, God often displays His power most clearly through human weakness, so that the glory belongs to Him rather than to us (2 Corinthians 4:7; 12:9–10).
Paul writes in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. In our flesh, we tend to shrink back from the task. That’s why we must pray for boldness and courage, just as the early church did (Acts 4:29–31; Ephesians 6:19–20). But when we rightly understand the good news ourselves, we begin to realize that we have nothing to be ashamed of. The Gospel is not a message of human wisdom or achievement. It is the good news of what God has done through Jesus Christ to save sinners.
Often, some of the most passionate evangelists are new believers. Consider the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. After her encounter with Him, she went into the town and told others about the Man who had told her everything she had ever done. Her testimony prompted many to come and see Jesus for themselves (John 4:28–30, 39–42). She didn’t have all the answers, but she knew the One who did.
When we evangelize out of love for God and love for the lost, we stop thinking so much about ourselves. We become less preoccupied with how we will be received by men and more concerned with being faithful before God (Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4). We cannot control how people will respond to the Gospel, but we are responsible to proclaim it faithfully (1 Corinthians 3:6–7; 2 Timothy 4:2).
So, may we pray for open doors, speak with wisdom, and proclaim Christ with boldness (Colossians 4:3–4). May we be found faithful servants who long to hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21), and who eagerly await the day when we enter into the joy of our Lord.
Written by Jesse Mitchum