For Christians, sharing the gospel is matter of love, mercy, and obedience. Let's take a brief look at each one.
Share Christ out of Love
The Bible tells Christians to love our neighbors, love other Christians, and to love our enemy. That pretty much covers all the bases.
We are to love others, just as Christ first loved us. We did not deserve His mercy, but He freely provided it.
If you love someone, would you let them come to harm if you could help it? Of course not. Then you can't keep quiet. The fact is, everyone you meet will die one day. Maybe today. If that person is not a Christian, they are headed for eternal torment. True love would never allow this to happen without at least warning them.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." Why would he say this? Because once you understand the truth about heaven and hell, you simply can't remain quiet.
If you love the non-believer, you simply must share the truth with them. To do otherwise would be like a fireman who walks past a burning house full of people without a concern for their safety.
Share Christ out of Mercy
When the Bible speaks of 'mercy' it describes sparing someone from their deserved judgment. While Christian's can't provide the mercy, they can make a non-believer aware of God's merciful nature and His offer of grace.
It's not mercy to keep the gospel to yourself, that's selfishness. Demonstrate your love of others by mercifully revealing their lost state (their failure to follow the Ten Commanments), and the path to salvation (repentance and faith).
Share Christ out of Obedience
The Bible is clear on our responsibility to share the gospel.
- Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel."
- 2 Tim 4:2 tells us to "Preach the gospel in season and out"
- Mark 13:10 says, "The gospel must be preached to all nations."
- Acts 1:8 says, "you shall be My witnesses."
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