How Many Clifford's Are Out There?

One recent evening, returning from a hospital visit with my father-in-law, I had to stop for gas on the long ride home. It was late. I was thirsty and tired. That's when I noticed a sign with an offer I could not refuse: "Free Fountain Soda with 10-Gallon Fill-Up".

After pumping enough diesel to more than double the soda requirement, I glanced over at the convenience mart. I could easily see through the plate glass that the young man working inside was leaning against a counter reading a magazine.

I must admit that I routinely pass on striking up conversations with people at work if they look busy. I do not want to be the cause of a manager taking them aside to remind them they are paid to work, not talk. This young man was clearly not busy.

Just before heading inside I grabbed my Bible, a tract, and a copy of Mark Cahill's One Heartbeat Away, my favorite book to hand to non-Christians.

As I walked toward the door, I ran several conversation starters through my head and imagined how I might turn the conversation to the gospel. Such mental gymnastics are good, I suppose, but I've never had a conversation that followed the dialogue I construct in my head. The point here is to never talk yourself out of sharing the gospel because of an imaginary conversation. Give the Lord a chance to lead you in the actual conversation.

In I go. I asked about the free soda offer, then I struck up a short conversation with with the employee. Nothing special, just everyday talk. The young man, Clifford, seemed relieved to talk with someone rather than continue with his magazine. After a few minutes I decided to turn the conversation to the gospel with, "I'm working on a project, would you mind answering a question?"

People seem to love this question. I don't know if it's because they get an opportunity to influence the outcome of my research, if their curiosity is piqued, or if they simply recall their own struggles to complete some school project and now feel compelled to minimize my own pain. What I do know is that so far no one has ever said, "No, thanks."

"Sure," was the helpful reply, "what's the question?"

"On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being 'I could be entirely wrong,' and 10 being 'I am absolutely certain that I am right,' how would you rate your spiritual beliefs?"

Clifford told me "5." I asked what his spiritual background was and he told me, "Christian."

"Wow," I said, "You're Christian today but tomorrow there is a 50-50 chance you'll walk away?"

We chatted about his upbringing, how he once asked Jesus into his heart and now feels totally disconnected from the church. I told him that when I meet people who feel this way, I ask one important question: "Do you consider yourself to be a good person?"

"Yes, I think I'm a pretty good person."

"Interesting. Do you mind if I walk you through a quick test to see if that's true?"

Clifford was intrigued now, and smiling. He gave me an enthusiastic, "Sure!"

So, I walked him through a few of the Ten Commandments. In less than two minutes, Clifford's smile had faded and he was serious. He had quickly admitted to being a liar, a thief, an adulterer, and a murderer. When faced with the question, "If God judged you by the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty?" he clearly understood that a 5-rating is not comforting.

I spent the next few minutes clearly explaining the gospel to Clifford. Before I left he knew that he needed to repent and trust the Savior, not just recite a prayer.

As I left I told Clifford, "I don't believe God brought me here tonight just to get a free drink. We met for a reason." Clifford agreed, and thanked me for taking the time to talk with him.

How many Clifford's are out there? How many people have falsely convinced themselves that they are Christians without understanding the holiness of God, or their need to repent and trust in the risen Savior?

Armor up, Christian! Carry your Bible where ever you go. Read it to prepare yourself to defend the truth in season and out. Carry tracts and your favorite apologetic books to hand out. There are many more Clifford's out there who need to understand the true gospel, before it's too late.

But I Don't Know How To Share The Gospel...

Frequently, when discussing evangelism with other Christians, I hear some version of the statement: "But, I don't know how to share the gospel."

Other versions of this statement include: "I don't have the gift of evangelism" or "I'm not equipped to answer people's questions."

Perhaps you have thought the same thing, or responded with similar sentiments after hearing a sermon on evangelism, or when faced with someone who tells you about the latest time they shared the gospel with a friend, loved-one, or stranger.

If you have, then you may think that my next statement is harsh. However, I believe that what you are really saying is: God's Word is wrong.

Before you click that "close-window" button, let's look for a moment at what God's word says:

Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of call the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."" (NASB 95)

2 Timothy 4:1-2, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."

2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

As Christians we are commanded to "go... preach... make disciples... be ready...". We are also told that God's Word is profitable for training and will equip the man of God for every good work.

Since we are commanded to preach the gospel, then sharing the gospel must be a good work, and since God's Word is adequate to teach and prepare us for every good work, then it can prepare us for evangelism!

In addition, God provides the Holy Spirit to further teach us and guide us. Luke 2:12 says, "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Read 2 Corinthians 2. Paul describes how his preaching was not based on his knowledge or fine oratory skills, but on the Holy Spirit guiding him.

To me, all of this means that when Christians conclude they are not capable of sharing the gospel, what they are actually saying is, "God, you've met your match in me. You gave me a responsibility that I cannot perform. You made a mistake."

If you still think I am being too harsh, just know that I used to be the same way. I made every excuse in the book for not sharing the gospel. In retrospect my excuses were nothing more than pride and disobedience.

Thankfully I was challenged by a God-fearing man who refused to soft-pedal the commandment to share the gospel. Since then I have studied God's Word, studied various world-views, had numerous conversations with the lost, and learned to trust the Lord more and more as a result.

Trust God's Word. Learn from God's Word. Trust the Holy Spirit. Leave your pride and disobedience at the foot of the Cross. Share the gospel before it is too late.

A New Year's Challenge For You And Me

It is not uncommon, as one year clicks over to the next, for people to commit themselves to new patterns for living. Such New Year’s Resolutions typically focus on self-improvement themes: lose weight, quit smoking, or improved organizational skills.

This year why not make a resolution that will matter for more than a few days or weeks? Why not make a resolution that can last for eternity? Why not boldly share the gospel more than ever before?

It is a sad fact that most Christians did not share the gospel with anyone during the previous year. Many endeavor to live their faith or give to missions, but most Christians ignore passages commanding us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mk 16:15) or to act as “a royal priesthood” and “proclaim the excellencies” of God (1 Ptr 2:9).

Do you realize that between last New Year’s Day and this one an estimated 56.6 million people took their last breath and passed into eternity? How many of them had friends or relatives who are Christian, but never shared the gospel? How many delivered pizzas, provided home repairs, or worked with Christians who were willing to be friendly and talk about every subject imaginable: football, the weather, golf, the latest unemployment rate, but never the gospel?

In the time it takes to read this sentence, about one second, two people died. Between now and tomorrow at this time, while you consider how to respond to this challenge, nearly 155,000 people will discover first-hand how Holy our God is. For many of them, the wrath which God has been storing up will begin to be poured out (Rom 1:18; 2:5-6; Heb 9:27).

There are many missionaries in the fields reaching the lost. There are many preachers boldly proclaiming God’s Word. You can find great men and women of faith who debate with the best and brightest minds foolish enough to challenge the authority of Scripture. However, none of those people have the ability to reach your friends, your neighbors, your relatives, or the people who come across your path every day. Who will reach them if not you?

For some time I have taken my car to the same auto shop. The girl at the counter, Kristine, is always pleasant. I usually have short exchanges with her as I drop off or pick up my vehicle. God convicted me recently that I was wasting opportunities to share the gospel. So the next time my truck acted up, I was ready. I had prayed for an opportunity, and I took along a few resources in case she had questions.

The first few minutes of our conversation were typical. I explained the problems that needed attention, and she thanked me for coming in. Next, I mentioned that the problems worsened the night before, as I drove to church. Then I asked “By the way, do you attend a church?”

This is a great question to ask. The answer gives you tremendous insight into the person’s beliefs and understanding of eternal matters.

Kristine, as it turns out, had a few bad experiences with churches as a youth and had only recently attended a couple services at the request of a friend. This naturally led to the next question, “You’ve gone to a few church services. What do you think happens when you die?” She explained that everyone goes somewhere. Now, most people believe life is not the end, but I wanted to know if Kristine had the right answer, so I continued, “Where do you think you will go?”

Kristine confidently stated that she would go to heaven, because she’s living a pretty good life.

This is one of Satan’s favorite and most successful lies. He used the same approach in the Garden of Eden that he uses today (Gen 3:1-5): convince people they can’t possibly understand what God’s Word means, there must be an alternative, another understanding, such as, live a pretty good life and you’ll go to heaven. This is a lie that Christians must correct, and we can only correct it if we ask and then speak the truth in love.

Kristine and I had a ten minute conversation about God’s standards, and how to know for certain what will happen when you face Him on Judgment Day. She soon realized that her destination was not heaven at all, and she was very concerned. I explained the hope that I have through repentance and faith in Christ, and I left her a book to read along with a gospel tract. Before I left, she thanked me for the conversation. The next time I go to the shop, I will follow up and see how she is doing.

I do not believe the statistics that claim 80% of those in America are Christian, but even if the real number is as low as 20%, if every one of those Christians shared the gospel with only five people, statistically every person in America would hear the gospel by the end of this year! Can you share the gospel with five people this year? Of course you can (1 Cor 1:5). The question is: Are you willing?

Don’t wait, because it might be too late. Think of the police officers gunned down in Lakeland, Washington, on November 29, 2009. If you had been in that coffee shop the day before, would you have shared the gospel with these officers? Because a short twenty-four hours later, it was too late.

Christian, you are like a doctor who knows the patient has terminal cancer. Don’t put off telling them about their illness because you might make them feel uncomfortable, or you’re not sure if you’re the right person. You have the cure. Share it!

I’m not saying that you should run up and down the street grabbing people, or screaming the gospel message, but when you have a conversation with someone, won’t you pray that the Holy Spirit will bring the strength and the right words to share the gospel? Won’t you pass out, or send out, a few gospel tracts? Aren’t you willing to start-up a conversation with a stranger and see how the Holy Spirit will use you, before it’s too late?

What New Year’s Resolution could make more of a difference for eternity?

What Was Your Greatest Gift?

While listening to a sermon last weekend, the pastor stated that the grace which God offers to sinners is the greatest gift ever. I wrote it down; not as a sermon note but as an idea for a conversation starter.

As Christians we are reminded to not conform to the world (Rom 12:2) but we do live in it, and for good reason: the world is the source of the harvest! (Matt 9:37)

Those who are in the world know the world and it's comings and goings. They do not care about the things of God, they dislike God's Word, and they hate Christ. (John 17:14, 16; Matt 10:22; 1 John 3:13)

Discussions about the news and other timely topics can frequently lead to discussions about eternity and the gospel. Because of this, Christians should be aware of such topics and ready to use them to begin or continue conversations.

Such was the case at a local restaurant the other day. Our waitress was taking orders when one of the men at our table mentioned Christmas preparations. I asked the waitress, "Kristi, speaking of Christmas, what is the best gift you've ever received?" She stopped and thought. After a moment I said, "Think about it, then let me know what you come up with."

One thing I learned from bold men of God like Mark Cahill and Tony Miano is that an interaction with a lost person should be a conversation, not a presentation. If your intent is to get through a checklist of the gospel, then do you really care about the person or getting another 'notch' on your gospel-gun?

I was looking forward to what Kristi might come back with, to continue our conversation, when she appeared with refills of water and iced-tea. She looked at me and told me of an item she had received many years ago. I asked her to think about gifts that last longer. I explained that as a boy I really wanted a toy ray-gun, but after a year or so I no longer placed any value in it and had moved on to wanting something else. She went off in thought.

When she next returned, she had a big smile on her face. "My dog! I bought my dog, as a gift for myself, and I love him." She showed me his photo, told me about his habits, and explained the breed. We discussed dogs that each of us had owned in the past, and then I said, "Even though you love your dog and he's been a great pet, I was wondering if you could think of anything that might last for eternity?" This led to a conversation in which I learned of her Catholic training as a young girl, and her disillusion with religion. I was able to explain that I'm not religious and was not trying to push any religion, I simply wanted to explain what I thought the greatest gift is, as described in the Bible.

We had a brief discussion of sin, our need for salvation, the Holiness of God, and the simple steps required of us: repentance and faith. Before leaving I gave her a copy of "One Heartbeat Away" by Mark Cahill, along with a note and an email address for her to send questions to me.

Between now and Christmas approximately 2.1 million people will die. Many of them will stand before God and suddenly understand how Holy He is and how wrong they were to believe the world's lies and false hopes. They will have eternity to think about their rejection of a God who stood ready to forgive. Before that happens, are you willing to put aside your pride, your shyness, and your fear of rejection to share the gospel and give these people something to think about while they still have time?

Today is the day of salvation, now go and plant a seed!

Christian: Remember What You Have Heard

Have you ever done a "double-take"?

You know, where you look at something, look away, then feel compelled to look again?

The term supposedly originates from movie directors wanting to study a scene one more time to make certain everything was filmed correctly. This double-look at the take eventually found its way into the common vernacular to mean: looking a second time, or looking more intently.

In a recent Bible Study, our group was looking at a passage from Revelation 3. As the discussion continued, I found myself doing a double-take, and looking intently at verse 3.

To quickly summarize, Revelation 3:1-6 documents a letter to the church of Sardis which Christ had the apostle John write down. Christ acknowledges the works of the church, but condemns them for activities that are empty of worship. In His words, "you have a name that you were alive, but you are dead."

Christ then says, "Wake up..."

It is a stern, forceful, attention grabbing command. He wants their full attention.

We now arrive at verse 3, where Christ gives the church direction. His instruction, which caused me to double-take, is "remember what you have received and heard;"

What had they "received and heard"?

We need to remember that Christ is writing a letter to the church in Sardis. The church is the body of Christ, so these are believers; or non-believers who are part of a body of believers. Therefore, what they had "received and heard" was the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and very specifically, the gospel.

Why was it important for the church of Sardis to remember what they had received and heard? I think the answer is two-fold. On first read, I think he is telling them to remember the source of salvation: Christ alone. As they perform their works, they are to perform them as an act of worship to their savior.

In addition, I think He is telling them that going out into the world and doing a bunch of works is meaningless if they do not share the gospel!

How do I draw this conclusion? Because the church of Sardis was known as an active church in a mostly non-Christian city. They were actively involved in the community. This was probably similar to how many churches today are involved in communities: clothing drives, feeding the hungry, helping the sick, caring for those who are at the end of their rope, taking in the homeless, or repairing damaged homes. The list of things churches, then and now, get involved in is endless. But without the gospel, it is also meaningless for more than a short time.

Christian, "Wake up!" Remember what you have received and heard!

Looking good before a fallen world is meaningless if you leave those you help as hopeless, lost, and doomed as they were before you dug the new well, painted a few walls, or filled an empty belly.

Remember that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word".

Remember that we are not called to go into the world and act like nice people, we are to go into the world and make disciples! (Matt 28:19).

If you are involved in community activities, thank you for physically expressing the love of the Lord. But sooner or later your witness must become verbal. As Paul wrote in the second letter to the Corinthians, "But having the same ​spirit of faith, according to what is written, “​​I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak..." (4:13)

Overcoming The Fear Of One-On-One Witnessing

Too frequently I have passed up opportunities to share the gospel. I’m not talking about the times I’ve looked back on a situation and suddenly realized that God gave me a perfect opportunity, but I did not recognize it. I am talking about those times when I know, clearly, this is an opportunity, and I don’t take it. I just could not get the words out. It’s nearly always because of pride, which manifests itself as fear.

Recently, I as I read through Paul’s letter’s to the Corinthians, I was struck by the fact that he, clearly one of the best examples we have of a witness for Christ, also struggled with fear and pride. Thankfully, his words can help us overcome these self-imposed feelings. Below are a few of the verses that helped me recently to share the gospel with a lost person. I hope they help you the next time you have an opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

In 2 Cor 1:3-4, Paul tells us that God is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction...” The word for affliction can also mean crushing pressure, something we perceive as extremely difficult to overcome, such as fear welling up inside. Paul says that even in times like these, God is merciful, and comforting, even to the point of abundance (v5)! Imagine that. We can trust in God to fill us comfort to the point of overflowing!

In 2 Cor 1:8, Paul describes the mental and physical torment he suffered from, so much so that he and his companions were “burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;” What was the source of this suffering? Was it similar to what we face today: the fear of asking a question, or of having someone get annoyed and walk away, or to refuse to speak with us? No, Paul’s torment was real and physical. He believed he was to suffer a horrific execution for his evangelism.

How our fears pale in comparison! Thankfully, we can depend on the same God to deliver us that Paul depended on to deliver him. Paul did not rely upon clever mental tricks, or smooth language, or in-depth study. 2 Cor 1:9-10 says Paul and his companions purposely minimized their own abilities “so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.” God has the ability to save anyone, at anytime, from any peril. Trust Him. Set your hope in Him. Allow Him to conquer your fears.

Is there any fear we should cling to, that we should hope for? Oh, yes, but it’s a fear that God can use to save the lost.

2 Cor 5:11 says, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” Paul clearly understood what faced men after death, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” (Heb 9:27) The fear we should hope for is a genuine fear in the heart of the person we share the gospel with. Our fear should be nothing, their fear should be all consuming, leading them to realize that without God’s mercy, offered through Christ Jesus, they will face a God of wrath on Judgment Day.

Once you cling to the hope that others will fear God, then the love of Christ will control you (2 Cor 5:14) not a self-imposed fear of man. That’s when you will join the ranks of the “ambassadors for Christ” (v20), to become one of those who represent the One who sent them: not in fear, but in resolve and obedience.

From the letters to the Corinthians, we see that Paul clearly understood his hope as a forgiven child of Christ. You too can claim these promises and victories, such as 2 Cor 3:12, “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech...” to give up your fear to God and boldly share the gospel with the lost.

Just as their is no place for darkness in light, there is no place for fear in true faith, hope, and obedience. (John 8:12, 1 John 1:5)

The State of Modern Evangelism

I subscribe to a daily e-mail feed called Grace Gems. Each day I receive a devotional writing. Some are short, some are long. Some reference audio for listening.

I found the one from New Year's Day very instructive with regard to evangelism. I have reproduced it below (Grace Gems uses Public Domain materials, and gives permission for use of their material). This message was originally produced by Arthur Pink. The emphasis found is mine. I hope you enjoy this excerpt. If so, you can find the full message here.


Arthur Pink, "Present Day Evangelism"

The nature of Christ's salvation, is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell--rather than a Savior from sin! And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire--who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness!

The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is--"You shall call His name Jesus--for He shall save His people...[not "from the wrath to come," but] from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, and who long to be freed from its terrible dominion. He is a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing, with which to charge the Holy One!

True, as the Christian grows in grace, he has a clearer realization of what sin is--rebellion against God; and a deeper hatred of and sorrow for it. But to think that one may be saved by Christ, whose conscience has never been smitten by the Spirit, and whose heart has not been made contrite before God--is to imagine something which has no existence in the realm of fact. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor--but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). The only ones who really seek relief from the great Physician, are those who are sick of sin--who long to be delivered from its God-dishonoring works, and its soul-defiling pollutions.

As Christ's salvation is a salvation from sin--from the love of it, from its dominion, from its guilt and penalty--then it necessarily follows, that the first great task and the chief work of the evangelist, is to preach upon SIN: to define what sin (as distinct from crime) really is, to show wherein its infinite enormity consists, to trace out its manifold workings in the heart, to indicate that nothing less than eternal punishment is its desert!

Ah, preaching upon sin will not make him popular nor draw the crowds, will it? No, it will not; and knowing this, those who love the praise of men more than the approbation of God, and who value their salary above immortal souls, trim their sales accordingly!

Are You Routinely Denying Christ?

In the gospel of Mark, we read about the events leading up to the crucifixion of the Savior. One striking aspect of the night described in this passage is how Peter, who clearly loves Jesus, is told that before morning he would deny any association with Christ: not once, not twice, but three times. (Mark 14:27-31)

Later, we read that as Christ is being tried and tortured, Peter is asked if he was with Christ, if he was a friend or follower of Him.

What does Peter do when given an opportunity to acknowledge who Christ is, or to talk about who the Lord is? He denies any association with him. In fact, just as Christ foretold, Peter denies Him three times before daybreak. (Mark 14:66-72).

Sitting in your living room it may be hard for a believer to wonder how Peter could have done this. Peter is certain of who Christ is. Peter has a personal relationship with the Lord. Peter is warned what will happen. Still, he denies knowing Him.

What about believers today? We profess certain knowledge of our salvation at church or with fellow believers. We tell ourselves that we trust scripture, including the warnings to expect persecution from the world. We pray directly to the Lord as part of a personal relationship. Certainly we wouldn't deny Christ as Peter did. Would we?

I believe we not only would, but we do, probably every single day. I base this on my own life.

For example, I have made a commitment to distribute gospel tracts every time I go to the store. I always carry tracts in my car. I park far enough from the entrance to have plenty of cars to pass by. As I slip out of my car, I grab at least five tracts. But sometimes I see someone approaching the car I'm about to slip a tract onto, and I hesitate, stop, or move to a car where no one is around.

There are also times when I'm out running errands, and I'll see someone. "I should go talk to him," I think. But, I don't.

I think about numerous conversations I've had with people who are not saved, or who's salvation I don't know about, and how spiritual topics have either come up or could easily have come up. But rather than pursue the opportunity, I let it slip away.

Why? Why am I paralyzed into inaction?

I think it's because, just like Peter, too often I am fearful. By allowing the fear of man to control my actions, I am denying Christ just as Peter did.

What about you?

How often do believers deny the Lord by refusing to acknowledge their association with Him? How often do we deny Him by neglecting to obey His commandment to "preach the gospel, in season and out" or to "always be ready to give a defense" for the faith we have?

It's time to fully trust Christ. It's time to trust His promise to provide "strength upon strength" and not burden us beyond our ability. It's time to surrender our lives, our time, and our devotion to Him. It's time to stand tall and declare the truth of the gospel.

It's time to stop denying Christ.

I Witness With My Lifestyle and Actions...

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are to share the gospel with non-believers.

But how?

Some people say, "I witness to others with my lifestyle and my actions."

Is this an obedient form of evangelism?

I think the answer depends on if you're trying to make disciples of Christ, or disciples of yourself.

Our heart should be to share the Gospel so others can know Jesus, not to convince them to live their lives just like we do. You might hope that people will think “Wow, there’s something really different about you” and come ask about it… but that’s never happened to me, and chances are it will never happen to you.

More importantly, evangelism based strictly on lifestyle and actions is not Biblical.

Jesus said “Go… Make… Baptize… Teach” responding to each requires action on our part to engage with others.

Of course, you should also live a life that demonstrates your faith. Your life should glorify God, but don’t let your obedience stop there. It didn't for the best examples of evangelists we have in the Bible: Jesus, Peter, and Paul.

John 4 is probably one of the best known examples on one-on-one evangelism.

It describes Christ having a conversation with a woman at a public gathering place. What did he do? Did He walk by, and let her marvel at Him? No. He engaged in a seemingly normal conversation. Then He turned the conversation to spiritual topics. He shared the truth of her fallen state with her, then revealed how to be saved. The result? She was saved, and immediately evangelized by going home and telling everyone she could! She didn’t attend Sunday school, or seminary, or worry about how people would react to her words. She was simply obedient.

In Acts 17, we read about Paul engaging people in dialog in the synagogues and the marketplace. Paul did not simply walk around so people could see the scars from the lashings he endured, or hope that people could see that he was prosperous. Paul wasn't prosperous in the earthly sense! He could have walked around all day, every day, and never been noticed. Paul shared the gospel verbally.

When you read Acts 2, verses 43-47, you see clear examples of how the early Christians practiced evangelism: everywhere they went they verbally shared the gospel. The result? The number of Christians grew daily.

Additionally, the Gospels of John and Luke describe literary evangelism (John 20:31), which today we can perform using e-mail, online postings, tracts, letters, and more.

One more thing... Even if you insist on living your faith rather than sharing it, what are you going to say when someone notices that you're different, and asks you “What’s different about you and why?” If you’re not prepared to go out and witness, you’re not prepared answer that question.

You must “be ready”, and as long as you’re ready, you should “Go and tell!” Right? That’s right.

Why Christians Must Share Their Faith

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."

If you don't share the gospel you are disobedient, you are not merciful, and you are not loving. Are you a truly a Christian?