Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. | 1 Peter 3:13–17
On Sunday, we looked at Jesus second sign: the healing of the official’s son. As a sign, this miracle was about much more than meets the eye. Jesus was using the physical healing of the boy to reveal the reality of faith. Following His conversation with the woman at the well, we see that salvation is: given to those who do not deserve it, refreshes and revives from the inside out, and is a gift of God that gives life where there is death. Coming out of that we asked the question: if faith is a gift, why evangelize? If God is going to save His people, what is the point of preaching the good news? I want to add to that here, with the question: how does faith as a gift change HOW we evangelize?
IT SHIFTS THE POWER OF CONVERSION
If conversion is going to happen through our ability to convince someone, if proof is what is needed to bring people to Jesus, then the onus is on us to come up with a convincing argument. Evangelism becomes about clever arguments, impressive events, and doing what needs to be done to ‘win’ people. But if faith is an act of the Spirit, then the most powerful tool we have is dependence. Prayer becomes necessary if anything is EVER going to happen. Proclaiming the simple truth of the gospel becomes the means that God uses to change hearts. Any person who commits their life does so because of the power of Jesus, not our process. What we need is to trust that He will work.
IT REMOVES THE FEAR OF FAILURE
Not only does a trust in God’s sovereignty over salvation give Him all credit for every person saved, it also takes the great burden of ‘saving people’ off of our shoulders. I think of the guilt in the last scene of Schindler’s List, where Oskar Schindler realizes that his inaction has cost lives. That not selling his car and using the money to buy back Jews had resulted in their death. He stands among thousands he has saved and laments the few that he did not. I think of how many Christians have felt a similar shame: what if I had asked them out for coffee one more time? What if I had known what to say? If God is in control of salvation, then He is also in control of how much we can do to save. This isn’t an excuse not to do anything, but it is a freedom from the guilt of not doing enough. This gives us the ability to act boldly and confidently, without the fear that someone else’s salvation is in our hands.
IT GIVES US SOMETHING TO SAY
Fear is a paralyzing force. Along with the fear of not doing enough, we also have a fear of doing it wrong. Many people do not evangelize because they do not think that they are articulate enough or will be able to answer all questions thrown their way. If God is in control of how your words are used, then the words are a very small part of the equation. I am not advocating heretical evangelism here, but when our words take their proper place, we can set aside the idea that only a skilled person can be used by God. In John 4, the testimony of a Samaritan outcast and an unnamed official were enough to bring people to Jesus.
Which points us to something we all have: our own story. Anyone who is a Christian has a reason why they are a Christian; a reason why you have committed your life to Jesus. This is how you should proclaim the gospel: by simply declaring what Jesus has done in your life. This is how Peter lays it out in 1 Peter 3:15 (above).
That verse changed the game for me, because while I had been discipled in my life, I still felt inadequate to always have an answer. Until I reasoned that what I had to have an answer for was the hope within me. My job is not to have an answer to every question anyone may be able to come up with, but to simply be excited about Jesus. Evangelism became less about winning an argument about doctrine, and more about celebrating Jesus. God’s control of salvation allows us to not fear being less than we are. Faithfully being joyful followers of Christ is enough for Him to use us to change the hearts of others.
The moment that you experience that, your faith is strengthened and God is glorified. Getting to be part of His work in the world is not meant to make much of you, but to help you see how truly great and majestic He really is; and to remind you that you have been invited into this greatness by grace.