Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . (Matthew 28:19)
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (I Peter 3:15-16)
Lord, you have put me on Earth to proclaim your name. Be gracious to me and grant me boldness and wisdom and clarity as I do so. And change the hearts of those I speak to, that they may know your beauty and the great love you have toward them.
When the Samaritan woman encountered Jesus, she ran home and told people to come see the man who told her everything she ever did. She had met Messiah and wanted people to know Him. What she did is what every Christian is to do. We are to share our faith.
The gospel is good news, and good news is something you tell. When your boyfriend asks you to marry him, you tell your family and friends. When the baby is born, you tell your family and friends. When you are accepted into medical school, you tell your family and friends. You share good news. In fact, you want to share it. And Jesus is good news. Therefore, sharing Jesus with people is a basic, normal, part of the Christian life. The desire to share Jesus should be as natural as the desire to share being healed from cancer. If you didn’t want to share it, we would think something was wrong with you.
Those who follow Jesus tell others about Him. If they don’t, they hurt their own relationship with God. People who keep Jesus to themselves handicap their spiritual growth. Jesus wasn’t meant to be kept to yourself.
Of course, sharing Jesus with people is risky in many situations. Not everyone considers following Jesus to be good news. Muslims, communists, secular Americans, and others all reject the gospel of Jesus for different reasons – but Christians know that Jesus has brought them salvation and peace. And even when sharing the faith poses no tangible risk, it can feel risky to many people. Not everyone is wired like the Samaritan woman. Some people are quiet. Some don’t want to offend. Some feel a lack of confidence to address people’s questions. Some feel unqualified because of their sin. Most Christians have some reason why they don’t share their faith.
In the end, however, these reasons are excuses, even when they are true. Quiet people still need to speak of Christ. People afraid to offend need to remember that sometimes the gospel is offensive. People concerned about addressing questions need to understand that they don’t have to have all the answers and that the best way to learn is to do. People who sin need to remember that in Christ, they are clean and forgiven and that guilt should not rack their lives.
Sharing your faith can look different for different people and in different situations. Some will continually start spiritual conversations with strangers on the street. Others will modestly share the hope of Christ in more restrained ways. But all must share the message. Sharing your faith will involve the following: prayer, your life, an unbeliever, a relationship, and a message. Let’s briefly look at each of these aspects.
Sharing your faith involves prayer. At the end of the day, you do not and cannot convert anyone. Conversion is God’s business. Thus, prayer acknowledges the centrality of God in the conversion process and invites Him to do His work. To evangelize without praying is a bit silly. It’s trying to do God’s work without God.
Sharing your faith involves your life. You must understand that your life is a message just as much as your words are. Your words lose credibility if your life does not match them. Do not just tell the gospel. Live it. Tell the truth. Treat people with the love of Christ. Do your job with excellence. Be sexually pure. Don’t get drunk. Let your mouth be clean. Your life speaks volumes. It’s part of your message.
Sharing your faith involves an unbeliever. Some Christians are so insulated from unbelievers that they don’t have any one to share their faith with. If that’s you, find some people who do not follow Jesus and get to know them.
Sharing your faith involves a relationship. Jesus actually built relationships with tax collectors and sinners. He ate in their homes. He got to know them and let them get to know Him. You need to care about unbelievers as people. To do so necessitates relationship. Relationships break down barriers and build trust. They also allow others to see your life. NonChristians need to see how you live and not just hear words from you. Of course, there are special cases in which you have little time to develop a relationship – a waitress in a restaurant, a person you meet on the bus, etc. – but even in these cases, it is important to be as personal as possible and to address the real issues of the person you are speaking with. It shows you respect them.
Sharing your faith involves a message. If you never proclaim the message with your mouth, you have a problem. “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rm 10:14) The message is the substance of what Jesus has done. Stay quiet, and nobody knows.
Part of sharing Jesus is simply letting people know that you are a Christian. Be open about who you are. In high-risk situations – North Korea, Afghanistan – you might let fewer people know, but you cannot completely hide your faith indefinitely. It has to come out. If you live the faith, people will then start asking you about it.
If you belong to Jesus, sharing your faith is not optional. Of course, sharing Jesus is not a work that saves you. We are not Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s the other way round. Salvation by grace makes us want to share Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit empowers us to do so.
What I am saying is not new or wild. It is the thrust of ancient Scripture and the experience of more than 2000 years of Christian history.
