impacting faith

Sharing our Story in light of the Christian Story


The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

- Luke 4:18-19

What is Evangelism? However trivial or obvious this question may seem, the fact is many people are confused as to what the word "evangelism" actually means. To many, both believers and non-believers alike, "evangelism" is a scary word. It is even a condescending word. Regrettably, but perhaps fairly, evangelism has been given a bad reputation. To non-believers, evangelism is coercive, manipulative, and judgmental. To many believers, evangelism is embarrassing, theologically complicated, and condemning. The word carries with it many negative connotations that people must wrestle with in order to get to the true beauty behind this wonderful word. Yet once understood, evangelism opens a new perspective of Kingdom work in which a Christian can joyfully and truthfully share what the Lord has done in and for him or her. In short, evangelism is the process of communicating the Good News of Jesus Christ, through both words and actions, to those who have not heard it or who have not yet responded positively to it.

There are those who think relational evangelism is important but "not for me." The truth is, whether or not you score high on a spiritual gifts inventory or strengths assessment in evangelism, if you are a Christian you ARE an evangelist! Every Christian must recognize he or she is commissioned to preach, that is, proclaim the Good News of salvation. We are bridge-builders through our personal testimonies and Christian witness. We all have wounds. Those who have been healed by God's loving power have a story: Christ healed these wounds, which have turned to scars, and every scar is a bridge to someone's broken heart.

We just finished an evangelism campaign at Halogen, which set out to encourage our church family to faithfully do what they are already appointed to do, evangelize. One of our goals was to help people conquer their fears in sharing faith. In spite of how people have misused this word, true evangelism begins with a story. Our story. This involves being real, authentic, genuine and unashamed to tell the world how the Lord found, saved, healed and commissioned us. Then, we share how our story, how we were pulled out of the muddy waters, fits in with the story of God redeeming humankind through Jesus Christ.

So do not be intimidated or turned off by the word evangelism. Rather, embrace your call to share faith, ask the Lord for a sense of urgency to tell the world the good things God has done in and through you, and be used in powerful ways to introduce people to the One who will heal and save and reconcile them to God, Jesus Christ.

what about people who have never heard?

As a Christian, from the earliest days of my giving a defense for my faith in Jesus Christ, I have been asked countless times, "If people need Jesus in order to be saved, what about people who have never heard about Jesus?" Let me begin by saying I think this is a good question, a fair question, and deserves a good response. Throughout the years I have attempted to articulate my thoughts on the matter, sometimes successfully while other times not so much.

Working through our Evangelism series at Halogen, I have found myself facing this question again, this time not by any one person in particular, but by the biblical text itself. In having the audacity to write a sermon on the Heart of God, I have been confronted with a question from the most popular verse of the Bible, "If God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, surely He loves those who have never heard of His only begotten Son. But what does that mean for such people?"

So, can a person who has never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ be saved? In studying John 3:16-21, I read a well articulated answer to this question. In his commentary on the Gospel of John, F.F. Bruce treats this question with compassion, while staying true to essential doctrine and the Word of God. Bruce writes:

"No explicit mention is made here of those who have never had the opportunity of believing in Christ, those on whom the light in its fullness has never shone. But John's words probably unfold the principle of their judgment too. As the eternal Word came to men and women before becoming incarnate in Christ, so it is with the light of God. If men and women are judged by their response to the light, they are judged by their response to such light as is available to them. All true light is in some degree and effulgence from him who is the light of the world. Those who accept the partial light that is available to them will gladly accept the perfect light when it shines on them. Those who refuse the light, in whatever fashion it shines on them, pronounce [judgment] on themselves."

F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John - Introduction, Exposition, and Notes, 92.