“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Throughout our Lord’s life, and even leading up to the cross, He had souls on His heart and mind. He had a passion for souls with compassion for people. Our Lord was determined to save His people from their sins, and nothing or no one could stop Him. Not even His apostles.
When Peter tried to hinder Christ from Calvary, the Lord quickly rebuked him and said, “get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you’re not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s” (Matthew 16:22, 23). The Lord was committed to saving humanity. As the church we must understand that the world needs the gospel. The world needs to know about Christ and His kingdom. It is our duty to proclaim the eternal life we have in Christ. In this article I would like to share with you four reasons why we are to evangelize.
1. GOD COMMANDED IT
“Soul winning is not an option. It is not a spiritual gift. It is not a church growth program. It is a clear, unequivocal, unavoidable command of God” (Dr. R. B. Ouellette). Jesus gave the command to His apostles (Mark 16:15). “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” As people of God, we must carry out the mission. Every member in the Lord’s church must be committed to carrying the gospel to the lost without excuse. It’s discouraging when people say:
· Evangelism isn’t my gift.
· I don’t have time.
· They just aren’t interested.
· I’ve put in my time.
These types of excuses will keep us from going out into the world. Let me tell you, there is no retiring from the great commission. There is work to be done. Our Lord said, “the harvest is plentiful;” do you believe it? The Lord desires men and women that are ready to promote the gospel, not men and women who promote themselves. Those who are committed to Christ and His kingdom will spread the gospel and uphold the name of Christ until the day they die because the command to “go” is their focus in life.
2. THERE IS A HELL
Listen carefully to the cry from beneath:
“He cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame . . . I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house – for I have five brothers – in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment’” (Lk. 16:24, 27, 28).
I believe wholeheartedly if we had a glimpse of the suffering that takes place in torment, we would be more active in saving the lost. We would be motivated to point people to the cross. We would be driven to aid those who are in sin. The reality is hell awaits every unconverted person, and we all know someone who needs the gospel. What are we doing to turn them off the broad way which leads to eternal punishment? We must warn the wicked about their ways with love. I’m reminded of a song:
YOU NEVER MENTIONED HIM TO ME
How deeply grieved our souls will be; If any lost one there should cry in deep despair, You never mentioned Him to me.
You never mentioned Him to me, You helped me not the way to see; You met me day by day and knew I was astray, Yet never mentioned Him to me.
O let us spread the word where e'er it may be heard, Help groping souls the light to see, That yonder none may say, You showed me not the way. You never mentioned Him to me.
Will we mention His name to those who are lost?
3. THERE IS A HEAVEN
Does a lost soul know about the blessing found in Christ? Are they familiar with what the Bible teaches about everlasting life in Christ? Brethren, we have the knowledge. We know what the Bible teaches about salvation and eternal life. Why hold back? We should be eager to share the hope we have in Christ. We should be excited/thrilled to tell people about what awaits the faithful on the other side. When you look at the book of Acts, Peter, and the rest of the apostles, including Paul, did not shrink back from declaring the hope, the joy, and the peace that comes with being in Christ.
Have we lost our joy? The reason our brethren could boldly point people to the cross of Christ is because they never lost their hope, joy, and peace. Their desire was for everyone to share in the same hope, joy, and peace that only comes from being in Christ Jesus. They wanted the world to know about salvation in Christ. They wanted the world to know about life in Christ. These godly men had the same desire as our Lord. They didn’t want anyone to perish; they wanted everyone to come to repentance. In other words, they wanted everyone to be saved and experience eternal life. Do we?
4. THE GOSPEL IS STILL GOOD NEWS
The gospel will always be good news—today, tomorrow, and forever. The gospel has the power to save and change a person’s soul. It was the gospel that saved 3,000 souls in Acts 2. It was the gospel that saved the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. It was the gospel that saved the apostle Paul in Acts 9. It was the gospel that saved Cornelius and his household in Acts 10. It was the gospel that saved those at Antioch in Acts 13 and 14; and it was the gospel alone that saved the Jailor and his household in Acts 16.
Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The same gospel that has transformed our life and freed us from sin and self can change your family member, your neighbor, your coworker, you name it. The power is not in our ability. The power is in the Word. The power is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why is there power in the gospel? Because the tomb is empty, and the blood is cleansing.
Our responsibility is to lift up the cross and point people to the One who died on it. Will you point a soul to Christ? The church doesn’t exist just to defend the faith, we also exist to share the faith we have in Christ.
