Dub McClish
No subject is more vital to sincere saints than evangelism. Jesus made it our first responsibility when He issued the Great Commission (Mat. 28:18–19; Mark 16:15–16; Luke 24:47). It is God’s means of saving the lost. It is the lifeblood of the church. Evangelism lurks around every “corner” of the Gospel. Consider some facts about evangelism:
• The what of evangelism: Deliver the Gospel. Evangelism is actually a Greek word, euangelizo. It means to proclaim glad tidings, to deliver a message that brings joy. The noun form of this word (euangelion), is the New Testament word for “gospel,” good news. Thus God chose a word for His message of salvation that practically demands its proclamation. God’s Truth about salvation in Christ is encouraging, thrilling, and thus wonderful news to right-thinking people—a message which every person should know and from which he can profit both in time and eternity. The message must be only the Gospel Truth, for it alone is God’s saving power (Rom. 1:16). Men have originated their counterfeit “gospels,” but there is only one God-given, saving Gospel (Gal. 1:6–9).
• The why of evangelism: Christ’s Command. No command is more central to the Gospel than the Lord’s charge, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). We are to always be ready to give answer with the Gospel (1 Pet. 3:15). Why is this the Lord’s primary requirement of us? Because men are lost without the Gospel and we are the means by which they will hear. The church cannot survive, much less grow, without evangelism. Only by evangelism are people added to it and it is kept pure (Acts 2:38–47; 2 Tim. 2:2). Everything pertaining to the cause of Christ on earth relates to evangelism.
• The who of evangelism: Every Christian. Some of the most effective evangelists in the New Testament were “ordinary” Christians (e.g., the Jerusalem saints [Acts 8:4; 11:19]; Philip [Acts 8:5]; Barnabas [Acts 11:22–30; 13:1–3]; Aquila and Priscilla [Acts 18:26]; et al.). “The faith” has been “delivered to the saints” for both defense and proclamation (Jude 3). Some of God’s most effective evangelists will never stand in a pulpit. Every Christian has the responsibility to find some means of spreading the Gospel.
• The when of evangelism: “In season, out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). We must be always abounding in the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 15:58). We should seek daily opportunities to teach others (Mat. 26:55; Luke 9:23; Acts 5:42; 20:31). The more we sow the seed, the better our chances will be to find the “soil” of the honest and good heart (Luke 8:11, 15). May we all constantly seek opportunities to teach as we go about our daily activities.
