By Larry Rosenbaum
One of the main purposes of this newsletter is to encourage Christians to witness for Jesus Christ. Perhaps 80% of all Christians never or almost never witness to anyone. Not only do they not witness through organized outreaches, they don’t witness at work or even to their unsaved friends. Also, many Christians who at one time were involved extensively in evangelism no longer do much witnessing.
Over the years, I have thought a lot about this problem, its cause and possible solutions. I am convinced that much of Satan’s attacks on Christians is focused on two areas: prayer and witnessing. In the area of evangelism, Satan will give us every excuse not to witness. He will tell us our witnessing is not effective, that we should do other things with our time. Whatever method we are using, it is the wrong method. We are turning people off to the gospel. We are neglecting our family or church activities. Satan has been very effective at preventing Christians from witnessing. We can see the result in the current condition of our nation and world.
One area in which Satan attacks us concerns our motivation for evangelism. We have seen preachers who condemn people, as though they were happy people are going to Hell. Our motives for preaching are not always perfect. We may enjoy the attention we are getting when a crowd gathers. We may think we are earning favor with God or making up for past sins by witnessing.
What is the proper motivation for evangelism? First, we witness because we love God. When you fall in love with someone, it is natural to tell others about that person. Also, we know that God loved this world so much that He sent His Son to die for their sins. He does not want to see anyone perish but that all come to repentance. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel, and He has ordained that people are saved through preaching. “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Corin. 1:21). “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).
The apostle Paul didn’t worry much about people’s motives for witnessing. “Some indeed preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely…What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice” (Phil. 1:15,18). Even when people’s motives for preaching were wrong, Paul was more concerned that Christ be preached. “Just do it.”
Some might even criticize Paul’s motivation for preaching. “When I preach the gospel,” he wrote, “I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me” (1 Corin. 9:16‑17). Paul is saying that even if he does not want to witness, he is compelled to do so and something bad would happen to him if he were disobedient. Then he compares the discipline involved in preaching the gospel to that of a runner and a boxer. Athletic competition involves great discipline even to the point of pain. “No pain. No gain.” It is painful to see people reject the gospel, and reject us because we proclaim the gospel. Without sufficient motivation, we won’t be willing to endure this pain. “They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”
Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corin. 5:11). And he told the people of Ephesus, “I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:26‑27). Paul was referring here to God’s warning in Ezekiel 33: “If you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.” Paul apparently thought that this Old Testament scripture does apply to us in this age of grace.
I may not feel like praying or reading the Bible or going to church, I may not feel like going to work, I may not feel like witnessing, but I discipline myself to do the things I know God wants me to do regardless of my feelings. But many Christians think that they should evangelize only when they “feel led.”
Christians often ask me what motivates me to continue preaching the gospel for so many years in a city that is known for its resistance to God’s Word. I grew up in the “Bible belt” and probably many of my friends were Christians, but none told me how to be saved. At the age of 24, after years of tormented searching for meaning in life, I finally met some people who cared for my soul and showed me the way of salvation. Once I realized the Bible is really true and there really is a Heaven and Hell, I was amazed that nobody had ever warned me before. In light of this truth, I knew that the only sensible thing for me to do was to dedicate my life to warning people of the reality of eternal Hell and showing them the way of salvation.
Some may say that this is not a lofty motivation. Some Christians teach that it is wrong to witness because of our desire to save people from Hell. Yet Paul wrote in Romans 9 that he had “great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren (the Jews).” Paul was was even willing to take the place of his fellow Jews who were headed for Hell. Of course, we can’t do that, but we can warn them of this danger and show them the way out. If you study church history, you will find that virtually every great evangelist was motivated by an overwhelming desire to keep people out of Hell.
I am continually amazed that Christians who believe that all the unbelievers around them are headed for eternal torment in Hell would care so little about warning them. The only explanation I have is that Satan is very clever at giving us excuses for not witnessing, and that our heart is so deceitful that we fall for his lies. I rarely feel like witnessing to anyone. Every week, when I am leaving home to attend an outreach, I can think of some excuse for not going. But then I remember that no sacrifice is too great to save even one soul from Hell.
There are many valid motives for preaching the gospel. While we should examine ourselves for impure motives, the most important thing is that we continue to preach the gospel in a consistent way. Setting aside a regular time to witness is as legitimate and necessary as any other spiritual discipline. Waiting until you are in perfect spiritual condition before witnessing is as foolish as waiting until you are in perfect physical condition before exercising.
