Evangelism: New Life in Jesus
When I was in college, studying to become a minister, I came across a Bible tract titled something along these lines: “How to witness for the wrong side.” In the picture was a smiling, John Denver look-alike young man, casually dressed. He had the word “Jesus” in large letters across the front of his exaggerated cowboy hat; additionally, there were Bible Tracts in his hands, and falling out of his pockets, with all sorts of snarky comments about non-believers, and even obvious insults aimed at those of various political positions that were considered ‘unchristian,’ by many in the Church. The point was clear – When Christians try to proclaim the Gospel message to the world, they need to be sure they are proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus, instead of insulting comments on political issues, or words that have almost nothing to do with the Gospel message! This true story brings me to ask a question: As a believer, does your life proclaim the Gospel of Jesus? Are you sure you understand what is, and is not, the Gospel message? And, finally, how does the Gospel message affect one’s life when it is truly accepted into one’s heart? There is a story in the Bible regarding a “true believer” of the Jewish faith, who, out of religious zeal, had begun to persecute members of the Church. The man was a Pharisee named Saul, who was walking towards the city of Damascus to seek out and persecute Christians. Here is where the story picks up: “And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” and he said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” Acts 9:3-6. Those with Saul took him to Damascus, where God led one named Ananias to explain the Gospel message to him and show him the path to life with God. The ‘rest of the story,’ of course, is that of Saul receiving Christ, becoming a traveling evangelist for Jesus, and writing much of what became the New Testament! One of the most interesting elements of this story is that Saul, who later became known as Paul (the Roman version of his name), was an active Pharisee in the Jewish faith. He believed in God, and he fought for what he thought was the true faith – but the true faith included Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law. He didn’t understand that he had been proclaiming and defending what was now the ‘wrong’ faith; the true faith was now Judaism, as fulfilled through Jesus! Saul, before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, was a witness for the wrong faith, because it was a faith that was not centered on the message of salvation through Jesus. Here’s what we can learn from Saul’s experiences: Let us make sure we correctly understand what the Gospel is that we have been given to proclaim! The Gospel we have been given is the message that Jesus, Son of God, God in the flesh, came and lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay for our sin, and was risen from the dead to show God’s power over death. Then he ascended into heaven, to be seated with God on the throne of heaven, to reign over all things forever. Salvation comes when we believe the truths of the Gospel and receive Jesus as our Savior, committing our lives to Him. The Gospel is not an opinion one might have on abortion, immigration, or any other political or social topic – it is the message of salvation in Jesus! It is acceptable to express an opinion on any topic, of course, but if the goal is to proclaim the Gospel and lead people to Jesus, then they must focus on the truth of the Gospel and not on one’s opinions concerning the social issues of the day. To live as a Christ-follower involves a change in the direction of our lives! In the story of Saul, you will later learn that he took his Roman name, Paul, because he knew he would be more effective in