The Need of Evangelism

Philemon 6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ" (NIV).

The need for evangelism is two-fold:
#1 - The lost of the world will only come to faith in Christ when they hear.
#2 - Certain aspects of our growth in Christ will only come when we share our faith.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul prayed that Philemon would be active in sharing his faith so that he could come to a full understanding of every good thing he had in Christ. This aspect of spiritual growth is important. As long as we keep the faith to ourselves, we can become stagnant. However, when we allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us in communicating life to others we find that we become beneficiaries as well.

We may find this hard to understand but we partake of the life that we pour out. When we share life, we experience life. If Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we know that He came to seek and save that which is lost. We should do the same. I don't want to place evangelism on a list of "things to do" - I want you to see it as an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Christ.

Within each and every believer there is creative DNA. God is the author of life. Jesus said that He came so that we may have life (and that life more abundantly). There is a part of you that will never be fulfilled if you are not sharing the life that God has given you. Every time you share the Gospel of life, you have an opportunity to take part in the creation of new life in someone else. This is the nature of God within you - to create life!

Sharing my faith with others also gives me the opportunity to learn more about the life that is within me. It helps me to understand the GOOD THINGS THAT I HAVE IN CHRIST. Dr. James Richards puts it this way: "Proclamation brings revelation." Christians who are not involved in sharing their faith only have a theoretical understanding of the Word. Because we have not allowed this new life in Christ to lead us into sharing life with others, we fail to see God at work in and around us. Churches (the body of believers) that are not active in sharing their faith begin looking inward instead of outward. This constant introspection leads us to only see problems and shortcomings. We become judgmental and critical rather than bearers of "Good News".

When you and I choose to share life with others, we begin to live a life filled with excitement and anticipation. Rather than going through the routine of everyday life, we will begin to look for opportunities that God gives us to speak into the life of someone else. A bi-product of this kind of living is growth. This growth should not surprise us because what we discover is that we are participating in the Great Commission that Jesus gave His followers. We cannot be a part of kingdom initiatives without being affected by the kingdom.

If you have reached a place in your spiritual walk where you feel that you are plateauing or declining - ask yourself "When was the last time I shared my faith?" The problem may be that we are not growing because we are not sharing. Commit yourself - by the grace of God - to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Ask God for opportunities to share the life that He has given you. Then...BE READY to share with those people that God puts in your path.

I pray that you will be active in sharing your faith so that YOU can come into a full understanding of all the good things that you have in Christ! I also pray that you are effective. Who knows? You may be able to lead someone into new life in Christ.