Guest Blogger at Church DNA

I recently responded to the following statement by Andy Stanley regarding the gospel over at Church DNA:

“If we were able to rewrite the script for the reputation of Christianity, I think we would put the emphasis on developing relationships with nonbelievers, serving them, loving them, and making them feel accepted. Only then would we earn the right to share the gospel.”

While I agree with Pastor Stanley’s emphasis on developing relationships with non-believers, I don’t believe it is necessarily a prerequisite to sharing the gospel. As believers, we are called to be “salt and light” in our dark world. This involves both loving people and sharing the gospel.

The two go hand in hand and balance is key. As we love and build relationships with people, God may give us the opportunity to share Christ at any time. It could be in the first five minutes or it might take months to get to that point.

In addition, the gospel itself is the “power of God unto salvation.” Anytime we share the gospel, it alone is enough to lead someone to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. I have seen people come to Christ by hearing an evangelistic message, reading a tract, or watching an evangelistic film. In all of these situations, the question was not whether or not someone earned the right to share. The message alone was enough. “Faith comes by hearing” (Romans 10:17), and anytime we communicate the gospel, it has the potential of changing someone’s life and eternal destiny forever.