Growing Christians Have Reason to Be Bolder in Evangelism

As we study the Scriptures, one learns very quickly that we cannot separate spiritual growth from evangelism. The closer we get to the heart of Christ, the closer we get to the people for whom He died. His heart bleeds for the lost. Mark 10:45 tells us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Luke 19:10 explains, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Those who live close to Christ capture His heart for the lost. They bleed for the same people He bleeds for. In some way or another, whether by helping with an evangelistic outreach through the church, witnessing to a lost person, or working for an evangelistic association, they want to be used by God to populate heaven.

Christian growth and consistent living is attained by studying the Word. As 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” That means every time we study the Bible, God wants to take out of our lives what should not be there and put in what should be there. This is exactly what God does when Christians study the Word. This enables them to live consistent Christian lives. Does that mean they never fail? Not for a moment. Despite mistakes and failures in Christian living, any who know them well will testify to the fact that they are growing believers—ones who are consistently learning more about the Savior and applying it to their lives.

How does that affect boldness in evangelism? For the very practical reason that growing believers do not have to consider witnessing to a lost person thinking, “I sure hope he doesn’t find out how I live and how I treat my family. I have to be sure he doesn’t find out how dishonest I am in business.” Instead, they can walk up to a lost person knowing that they are attempting to live a consistent Christian life.

Paul the apostle verifies how such consistency provides boldness. In 1 Thessalonians 2, as he talks about his witness among the Thessalonians, he says, “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe” (v. 10). Paul’s life was such a contrast to the lives of those around him, he could boldly talk of his relationship to the Savior.

Suppose that had not been Paul’s character and conduct. How could he have faced a Thessalonian society with courage telling them of a Savior who could pardon their sins and save them from eternal punishment? The understandable “pressure” one feels by living a deceitful, dishonest, two-tongued, and two-sided life melts away courage.

That does not mean God cannot use a hypocrite to lead people to Christ. More than once a church leader has led people to Christ while living a sinful life in secret. There are two ways God can work—through us or in spite of us. When He uses such people He is working in spite of them more than through them. As a speaker once said, “God sometimes uses a crooked arrow to hit His mark.” They probably would admit though that they do not experience the
consistent courage that one who is walking in step with the Savior experiences.

Boldness in evangelism is parallel to our growth as a Christian. As our walk with Christ increases, so does our boldness. When one is in love with the Savior, one’s foremost desire is to honor Him. What others think of us matters little. Our desire to honor God could not matter more.

Lifestyle Evangelism or Lifestyle Discipleship?

Lifestyle evangelism is exactly what it sounds like – as you live the life of Christ, you share the Christ of your life. It has always seemed strange to me that we only associate this concept to evangelism. Why don’t we call it “lifestyle discipleship”? We don’t because it is assumed that our lifestyle is showing the life of Christ in us. In other words, what we learn about Christ, we live out in our daily lives. The same should then be said of evangelism. What we learn about Christ we share with others in our daily lives.

James 1:22 says that we are to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” A strong statement that should be a motivation for every believer. James is sounding the warning loud and clear that plagues evangelism today – we love to hear and learn about evangelism tools techniques, and resources, but if we don’t do something with them, our lost friends remain just that – lost.

That’s the idea behind lifestyle evangelism. Like discipleship, evangelism becomes so much a part of your life that it is a natural extension of who you are as a believer. As you live the life of a follower of Christ, so you share the life of Christ with others. Yes, through your actions, but through your words as well. For if they see Christ in us but never hear about Christ, then they don’t know who it is that has given us this life and they don’t know how to find Him.

The emphasis in James is not on being the hearer, which is the easy part, but on being the doer of what we hear. One way to “do” is to develop lifestyle evangelism… a life that not only lives Christ, but shares Christ.

by: Mark Rae