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Christianity Today, December (Web-only), 2007 |

Excerpt

What Evangelism Isn't

We need to stop mistaking other Christian activities for the spreading of the gospel.

Mark Dever, excerpted and adapted from The Gospel and Personal Evangelism | posted 12/31/2007 08:45AM

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Apologetics can present wonderful opportunities for evangelism. Being willing to engage in conversations about where we came from or what's wrong with this world can be a significant way to introduce honest discussions about the gospel.

By far the greatest danger in apologetics is being distracted from the main message. Evangelism is not defending the virgin birth or defending the historicity of the resurrection. Apologetics is defending the faith, answering the questions others have about Christianity. It is responding to the agenda that others set. Evangelism, however, is following Christ's agenda, the news about him. Evangelism is the positive act of telling the good news about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation through him.

The Results of Evangelism

Finally, one of the most common and dangerous mistakes in evangelism is to misinterpret the results of evangelism—the conversion of unbelievers—for evangelism itself, which is the simple telling of the gospel message. Who can deny that much modern evangelism has become emotionally manipulative, seeking simply to cause a momentary decision of the sinner's will, yet neglecting the biblical idea that conversion is the result of the supernatural, gracious act of God toward the sinner?

When we are involved in a program in which converts are quickly counted, decisions are more likely pressed, and evangelism is gauged by its immediately obvious effect, we are involved in undermining real evangelism and real churches.

The Christian call to evangelism is a call not simply to persuade people to make decisions but rather to proclaim to them the good news of salvation in Christ, to call them to repentance, and to give God the glory for regeneration and conversion. We don't fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not converted; we fail only if we don't faithfully tell the gospel at all. Evangelism itself isn't converting people; it's telling them that they need to be converted and telling them how they can be.

From The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever copyright © 2007, adapted from pages 69-82. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

Related Elsewhere:

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism is available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

John G. Stackhouse Jr. addressed "What Conversion Is and Is Not" in a 2003 article.

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December (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51

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Louis Balley

Posted: January 14, 2008 8:05 AM


Wonderful.We have too much activities, programs and performances and there's a lack of demonstration of the power of the simple, real and living Truth of the Word. Praise Him!

steve

Posted: January 13, 2008 6:55 PM


words alone never converted anyone to any religion

EP	Posted: January 12, 2008 10:55 PM

Jesus laid down his life for us. I suppose we could be cool and accept that quietly and act accordingly. But don't you think its odd that he said that saving even one of these souls will cover a multitude of sins ? What is it that differentiates saved people from unsaved ? It is faith and gratitude to God with a will to stop our sinning. This is great for us who believe, but what about those who don't believe? We have to be gentle with those who God has brought to us as in most cases they've hit bottom. However with those God's brought to us that haven't hit bottom we have to be steadfast and strong willed. It seems we have to treat each one put before us in different ways to reach them. We're giving a message to people that they obviously don't want to hear, have problems, want answers, want food or just clean water. We develop our faith to address each one in whatever way they will be receptive, in some cases being pretty darned bold. I pray that boldness for us All.

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