Easier Said Than Done: Part 2 of Sharing the Gospel

Isn't it a no-brainer to share good news? And to embrace it?

Part 1 of Sharing the Gospel recognized the blessing many believers forgo by not sharing the Gospel. They miss out on God using them to impart a miracle. Let's consider the message and then why it fails to transmit so often.

The Good News!

What is this life-changing good news, this so-called Gospel?

God came to earth as a man, Jesus Christ, and sacrificed His blood to atone for our sins so we might enter into the presence of a purely righteous God. That, my friend, is good news . . . and THE Good News.

How do we tap into it? We agree with God that we are a sinner in need of a savior, we confess our sins and turn away from them with His help, and we ask Him to save us. Then, we make Him our Lord, which means He's the boss. No magical prayer saves us, but only the condition of our heart when it has yielded to Almighty God. We have access to Him because of the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Jesus proved His deity when He rose from the dead. Over five hundred witnesses saw Him in bodily form. It's a matter of historical record, as found in the Holy Bible.

Why Don't We Share It?

If the Gospel is life-changing, as simple as described above, and can be shared in so many ways, why are we so reluctant to do it?

There's an enemy at work, influencing both the person who can share the Gospel and the one yet to receive it. The Light of the Gospel dispels darkness, so the enemy has much at stake to prevent its spread.

Pride or self-doubt blocks us. We're concerned about what other people think of us. We want good relations with them and to avoid offending them.

And then there's apathy. Or lack of knowledge. The seed God planted in the believer at conversion may have received no nutrients to grow, no nurture with Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers. It's languishing, in dire need of a fresh breath from the Holy Spirit and a renewed commitment from the believer.

Life is not easy. Our focus, and along with it our priority, may have shifted to providing for our family or dealing with broken relationships. Maybe we're indulging in distractions to soothe the emptiness inside. And it's not politically correct to discuss religion or politics (except, it would appear, when hiding behind a computer screen) so we avoid it.

We may also need to earn the trust of an unbeliever before they will listen to us. Are we delivering the message with compassion or judgmentalism? To share the good news effectively, we must recognize our own lost condition apart from God's saving grace.

Why Aren't People Ready to Accept It?

Accepting the gift of salvation comes with a cost many people are unwilling to pay. It means surrendering control of one's life. And although God's power can set them free from what binds them and His precepts can protect them from the negative consequences of sin going forward, many people aren't willing to let go of the reins, can't see the benefits, or don't trust where this lack of control will lead them.

Anger from past hurts misdirected toward God, pride, and the indwelling of evil spirits are barriers God's Spirit will need to tear down before it is too late.

Maybe the Spirit has not yet enabled an unbeliever to recognize the Truth. Is that because the Spirit has not yet drawn them, or have they succumbed to a dark spirit doing its best to block the Light? That gives the rest of us something to pray about.

As in Part 1, maybe the unbeliever hasn't accepted the Gospel because they've never heard it, or it wasn't explained to them in plain English by someone who has experienced it for themselves. That someone could be me or you.

Let's not be the impediment that prevents the people around us from exchanging the cheap thrill of sin for the deep joy of knowing God.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

—Mark 16:15 NKJV

It's God's Battle

While believers should share the good news out of concern for others and in obedience to God, it's not our job to convince or convert unbelievers. In and of ourselves, we don't have that power. And coercion risks doing more harm than good. We're simply messengers. Anyone's choice to make peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ is God's battle and their decision. Only God's Spirit can draw them, convict them of their sins, and grant a saving knowledge of the Gospel.

That should take the pressure off us and the person we are sharing with. A person considering the most important decision they will ever make needs the space to make that decision of their own free will. We will respect them when we authentically share what the Bible says and what God has done in our lives. Then we leave the deciding up to them and God.

Check out Ten Ways to Share the Gospel on my personal blog.