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Point of Reference
by Fred Price
Nowhere is this statement more true than in evangelism, the dual roles defined in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. The first was fulfilled by God, “…who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” That part is finished, but the fact that our sins were nailed to the cross with Christ does not mean everyone is reconciled to Him. That only happens when we as individuals place our faith and trust in the redemptive work of Christ, expressed – at least in part – through repentance and obedience to his will. (See Romans 3:25)
The second role is to be filled by us, as we have been given,…the ministry of reconciliation…”; sharing the good news of the gospel and persuading people to apply that message to their lives. Paul explaining, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” (And even though initially, the Ambassadorship seemed to reside with Paul and those working with him, it actually applies to all who claim to follow Christ and seek to perpetuate His message.)
But what does it mean to be an ambassador? In Paul’s day, as well as our own, it means representing the king – or President, Premier, etc.; speaking on their behalf. It often compels us to relocate to another country or place within our own – at times certainly out of our comfort zone, learning a new language – or how to speak and relate to those who don’t talk and act like we do, respecting people with a different culture and not doing anything that would reflect poorly on our King and the culture He embodies. Of prime importance is communicating our King’s message – correctly and concisely – not adding or subtracting from his words; and then pressing for a decision, since Kings usually communicate with one another and their subjects concerning matters of crucial importance – while refraining from burning any bridges if matters aren’t immediately concluded to our complete satisfaction. A break in relations may ultimately come about if no understanding is reached, but diplomacy should always be allowed to work its way through the process of communication, resolution and varied courses of action.
You may be the first and only representative of Christ some of your unbelieving friends and family will ever encounter. Evangelism embracing a number of modes of transmission, its core effectiveness being derived from personal contact and trusting relationships. It is the responsibility of every believer (See Acts 1:8), privileging us with the opportunity to share in God’s work of grace. Involving ourselves in evangelism being an act of submission, acquiescing to God’s will in place of our own; making us vulnerable to a degree we may not enjoy. Doing something new and different because of Christ, even as we help others become renewed in Christ.
Our participation in evangelism depends largely in how we view it – as a chore that must be done or an opportunity to participate in something ordained by God – our love for Him and others compelling us to speak out in His cause. The goal and art of evangelism not necessarily based in personal persuasion on our part, but rather a personal decision people must ultimately make on their own, with some helpful guidance from us. Paul exhorting the Roman church to, “Never be lacking in zeal,…” Romans 12:11 Scripture elsewhere warning that, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,…” Proverbs 19:2; or compassion, patience, etc. (See Colossians 3:12 & 1 Peter 3:15)
Without relationship, we have no knowledge of the back-ground experiences and circumstances of the people we attempt to evangelize; in the end, often merely coming across as opinionated and pushy. In fact, Brian Jones reminds us that, “Effective personal evangelism is not an all-or-nothing, one-time, one-person, take-it-or-leave-it proposition. It’s a process that involves lots of people working together over time to bring someone to faith in Christ.”1 (See 1 Corinthians 3:5-9)
As such, one of the more immediate goals in this process should be to simply remove barriers keeping people from considering the claims of Christ; non-believers often having any number of impediments – some self-inflicted and some thrown in the way by others – that make a faith commitment slow in coming. If for no other reason, they may just need time to process all they’ve been told along the way. All of which calls for a certain amount of trust on our part, trusting in the process and ultimately trusting in the One in charge of the process. Two contradictory impulses being involved here, urgency in bringing people to Christ while fighting the assumption that if we don’t see them saved – they won’t be. A key to that kind of controlled intensity is a sensitivity – to the Holy Spirit as well as the person being led to a decision concerning Christ. An excellent place to start is in the realization that, “Christians are to be the good news before they share the good news.”2
Humans are relational beings by nature, and at its core Christianity is a relational religion, thus Jesus’ command for us to, “…go and make disciples…” Matthew 28:19 Necessitating that we, “…proclaim (the message of Christ clearly)… Be(ing) wise in the way you act toward outsiders; mak(ing) the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:26 (The term salt, here and in Mk.9:50, referencing salt’s flavoring of an otherwise dull meal or “conversation” and/or its capacity to “save” or preserve food/people. Ironically, it only takes a little bit to accomplish all that good, too much being destructive to the very thing it is meant to enhance.) Theologian Lewis Chafer writing, “When led of the Spirit, the child of God must be as ready to wait as to go, as prepared to be silent as to speak.” 3 Leading people to Christ, not pushing them to Him.
However, waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing, it really draws on the idea of being prepared to act at the opportune moment, of expectantly looking for that moment without forcing it on people; at times speaking loudest when we say little to nothing at all.
1From, Hell Is Real (But I Hate To Admit It), Cook Publishing
2Joe Aldrich, as quoted by Bill Hybills in, Becoming A Contagious Christian, Zondervan Publishing
3From, Christian Quotes On Obedience To God, found in dailychristianquotes.com
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Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.
Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker. He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today. Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.
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