Evangelism is sort of taboo in America. We read Matthew 28 and agree that Jesus has charged us to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – but somehow, it seems to me, we’ve excluded our own nation.
I’ve found myself often in America purposely avoiding evangelists. I’ve found myself in conversation saying just what I needed to say in order keep from denying my faith while also avoiding the perception that I’m trying to force my beliefs on someone else, like it’s disrespectful to share the Gospel in America because it makes us intolerant.
Coming from that culture into the race gave me two immediate fears about evangelism: the first being that I was very, very afraid of being perceived as intolerant or as someone who forces my beliefs on others.
The problem with that fear is that I do believe the words of the Bible. I believe it when Paul writes that scripture is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even to dividing bone and marrow (Hebrews 4:12) – I believe that ALL scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
I believe that there is one God who exists in a Trinity and who spoke all things into being and then formed and breathed his own life into mankind for the purpose of creating something to be in relationship with him in order to reflect His glory.
I believe mankind fell into sin and was separated from God because God is holy and we are not without being cleansed by the blood of Christ;
and I believe that accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to be restored to a right relationship with God,
which then gives us eternal life with God,
and also gives us access to the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22)-
and I believe that those characteristics become our personality through sanctification and replace the characteristics of our natural flesh,
which bear many names, but basically all represent
the one thing we absolutely cannot be without Jesus: Holy.
I BELIEVE those things.
I BELIEVE that life with Christ is full,
and that God provides,
and that God desires for His children to know Him as He knows us –
that we love Him as He loves us,
and that we know the life that He designed for us in community with Him.
But in America, I feel like I can’t talk about it.
Out here, though, I don’t have a choice, which brings me to the second fear I had about evangelism…
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