Could not sharing the Gospel effect your salvation?

[Clare73]

Well said. But for each of us, it is still a question of talents. Many have been blessed with the capability of talking and choose not to.

I'm thinking it's not about the capability of talking, but about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

[1Tonne]

I'm thinking it's not about the capability of talking, but about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8
So, the Holy Spirit was given to us so that we would go out and be His witnesses to all the ends of the earth. Just as in the great commision.
There is a pastor over in China by the name of Brother Yun who helps run the underground church. He said a really good quote:
"The church today lacks this. The Holy Spirit descended as a tongue, and it is the Spirit that transforms our tongues. The disciples received a message and those that couldn’t talk became preachers. They received power, clarity and boldness and they started preaching the Gospel." Brother Yun"
As soon as the Holy Spirit came down, the believers started telling everyone around about the good things He has done (Acts Chapter 2). They spoke with power, and boldness and with such clarity that people from other nations understood what they were saying. So, we should not stifle the Holy Spirit by saying that we have not been given that anointing. The Holy Spirit was given so that we could go out and speak.

 

[Bobber]

Often, they hide behind the pretence that not everyone has been called to share the Gospel. They say it is only the evangelists. Sadly, in my town, most people think this way. And because of this, within the last 40 years, I have never seen a believer out there sharing the Gospel with the lost. We need to step out of our comfort zone and do as Jesus commanded. (God has given these people talents but they do not put them to work)

I suppose I can agree with you but one thing about threads like this is it guilts people. Perhaps a better approach is to share mutiple and variety of ways to show people how they can do so in a very comfortable way.....many don't know where to start or how to bring up the subject....so what's the best ways you have seen to do this? It would be good to see a thread talking about this so people can learn what has worked for others.

 

[AlexB23]

I suppose I can agree with you but one thing about threads like this is it guilts people. Perhaps a better approach is to share mutiple and variety of ways to show people how they can do so in a very comfortable way.....many don't know where to start or how to bring up the subject....so what's the best ways you have seen to do this? It would be good to see a thread talking about this so people can learn what has worked for others.

Amen brother. I was gonna say this. Hearing stuff about people trying to get me to evangelize others makes me just want to stay at home and finish up a good TV show, cos I am not that good at social interaction when it comes to convincing people to switch to Jesus.

 

[1Tonne]

I suppose I can agree with you but one thing about threads like this is it guilts people.

It will guilt those who know the good they ought to do and have not been doing it. If they had been telling people the Gospel, then they probably would not feel so guilty.

Perhaps a better approach is to share mutiple and variety of ways to show people how they can do so in a very comfortable way.....many don't know where to start or how to bring up the subject....so what's the best ways you have seen to do this? It would be good to see a thread talking about this so people can learn what has worked for others.

I have already done a few threads on how I evangelise but not many people look in the Missions, Evangelism & Witnessing section on this forum. Most people like to stick to theology and stuff like that. So, I thought I would put this thread up here in the hope that it would make people think, "How can I tell people the Gospel?"
Before sharing the Gospel, I found it best to have a good understanding of what the Gospel is. Many believers think that spreading the Gospel is simply doing good deeds. But this is only a witness to our character and then when we do say the Gospel, our actions verify what we are saying, thus giving honour to God. So, good deeds are not the Gospel.
Paul explained what the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5.
Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,...
So, the Gospel is that Christ died for our sins, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day. He died in our place for our sin.
A good place to start when sharing the Gospel is to see what Jesus did. Jesus said that the world hated Him because He told them of their evil deeds. Thus, He was pointing out people's sin which showed them their need for a saviour. We see this with the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Then Jesus took him through some of the 10 commandments to show him how he fell short. Once people have seen their need for a saviour, we can then share the Gospel.

So, this is a couple of threads that show what I do.

The Great Chocolate Evangelizing trick - This works.

I have been trying to find easy ways to approach non-believers and then tell them the Gospel. I personally find going up to a stranger and saying the full Gospel very scary. I read on this forum about a challenge where the stranger must name all the 10 Commandments in 60 seconds. If they get...

www.christianforums.com

or

First time using a Flipchart for evangelism in public

Hi Guys. We have an event in our town called "Baldrics Big Day Out.". Me and 2 other men went to this event with flipcharts that tell the Gospel by doing one on one evangelism. This was my first time using a flipchart and so I had practised a lot before I went out (10-15 hours). While doing this...

www.christianforums.com

And a picture of me out there doing it.

Told the Gospel to 45 people.

Went with 2 others to our town's agricultural meet where there were thousands of people. I was able to tell 45 people the Gospel by doing 1 to 1 evangelism using a flipchart. The other 2 that I was with also told many. Out of the 45 people that I told, there were 2 people that I was able to pray...

www.christianforums.com

This type of evangelism can also be done without chocolate bars or a flipchart. Check out Ray Comfort from Living Waters. He has been doing this for over 50 years. So he knows his stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIMAX6WHtnhBZQN47uyPlmaokO9NXodrU

 

[1Tonne]

Amen brother. I was gonna say this. Hearing stuff about people trying to get me to evangelize others makes me just want to stay at home and finish up a good TV show, cos I am not that good at social interaction when it comes to convincing people to switch to Jesus.

In the private messages, you have told me your situation. And it is different to most. You will naturally have issues interacting. But just remember that you can always support someone who is sharing the Gospel, or you can give out Gospel tracts. And when giving out tracts, you don't have to even approach people face to face. You can leave them in Library books or leave them at a table in a restaurant (leave a tip as well), or maybe on a park bench. Get creative. People always pick up the Million Dollar note tracts.

 

[Lukaris]

I believe we all must have some role in the Great Commission ( Matthew 28:18-20 etc.). I would think our basic commitments spring from what each person is capable of doing. For most of us, I think, this involves prayer ( Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 9:36-38 etc.) and what we can afford from our wages which includes basic charity ( Matthew 6:1-4, Isaiah 58:6-14 etc.).

We have to grow in grace ( 2 Peter 3:18 etc) and go as far as God leads us ( I think). There are no exemptions. We may not all be direct ministers but we bear each other’s burden ( Galatians 6:2).

 

[Clare73]

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8

And to whom was Jesus speaking? (hint: v.2)

So, the Holy Spirit was given to us so that we would go out and be His witnesses to all the ends of the earth.

 

[1Tonne]

And to whom was Jesus speaking? (hint: v.2)

So, you believe that it is only the apostles who need to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth? We have no responsibility to love the lost?

 

[Clare73]

So, you believe that it is only the apostles who need to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth? We have no responsibility to love the lost?

Straw man. . .

It is the responsibility of the church to preach the gospel, and she does so through those with the gift of evangelism, which is not everyone, just as it is the responsibility of the church to teach doctrine and she does so through those with the gift of teaching, which is not everyone.

 

[AlexB23]

In the private messages, you have told me your situation. And it is different to most. You will naturally have issues interacting. But just remember that you can always support someone who is sharing the Gospel, or you can give out Gospel tracts. And when giving out tracts, you don't have to even approach people face to face. You can leave them in Library books or leave them at a table in a restaurant (leave a tip as well), or maybe on a park bench. Get creative. People always pick up the Million Dollar note tracts.

That might be a better idea. I may think about putting tracts in library books, but also have to be careful, as I use my local library a lot for renting anime, historical fiction and documentary DVDs. I don't want to ruin my relationship with the library.

 

[1Tonne]

Straw man. . .

It is the responsibility of the church to preach the gospel, and she does so through those with the gift of evangelism, which is not everyone, just as it is the responsibility of the church to teach doctrine and she does so through those with the gift of teaching, which is not everyone.

You have still not read Ephesians 4:11-12. I will underline the part you are missing.
"And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ;"
The gifting is for the church so that the people in the church can then be outwardly focused.

 

[Oneofhope]

It seems clear according to the Bible that if a person who claims to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, they are held captive by God with the express Purpose of spreading the Message about His Son.

The above is one of many great ways to determine if we may or may not be "saved." Are we held captive by God with the express Purpose of spreading the Saving Plan of Jesus Christ? We either relate to that statement or we do not. If we are not sharing the Saving Plan of Christ, we are probably not YET held captive by God, and held as His Property. In other words, a person who is not compelled beyond his or her own capacity to first learn and then accurately spread the Message, is not likely yet a genuine child of God.

 

[tdidymas]

Do you have a verse that says we are not all called to share the Gospel?

It appears to me that your brand of "sharing the gospel" is personal evangelism, and not every Christian can do that. In 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote of the church that some are the mouth and some the ears and some the hands or feet. The ears listen, they don't talk. The hands do, they don't talk. The feet go, they don't talk. It looks to me like you are proving my words true, that every evangelist I talk to wants everyone to be an evangelist. Like the mouth wants the whole body to be a mouth.

The way we act is not the Gospel, but it is a witness, and we can either be a good witness or a bad witness. If I were talking to someone downtown and a passerby heard me use God's name as a cuss word that would not be very good. Then if I were to go to a park a few days after this and say the Gospel to that same passerby, my words that I say have been tainted because of my previous conduct. He would think to himself, "This fuller does not even truly believe himself because he uses his own God's name as a cuss word." So, I am therefore not a good witness. My actions did not bring Glory to God but instead a disgrace. Our actions substantiate our words. Therefore, bringing Glory to God.
We should all be excited to tell others what Christ has done for us. If we deserve eternal death but now, we have life because of Jesus. Why would you not want to tell everyone? It is better than winning lotto. This excitement should overflow out of our mouths.
We are not all called to be street preachers, but we should all want to tell as many people as possible the Gospel. Maybe our place to share is at work or at school. But we should all be telling people about the excitement within us.

Each person who is serving God is excited to serve God in their own way. If you pressure someone to do personal evangelism when they aren't called to do so, they find themselves like a fish out of water. It's a good way to kill someone's excitement for the Lord.

You are arguing the opposite. You are saying that the great commission was only given to evangelists. But I believe it was given to the whole church.

The whole church, by doing what they are called to do, and what they desire to do, are being the light of the world. Some are the talkers, and some are the doers. By DOING something of what Christ commanded, we are sending out the message of our faith in Christ. What we do is a form of preaching. But it appears to me that you want everyone to preach the gospel even when they have no talent or calling to do so. What you suggest is that if a Christian isn't a "gospel activist" to everyone they meet, that they are disobeying Christ. That simply is not so.

Correct. We are not all called to be street preachers. This does not mean you don't have to tell people the exciting, good news that Jesus did for you. It should be an overflowing of your heart. We should want to tell as many people as possible. It would be unloving not to.

Telling someone what Jesus did for us is a testimony, not "sharing the gospel" in the way you suggest in your conversation. In addition to that, it is proper to "be ready to give account of your faith" if someone asks. Not be an activist to push your testimony on people who are not interested.

I know a person who has a serious disability and struggles to talk to people. But because he has an excitement within him, he gives out Gospel tracts.
We do not have to be skilled at speaking to even share the Gospel. We can give out tracts. It should overflow.

I also hand out tracts when appropriate, but I'm not an activist like you suggest every Christian ought to be.

That is like saying we should always be ready to say our testimony, but we don't have to say what we actually believe in.
We believe that we were under God's wrath because we have all sinned, but because of the great sacrifice, we can now be with Him forever.

Many Christians aren't mature enough to know what to say to people. If someone knows the Apostles Creed and recites it to someone who is interested, then they are saying what they believe. That's different than giving testimony of what God has done for the individual. It should be done when appropriate, not to everyone. In fact Jesus Himself passed up many people on the street. He only ministered personally to people who showed some faith. He did not go out of His way to preach the gospel to people who weren't interested. This flies in the face of your "Why would you not want to tell everyone" idea.

My whole point is that I'm objecting to your admonition to people who might read this thread that they aren't doing enough. It looks to me like you are trying to put a religious burden on people by means of a guilt trip. I just don't see your excitement, as it seems to be buried under a pile of false judgment. You said:

All are called to preach the Gospel to the lost. So, we are all called to be evangelists.

I'm saying this is not true. Some are evangelists, as indicated in Eph. 4:11. Those without that gift should do other things, which they will be excited to do, once they get clear about how God has called them to serve.

 

[tdidymas]

It seems clear according to the Bible that if a person who claims to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, they are held captive by God with the express Purpose of spreading the Message about His Son.

The above is one of many great ways to determine if we may or may not be "saved." Are we held captive by God with the express Purpose of spreading the Saving Plan of Jesus Christ? We either relate to that statement or we do not. If we are not sharing the Saving Plan of Christ, we are probably not YET held captive by God, and held as His Property. In other words, a person who is not compelled beyond his or her own capacity to first learn and then accurately spread the Message, is not likely yet a genuine child of God.

The Bible says "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." But you are saying "Everyone who is not a personal evangelist is not a child of God." You are proving the words of James who wrote "let not many of you be teachers, because he who teaches will incur greater judgment."

You should take great care about trying to teach something other than the grace of God for motivating assurance of salvation.

 

[Oneofhope]

The Bible says "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." But you are saying "Everyone who is not a personal evangelist is not a child of God." You are proving the words of James who wrote "let not many of you be teachers, because he who teaches will incur greater judgment."

You should take great care about trying to teach something other than the grace of God for motivating assurance of salvation.

What, exactly, would you say that I cannot back up with Scripture?

And by the way, considering how you just launched yourself at me, I hope you don't have children.

 

[1Tonne]

In 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote of the church that some are the mouth and some the ears and some the hands or feet.

God did make us all different. Some he made to be ears, some he made to be hands, some he made to be a mouth and some he made to be feet.
If you are an ear, listen to people's problems and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are a hand, mow someone's law and weed their garden and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are a mouth, teach people and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are feet, walk to the parks or down the street and then tell people the Gospel.

We do have different giftings and abilities and with these, we should bring Glory to God. We should not use our gifts as an excuse not to give God glory.
I am a foot. I often choose to go to the parks and give God glory. Sometimes I am a hand and I share the Gospel. Sometimes I listen to people and then I tell the Gospel.

Each person who is serving God is excited to serve God in their own way. If you pressure someone to do personal evangelism when they aren't called to do so, they find themselves like a fish out of water. It's a good way to kill someone's excitement for the Lord.

Once again, we do have different giftings that God has given us.
Many people often say my gifting is one of helps. So, they are a hand. They spend year after year doing good deeds and then never speak about the awesome thing that God did for them. So, nobody knows what this person believes in. If God is not spoken of, their good deeds do not give glory to God. We need to learn to open our mouths to speak of His awesome sacrifice.
In saying this, many believers do not know how to say the Gospel clearly and effectively. So, if you truly believe that your neighbour is under God's wrath, take the time and prepare a defence for the hope that is within you. I had to do this and it took me months to be able to say it.

Telling someone what Jesus did for us is a testimony, not "sharing the gospel" in the way you suggest in your conversation. In addition to that, it is proper to "be ready to give account of your faith" if someone asks. Not be an activist to push your testimony on people who are not interested.

Gospel means, "Good Speil". Or Good Talk. Or as we now say it, Good News.
If we tell of Jesus' great sacrifice, and what He did for us, then we are talking about the testimony of Him. So, we are saying the Gospel. That is, we have sinned and deserve death, but He took our place by dying on the cross for us.
Many people only tell their own testimony. Your testimony is not the power of God unto salvation. It is only a reason for your belief in Him. For instance, a person may say, "I believe in God because I heard His voice late one night". This answers why the person believes, but it does not say who God is. The Gospel says who He is. He is our saviour.

He only ministered personally to people who showed some faith.

So we do not have to preach the Gospel to all creation? Who do I obey, you or Jesus? I will stick with what Jesus told us to do.

Some are evangelists, as indicated in Eph. 4:11. Those without that gift should do other things, which they will be excited to do, once they get clear about how God has called them to serve.

In my town, everyone has taken the same approach as you and so for the last 40 years, nobody has taken the Gospel in the streets or parks. We have all just left the lost to be lost
Also, you missed the second part of Eph 4:11 because it continues to verse 12. The gift of evangelism is, "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ". So, the gifting is for the saints. It is for the church so that we can equipped to go out and share the Good News. We are all to evangelise but someone with the gift of evangelism will have the ability to teach others to do so as well.

The Bible says "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." But you are saying "Everyone who is not a personal evangelist is not a child of God." You are proving the words of James who wrote "let not many of you be teachers, because he who teaches will incur greater judgment."

You should take great care about trying to teach something other than the grace of God for motivating assurance of salvation.

I do not believe that 2ndTim was saying that. He was saying that if you have a true belief, then it would be wrong not to share the Gospel. Even Charles Spurgeon understood this. He said, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!"
Our actions substantiate our true beliefs. People can fool themselves into thinking that they believe in something just by saying "I believe", when in fact, they don't truly believe. For instance. If you are going skydiving for the first time, while you are on the ground you may say, "I am not afraid, I trust my parachute." But then when it comes down to the crunch and you are up at 10000 feet about to jump, you may say, "On second thoughts, it is a long way down and I don't want to die." So, your actions substantiate your true beliefs. Those truly believe will act in accordance with that belief. So, if you truly believe your neighbour is under God's wrath, then you will act accordingly. You would warn them. It would be unloving not to warn them.
James 2:24 says "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only."

 

[Oneofhope]

God did make us all different. Some he made to be ears, some he made to be hands, some he made to be a mouth and some he made to be feet.
If you are an ear, listen to people's problems and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are a hand, mow someone's law and weed their garden and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are a mouth, teach people and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are feet, walk to the parks or down the street and then tell people the Gospel.

We do have different giftings and abilities and with these, we should bring Glory to God. We should not use our gifts as an excuse not to give God glory.
I am a foot. I often choose to go to the parks and give God glory. Sometimes I am a hand and I share the Gospel. Sometimes I listen to people and then I tell the Gospel.


Once again, we do have different giftings that God has given us.
Many people often say my gifting is one of helps. So, they are a hand. They spend year after year doing good deeds and then never speak about the awesome thing that God did for them. So, nobody knows what this person believes in. If God is not spoken of, their good deeds do not give glory to God. We need to learn to open our mouths to speak of His awesome sacrifice.
In saying this, many believers do not know how to say the Gospel clearly and effectively. So, if you truly believe that your neighbour is under God's wrath, take the time and prepare a defence for the hope that is within you. I had to do this and it took me months to be able to say it.


Your testimony is not the power of God unto salvation. It is only a reason for your belief in Him

So we do not have to preach the Gospel to all creation? How do I obey, you or Jesus? I will stick with what Jesus told us to do.

In my town, everyone has taken the same approach as you and so for the last 40 years, nobody has taken the Gospel in the streets or parks. We have all just left the lost to be lost
Also, you missed the second part of Eph 4:11 because it continues to verse 12. The gift of evangelism is, "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ". So, the gifting is for the saints. It is for the church so that we can equipped to go out and share the Good News. We are all to evangelise but someone with the gift of evangelism will have the ability to teach others to do so as well.


I do not believe that 2ndTim was saying that. He was saying that if you have a true belief, then it would be wrong not to share the Gospel. Even Charles Spurgeon understood this. He said, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!"
Our actions substantiate our true beliefs. People can fool themselves into thinking that they believe in something just by saying "I believe", when in fact, they don't truly believe. For instance. If you are going skydiving for the first time, while you are on the ground you may say, "I am not afraid, I trust my parachute." But then when it comes down to the crunch and you are up at 10000 feet about to jump, you may say, "On second thoughts, it is a long way down and I don't want to die." So, your actions substantiate your true beliefs. James 2:24 says "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only."

What an outstanding post. I like how you included "sharing the Gospel" with each Spiritual limb you listed above. So many think that because they're an ear, for example, this lends them a strong argument (in their own mind) that they are not obligated to actually talk to people about the Salvation Plan of Christ. It simply isn't true. When a person is Redeemed by Christ and is made Right with God, that person becomes the captive of the Lord Himself. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 tells us that the purpose for this captivity is that each of God's Children [will] spread the Message of His remarkable Son. Just as we had no choice but to obey the Devil, prior to our Romans 12:2 Transformation, we will have no choice but to first learn about Christ, becoming confident in His Salvation Plan, and then to begin speaking about the things we are learning.

If we have studied the Old Testament, we will nearly instinctively know that God controlled the thoughts, decisions, and actions of humans and animals, and the Lord even controlled dead things, such as earth, rock, water, etc. The Scriptures also tell us that the very Love that God has for Jesus will also be planted within His Children. This is an example of how God places His desires within us so that within our own minds, we would say that our desires are from ourselves. But, this simply is not the way of our God; this is not the way of the Historical Bible. So the point is, is that our desire to speak about the Story of God and the Salvation Plan of Christ becomes as natural as experiencing hunger pangs. Just as we are hungry to eat food, we become hungry to know Christ and speak about Him to real people whom we meet, hopefully, face to face.

 

[ARBITER01]

I'm thinking it's not about the capability of talking, but about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Exactly.

People are changed when GOD places His anointing upon them and The Holy Spirit then rests upon them in power. That's when major moves of GOD happen, when thousands upon thousands are saved from observing the miracles happening from GOD.

When Maria Woodworth Etter would go to a certain area, that place would be on fire for the next 6 months. They would have at least 3 services a night, every night, and most of the services running over into another. Then she would go to another place and the same thing would happen all over. She was a walking, moving revival because of GOD's anointing upon her. The Holy Spirit was able to operate through her in power because of that anointing. She had went through her trials in the wilderness and received her crown of life.

Without those trials after our born again experience, we are nothing, and we are only capable of carnal activities. It is GOD Who is to make things happen through us, to His glory/credit, and that requires His anointing,.... unless people want to keep trying to work with gimmicks, like various social programs to keep people occupied while hoping it increases their membership.

 

[tdidymas]

What, exactly, would you say that I cannot back up with Scripture?

I thought I made that clear. You said:

The above is one of many great ways to determine if we may or may not be "saved."

I am objecting to you claiming that determining if we are saved (or not) depends on whether or not we are "spreading the message".

Well, perhaps I should have first asked you what exactly do you mean by "spreading the message." Can you describe this in detail?

And by the way, considering how you just launched yourself at me, I hope you don't have children.

Children who are humble are accepting, not rejecting.