Do you consider yourself an evangelist? Sometimes we assume evangelism is for professionals, people in ministry, or those who feel especially gifted in this area. But evangelism is the calling of every believer. When we said "yes" to Jesus, we also said "yes" to the Great Commission.
In 2 Timothy 4, Paul gives us insight into the heart we should all carry as evangelists:
"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
Grace without Truth
It is worth emphasizing that Paul begins his instructions with a serious warning. He reminds Timothy that he charges him with this call in the presence of Christ, who will judge the living and the dead. What matters is not what other people say or think, but what Jesus thinks. He is our Judge.
Paul goes on to explain that there will come a time when people will not put up with sound teaching. Rather than coming under the authority of God and His word, they will elevate their own opinions and seek out teachers who will affirm them. This has never been easier than it is today. If my pastor says something I don't agree with, I can go to the church down the street or choose from thousands of teachings to listen to online. This has caused a lot of teachers to shy away from difficult or controversial truths in order to keep people around or make the gospel more "attractive."
If we're honest, many Christians now feel embarrassed by certain biblical teachings, God's holiness, His judgment, the reality of hell. We fear what our culture will think. We fear losing friends or being labeled. But our fear of God has to transcend our fear of man.
The moment Christ returns, every shred of human pride and self-confidence will melt. No one will care how popular they were on Earth. Every person will tremble before Him. So like Paul says, we need to stay sober-minded. That means preaching the whole Word of God, even if it means enduring reproach or suffering.
Truth without Grace
On the other hand, it's important to note that Paul instructs Timothy to reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching. Some people don't have a problem confronting sin or heresy, but they do it from a place of frustration and judgement. First Corinthians 13 says that if we understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have faith to move mountains, but lack love, we are nothing. Our words are just noise.
Our evangelism needs to come from a place of humility, remembering that but for the grace of God, we too would be utterly lost. And it should be the overflow of love that we have received from God that compels us to invite others in.
Some of you might not feel the urge to evangelize because you don't have meaningful relationships with unbelievers. There is nothing more natural than sharing the good news with someone you love deeply who is on the pathway to destruction. We have to be careful not to get stuck in a Christian bubble where we only interact with people who look and think like us. Jesus didn't just preach at lost people, he lived and ate among them. In fact, he spent so much time among them that it made the religious leaders of the day uncomfortable. If you don't feel brokenhearted for the lost, try spending more time with them!
Grace and Truth
The world is crying out for true compassion, empathy without compromise, love without restraint. We need to be people who are not ashamed of the full gospel. And we need to be people who, like Jesus, share the gospel with the kind of radical love and sacrifice that puts its beauty on display. This is the work we are all called to as evangelists, to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation that we were put on the Earth to do.
