Professing Faith to the Faithless
One of the biggest concerns I hear from Christians today is how exactly do we profess our faith to those void of it. It is often viewed as the church's or pastors duty to preach the gospel to unbelievers; as if church's or pastors have this super power to turn hearts that lay-members don't.
This view sharply contradicts scripture; Mark 16:15 states that "He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." We see here that Jesus gives the command to us all, to go into the world to preach the gospel. Skip down to verse 17 and Jesus tell us exactly how we do that: "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Jesus tells us that the tools needed to effectively preach the gospel are miracles, signs and wonders.
Through our profession of the gospel, God wants to manifest his power in us. That is evident in Mark 16:17-18 with the "signs" that will follow believers. Picture it this way: You're in a store or at work and all of sudden someone falls ill. Now you could shy away from the spotlight and simply pray for them while they are being wheeled away on a stretcher or you could be bold and courageous and openly profess healing for them in Jesus name.
The first example is how many Christians profess the gospel; in this shy and retreating nature that lacks the boldness and courage modeled by Christ. The second example is how God wants us to preach the gospel: actively professing his name over situations and circumstances and allowing him to manifest himself through us. The gospel is eternally connected to the supernatural powers found in Christ. We see this in the ministry of Jesus. Miracles, signs and wonders followed him everywhere he went. From feeding the multitudes to casting out evil spirits, Jesus allowed God's manifested power to reach unbelievers. Christians today should be preaching the gospel in that same manner.
I believe the reason some Christians shy away from that bold expression of the gospel is rooted in the desire to be "normal". Christians sacrifice the more spiritual aspect of evangelism at the whim of not appearing "weird" to unbelievers. But God never intended for us to appear normal to the world. We are called to be set apart; not conformed to this world but transformed, we are called new creatures in Christ. It's God's desire to show the world, and everyone we minister to just how omnipotent he is. And maybe that requires you to step out of your comfort zone and do something you've never done before like prophecy on a street corner, or heal in a supermarket or whatever God leads you to do.
Professing faith to the faithless requires us to be lead by the Spirit. It requires us to be personal, and intimate with everyone we minister to. Evangelism cannot be summed up into a easily repeated marketing strategy, its something far more personal. Its relying on God to lead and guide you into personal ministry with everyone you encounter.
1. Professing faith to the faithless first requires us to put Christ back into the center of our ministry. If you go in with any other mindset other than to bring God glory, you have already failed. Professing the gospel doesn't always mean they are going to join you for church Sunday. You might never see that person again. We see that in Acts 8:39 with Philip and the Eunuch. Putting Christ in the center makes it all about that person receiving salvation; not about you or your church or numbers but all about God.
2. Professing faith to the faithless secondly requires a thorough knowledge of the gospel. How terrible would it be if someone came up to you with good news but only knew half of it. You would be left feeling hungry for the full message and quite upset that this person didn't have everything together before coming to you. In the same manner, Christians should have a thorough understanding of the gospel before professing it to unbelievers. That requires something very important: READING THE BIBLE!
3. Lastly professing faith to the faithless requires us leaving God room to do the supernatural. Breakthrough, deliverance and salvation all require the Holy Spirit. They require the supernatural part of our faith that goes beyond just proclaiming the love Jesus has for us. For some hearts salvation might require God to heal them of their afflictions; for others it might be a prophecy. Whatever and however God wants to use you to minister his Gospel, do it! Leave room in your heart and ministry to allow God to be God in your life.
In Acts chapter 3, we see how God doesn't use money or a fancy building to reach the crippled beggar; he doesn't use an award winning worship team or a well organized conference. He uses two men who gave nothing but Christ. Using faith and healing power through Christ they healed a man. This act opened the door to allow them to address and even larger crowd, widening their impact for Christ.
All in all, ministering the gospel to nonbelievers is a commandment for all Christians, it is the bedrock of our faith. The greatest love we can have for our fellow man is the desire for them to receive the same life-changing salvation we did. God has given us the all the tools needed to share the gospel: the holy spirit and gifts and callings. Professing our faith will require us to step outside our comfort zones, to take risk and jump out further than we have ever jumped before.
For some of us God has called us to uproot our lives and move to a different region to minister the gospel, for others he may have called you to your local community. No matter your title or position or where God has called you, the obligation is still the same: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
