Missions 101

I have been doing evangelism for years and in all my training, I cannot remember ever learning how to use the Law in evangelism.  In the past, my evangelism efforts have started with telling someone that God loves them, just mentioning that we are all sinners, and that if they believe in Jesus they will go to heaven when they die.  Of course that is very simplistic, and I have usually explained it better than that.  However, I think many people probably just hear that simplistic presentation, and never feel convicted of their own sin.  I don’t think I have ever really understood that it’s not enough to say that we are all sinners, and it’s not enough to say we need to believe in Jesus.  There is more that needs to be said, and Luther has helped me tremendously to see how the Law is necessary for converting the soul.  When Luther says, “the Law”, he does not mean the whole Pentateuch; he means the Ten Commandments.  In his understanding, that’s generally how Scripture understands the Law.  Luther is very clear that we cannot offer the comfort of the gospel without first leading people to despair of their sin through the Law.  The Law wounds, and the gospel heals.  Luther did not want gospel presentations to be so focused on the wrath of God that people would be fleeing His wrath out of fear, but he wanted them to flee God’s wrath because they knew they were sinners and they despaired of their sin.  This despair of sin only comes through the conviction of the Law.  I’ve heard it said, “we don’t want fear-filled converts, but tear-filled converts”.  I think this statement reflects Luther’s view of using the Law to convict and drive the sinner to despair and flee to Christ. 

A problem in churches today is that there are many false converts who have been wrongly assured that they are heaven-bound based solely on a past decision or even a simplistic, rote prayer.  When Charles Finney introduced the altar call and a quick decision card as the method of leading someone in conversion, this easy-believism morphed through the generations and today we are reaping what he has sown in American evangelicalism.  The doctrines of persevering faith and ongoing repentance have been eclipsed by easy-believism and cheap grace.  One reason why there is so little repentance in new “converts” could be because their consciences have not been wounded by the law.  In order to produce genuine contrition, sinners need to feel broken under the demands of the law.  Then, and only then, will sinners flee the wrath to come and fly to Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and Treasure.  The use of the law to break the sinner in order to receive the balm of the gospel was the method of Jesus, Paul, the Apostolic Fathers, the Reformers, the Puritans, and great preachers such as Spurgeon, Whitefield, Wesley, Edwards, and Lloyd-Jones.  Psalm 119 says: “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”

Dr. Don Whitney is professor of Biblical Spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He has a great website with helpful resources for growing in biblical spirituality.  I have greatly appreciated his heart for missions and evangelism, which he sees as part of mature Christian spirituality.  He has a great resource with suggestions for how to turn a conversation into an opportunity to share the gospel.  I have found many of his suggestions very helpful for naturally steering a conversation to the gospel.  I hope you will find his suggestions fruitful in your evangelistic efforts.

As 2012 comes to an end and 2013 looms, I reflect once again on the nature of the gospel. Our work in training pastors is to help them understand the gospel, practice it in their lives, and proclaim it to others, all with a view to helping the nations worship God when they have understood him through the gospel. In thinking through how God has used TLI and many other ministers of the gospel, I cannot help but think again on the nature of the gospel of which we are all ambassadors. Following are some observations on what the gospel is. These are not new, but simply reminders of what we already believe and hold onto. We must be reminded of these things lest we became lazy and presume to know them when we don’t. 

Definition

Simply, the gospel is the good news about God (and Christ). It is a message of salvation addressed to a lost world, that tells what God has done to save sinners and how those saved ought to live before God. The high point of the gospel is not what we must do to be saved but what God has done in Christ to save us.

The Nature of the Gospel Message

As we proclaim the gospel message, there are certain elements that we must be conscious of and take seriously. Only then will we proclaim it well and expect it to do its work. We note the following elements of the gospel:

The Gospel is Power

The gospel is God’s power that accomplishes salvation for all who believe (Rom. 1:16). God works through the gospel message to bring people to himself. Through the gospel, those who believe are reconciled to God, redeemed, delivered, and justified (see Rom 3:23, 24; 8:1; 1 Cor. 15:1, 2; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Tim. 1:15; cf. Acts 3:13; 4:27).

Source of the Gospel

The source of the gospel or the author of the gospel is God and Christ. We read that it is “the gospel of God” (1 Thess. 2:9), or “the gospel of Christ” (1 Thess. 3:2). God and Christ as the source of the gospel mean that both are the author of salvation. As such, it is not from man (Gal. 1:11, 12; 2:16) since man cannot produce the means for his own salvation. He is unable to do so and so depends only on God (Eph. 2:1, 5, 9). Therefore, from beginning to end, it is God alone who works in Christ to save man.

Emphasis of the Gospel

In the gospel message, the emphasis is not on man but on God. The emphasis is placed on God’s sovereign work to save, and his unmerited grace. Thus, it is the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24; see also Rom. 3:23-24; Eph. 2:6-10; Titus 3:4-7).

The Message of the Gospel

What does the gospel communicate? Again, we look to Scripture for an answer. We find that the message of the gospel centers on the person of Jesus Christ. It reports the historical events surround the life of Christ (Luke 1:1; 24:14, 18) and centers on his death and resurrection, all in fulfillment of Scripture (1 Cor. 15:1-5; Acts 2:23; cf. Gal. 2:20). His death was a saving event, in that he died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:4). His resurrection was for the vindication of Jesus (Acts 2:23, 24; 3:13-15; 5:30, 31), vindication of God (Rom. 3:25-26), and for our justification (Rom. 4:25) 

Witnesses of the Gospel

By witnesses, we are referring to the evidence that supports the gospel message. The apostles appealed to evidence to support their gospel, and that evidence is Scripture itself (1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Rom. 3:21; Acts 26:22, 23). All of the Old Testament bears witness to Jesus, who is the center of the gospel (see Luke 24:24ff). The apostles themselves were witnesses of the gospel message, so what they proclaimed was true (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:48; Mark 3:14; John 15:26; Acts 2:32). The witness of the Old Testament and the apostles is primary in giving support to the truthfulness of the gospel message. 

Demands of the Gospel

The gospel demands repentance, faith, and baptism. The gospel clearly calls sinners to accept the gospel and repent from sin (Acts 3:19; 17:30; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25), and turn to Christ in faith.  The gospel is not something to be ashamed of, since it is the power of God and through it God saves sinners (Rom. 1:16, 17; Gal. 3:11; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 2:12, 13). The gospel then appeals very strongly that we be reconciled with God (2 Cor. 5:20) and this is more so because there is no other means of salvation except the means provided by God.

Messengers of the Gospel

Knowing the implications of the gospel, how are sinners to hear it in order to be saved by it? God does not only send the gospel, he sets aside people to proclaim its message (Rom. 1:1). Those set apart for the gospel feel an obligation to proclaim it (Rom. 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:16). We can say that all believers are indeed ambassadors (messengers) of the gospel of God’s grace (2 Cor. 5:20).

Gospel Affirmation

Those who believe the gospel must affirm Jesus; that Jesus is Lord and Christ (Rom. 10:9; 14:9; Phil. 2:9-11; Acts 2:36; 5:31); that God has exalted him at his right hand and therefore he rules over all (Acts 2:32-33; 10:36).

Promises of the Gospel

The gospel comes with promises, but not material promises. Rather, the gospel promises the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who believe (Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; 10:43; 13:38).

Being reminded over and over about the essential elements of the gospel helps us to keep these things in focus and communicate the gospel message to the nations in a way that is true to Scripture.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14).

Evangelism without a correct perspective can lead to wrong ways of thinking about  those who believe and those who reject the gospel. When one comes to faith in Christ, it is often said that he gave his life to Christ. Those who fail to believe are said to be choosing not to believe. Another way of putting this is to say that people exercise their free will when they hear the gospel, and they can chose either to believe or reject it. It is true that the gospel calls for real individual choice, but the gospel preacher must impart the correct view to those who believe and develop correct insight when people fail to believe. Paul had a perspective on evangelism that is very helpful.

He says in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

A reality in Paul’s preaching of the gospel was the fact that he knew not everyone would accept his message. There is a question from this passage that can cast light on evangelism: Why do people reject the gospel?

Why do people reject the gospel? 

Paul says in verse 3 that if the gospel is veiled; it is only veiled to those who are perishing. This statement brings to mind more questions: Who is veiling the gospel and for what purpose? Can the gospel be veiled? These are answered in verse 4. The god of this world (Satan) is the one veiling the gospel. Yet, the gospel cannot be veiled (in it is the glory of Christ). Therefore, the veiling discussed here is the blinding of the mind of unbelievers. The gospel is powerful and glorious, and the devil does not have the power to veil it. So, his best move is to blind the minds of those who do not believe. Why would he do that? Again in verse 4, his purpose is stated: “…to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” We can conclude that if the unbeliever were to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, he or she would necessarily believe. Consequently, the devil works to keep the mind from seeing.

To answer the question, people reject the gospel because their minds are blinded by Satan in order to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel. Therefore, those rejecting the gospel are not making a choice but are being kept from believing by a force outside of themselves. They are under the power of darkness. When someone says that the gospel makes no sense or is not true or cannot be trusted, etc. they are not speaking of their own. They are speaking from darkened minds that are blinded by the devil. They are not in control and therefore cannot see to believe.

Knowing this about unbelievers, we ought then to proclaim the gospel freely and in boldness, knowing that God will work to accomplish his purpose, even if there are those who reject it.

How then does one go from a blinded mind to a believing heart? Stay tuned for the next post.

Romans 16:25

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ...” 

Paul, in the closing of his letter to the church at Rome, gives this beautiful doxology, praising the only wise God.  What is this only wise God able to do?  Strengthen the Roman Christians.  Strengthen us today.  "Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…" God is able to strengthen by what means?  By the gospel. 

I count this verse as a beautiful gem illuminated to me by the Holy Spirit in our first weeks after moving to the mission field.  Within weeks after our arrival to Istanbul, Turkey, I hit the lowest low of my life.  Looking back, I can now see that much of what I went through was classic culture-shock which many long-term workers experience sometime during their first year or two on the field, mixed with my own sin issues that were brought to the surface in the midst transition and stress.  It was in those first few months that I faced a dark depression. 

I hated the dreary, evil sound of the call to prayer blaring from the crackling old loud speakers of the mosque just up the road.  I hated the prying, lusting eyes of the Turkish men unashamedly staring at me anytime I left our apartment, despite my modest decorum.  I felt exhausted by the three hour round trip commute standing on a crowded, smelly, hot bus to and from language class everyday.  Aside from that, I was drowning in the sin of my unbelief, insecurities, and jealousies of the seemingly all put-together energetic, happy, missionary wives raising their children, hosting and cooking for Turkish friends, and making it all look so easy.  It was in the midst of this culture-shock, depression, and face-to-face confrontation with my sinful heart that I began to plead with God for His powerful work in my life.  I knew that I was not going to make it on the mission field if He didn’t come and intervene in a deep, transforming way. 

Crying out to God, I pleaded with Him, “Lord, we moved our whole lives over to this Muslim country to preach the good news of the gospel, and yet that same gospel does not seem to be making a difference in me right now.  If your gospel is really the greatest message of all history, the one absolute truth that we must proclaim with boldness and love to those who are perishing, then it’s got to transform me daily, regularly, right now in the midst of my depression and sin.”  

And oh how God answered that pleading cry.  He led me to Romans 16:25, among other Scriptures. My husband Evan urged me to listen to a sermon by Pastor John Piper on Romans 16:25-27 that he had recently discovered on Desiring God Ministries’ website entitled, "God Strengthens Us by the Gospel."  And God opened my eyes for the first time to see that the gospel is able to make us strong.  Not strong as the world would define strength.  But the kind of strength that Christ Himself displayed in His living, dying, rising from the grave, ascending into heaven, and reigning forever.  The kind of strength that refuses to indulge in the fleshly calls of this world but rather entrusts itself to the all-wise, all-powerful, good and gracious care of our Heavenly Father.  Not perfect physical strength, but the kind of strength that is fortified by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is able to count Christ as the greatest gain and live and die in a way that dangerously loves people and says, “Christ is all.” 

Some people have asked us what has kept us going in the midst of the onslaught of daily challenges on the mission field.  Our answer:  the sheer grace of God revealed in the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  All that God has revealed Himself to be and promises to be for us in Christ.  The gospel is the reason we go to the mission field, and it is the reason we stay on the mission field.  The gospel is of utmost importance, worthy to be guarded, remembered, and stewarded to all people.  In the gospel we see the glory of Christ, and by God’s sanctifying work are made more like the Jesus we labor to proclaim.  And in the gospel we are strengthened to live and die to the glory of God.