Two very different approaches to evangelism!

I am somewhat grieved by how I once presented the Gospel to people. In my defense, it was how I was taught, but I fear I may have done some harm and I pray the Lord would somehow undo my errors through other messengers, as I will likely not see most of those people again.

What was my error? It was presenting a gospel that was both simple and easy. Now, I don't want to present a complicated gospel, because it is not really complicated at all. However, I also don't want to present an easy gospel for the sake of making it as non-offensive as possible to those I tell about Jesus.

What am I talking about you ask?

The simple and easy gospel goes like this - Jesus wants you in heaven real bad. He won't be fully happy unless He has you and if you will agree with (believe) some facts and pray a prayer, you can be sure you will go to heaven! The Bible has a few verses that, taken out of context, make this approach seem quite reasonable.

For instance:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

Rom. 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." (NKJV)

Both of these verses are 100% true and perfectly valid for use in evangelism. However, they also fail to tell the entire story. As all scripture is true, we must be able to reconcile these with other clear teachings of the Bible. The main question we must consider is what does it mean to believe in the Biblical/saving sense in these previous passages?

For example Jesus defines saving belief/faith in the following ways:

John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (NKJV)

Matt. 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (NKJV)

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. (NKJV)

Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (NKJV)

Is Jesus' offer of salvation simple? Yes, if He is Lord, set all your plans aside and follow Him, no matter what the cost! That is simple, but it is not easy!

Imagine the first sermon preached by Peter after Pentecost. Jesus has just been killed by the Jewish and Roman leaders and even the common people sided with the powers that be over the Messiah. With this hostile atmosphere in mind consider Peter's invitation to the people:

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (NKJV)

OK, so what would it be like to come forward and say, "I believe, I repent, I think Jesus is God, baptize me please - now"! Are you asking them to do something safe? Wouldn't it be better to ask everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes, so those who might cause the new believers grief won't know who has sided with Jesus over the ruling powers, both Jew and Gentile? What if you could pray a prayer and keep your old traditions and friends as they were? Wouldn't it be better to not make waves in your family or at your job? Would they or we be helping people if we make it sound like they can have their life as they want it and heaven also?

May it never be! A life not lived sold out to God through Christ, according to His word, in the power of the Holy Spirit is no prize! It really is better and necessary that we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, or as Jesus says, we can't have Him! 

Here me please - I am not talking about salvation by our works, but rather salvation by grace through faith in Jesus' work on the cross, that results in us doing works, because we do believe He is Savior and Lord!

Now, I want to make one final and very important point: Not only is Jesus' way of salvation both simple and hard at the same time, it is actually impossible (without His supernatural help) and for that reason it is 100% God glorifying, unlike the simple, easy and unfortunately less thorough method I once presented!

Why/how would anyone give up the visible things and relationships of this world for an invisible kingdom?

Here is what Jesus said:

John 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  (NKJV)

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (NKJV)

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. (NKJV)

Luke 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (NKJV)

Romans describes our unwillingness to accept God's terms like this:

Rom. 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. (NKJV)

So, if I want to make salvation both simple and easy, I can ask people to agree with some facts about Jesus, confess that He is Lord with their mouth and assure them of their salvation.

Or, I can present a simple and yet humanly impossible way of salvation that sounds more like this: If you believe Jesus is Lord and He died on the cross for your sins, then follow Him in the power of the Holy Spirit, according to His word and you will be saved. In presenting this simple, yet not so easy gospel, I can expect those God convicts and converts through His word and Spirit to accept it, even though every bit of human logic would say it is too hard!

A reasonable question - will I ever run off someone God is saving, through His word and Spirit, by telling them they should follow Jesus with all they have and be always learning more of what His will is through His word, so they can rightly obey, worship and glorify Him?

For further study, here are some other texts that refute the concept of a God who is just desperate to have us, as opposed to the true/Biblical God who commands us to believe upon Jesus for salvation and to live for His purposes and glory, according to His word, in the power of the Holy Spirit: Acts 17:30, John 15:16, 2 Cor. 5:20, Eph. 2:8-10, 2 Tim. 1:8-11, 2:8-10, 4:17-18, 2 Pet. 1:1-11, Phil. 1:27-29, 2:12-13, Matt. 28:18-20.

Your comments are welcome -