Responsibility in Evangelism

Here are a few thoughts on evangelism.

There is a key responsibility placed upon the unbeliever:

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he
commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

This is a command to all people everywhere. However,
all people everywhere have not heard this command.

Let’s look at the responsibility placed on the believer:

“For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how
can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear
without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are
sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good
news!’ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says,
‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ Consequently, faith comes from hearing
the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans
10:13-17).

“To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of
sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid
arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must
not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them
repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to
their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive
to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:23-26).

“Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching
them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the
clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 22-23).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has
come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled
us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins
against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are
therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through
us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians
5:17-20).

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).

These few sections are very heavy on the responsibility of
the believers. They are the ones who are sent to bring good news. They are the
ones who make disciples, who turn them from the power of Satan to God, who
snatch men from the fire, who are kind and gentle, who have the ministry and
the message, and who implore on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God.

Please reconsider whether any of these responsibilities
describe you.