What is the Gospel?

“[Be] ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)

Gospel is translated “Good News.” It is what God has done in Christ to save us from our sins. Many Christians don’t know how to share the gospel. They know it but haven’t shared it enough in a simple, clear, organized way. If we are people defined by the gospel, it would be ridiculous for us to not know how to explain it to a nonbeliever. Peter says, “Always be ready to explain to someone about the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 paraphrased)

What is the Good News?
It can be divided into four parts: 1. Creation  2. Fall  3. Redemption  4. New Creation

1.     Creation: God is the Creator of the universe; He created us with a special, unique identity and makeup. Unlike the animals, we were created in God’s image, to have a special relationship with Him. He gave us His Spirit to commune with Him.

2.     Fall: But man sinned against God and rather wanted to become our own gods. This destroyed our relationship with God, one another, and the rest of creation. As a result, all humanity was born under the power of sin. This brought death and decay into our world.  

3.     Redemption: But God had a plan to save His creation. He sent Jesus who lived a perfect sinless life and died to receive the penalty for our sins. He rose again, defeating sin and death. Those who put their trust in Him will be forgiven and restored in their relationship with God.

4.     New Creation: At the end of all things, God will restore all creation to Himself. Jesus will come back as a ruler and a judge. He will destroy the evil, worldly system, and the work of Satan once and for all. He will create a new heaven and a new earth. All creation will be renewed. God will live on earth with humanity. No more sin, pain, tears. We will enter a new chapter of this world into eternity.

This is one way to explain the gospel to someone. Review it, understand it, and share it as often as you can, so it becomes yours and you can share from your heart.

Action Step
Who is someone you can share this gospel message with this week?

Why Do We Evangelize? (03)

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29)

Have you ever felt so enlightened, elated, and exuberant at the message of the gospel that you just wanted to go and tell everyone? More than just obligation that Jesus commanded us to “Go and preach the gospel,” or that people are going to hell without Christ, this is the greatest motivator for evangelism. When you’re so full of the love of God that you want to go tell everyone, you’re unstoppable. People will see your contagious joy and want that for themselves. You’ll have conviction when you share because they’ll see the transformation and joy in you.

This is what happened with the Samaritan woman (John 4). She was so powerfully impacted by Jesus (and finding out that He was the Messiah), that she wanted to go tell the entire townspeople. They must have noticed the change that took place in her. A little background knowledge: for one, she was coming to draw water at noon, the hottest time when no one came to draw water, possibly because she wanted to avoid running into the villagers who knew her as a woman of loose morals and treated her that way. So for her to suddenly overcome her defenses, not care about what the people think, but beaming with excitement and joy to tell them all, was a powerful testament of her encounter with Jesus. She knew that if the man she had met was the Messiah, then she had hope that not only her life would change, but all of her townspeople’s as well. And this Good News she could not keep for herself. She could not contain this joy, this excitement, this elation. She had to tell someone… everyone. And the people saw that change in her. It was real. Convincing.

Many people wonder, “How should we evangelize?” We don’t need a formula. We just need to be filled with gratitude and joy of encountering Jesus and share that joy with others, pointing people to the source of that joy. This is the most effective way of evangelism!

Prayer and Action Step
Fill us with gratitude and joy for the gospel. Let us emanate that joy and let it overflow and leak out to others wherever we go, pointing people to Jesus.

Going Where the People Are

“Go, therefore, and make disciples…” (Matt 28:19)

If you’re like me and have been Christian for a long time, chances are most of your friends are Christian; you may not know anyone in your social circle who is non-Christian. If so, you must find creative ways to meet non-Christians in your life.

First, look at the activities you’re already doing and see if there are any non-Christians around you. Maybe you go to your child’s soccer game. Instead of leaving directly after, you would like to connect with other parents. Or think of activities you love to do like golfing, arts and crafts, or hiking. See if there is a community that does the same and connect with them. For instance, I love drawing. I can go to a weekly life drawing session. I will naturally have the opportunity to connect with other artists around the love of art. It is much easier to build connections with people with whom you have a common interest.

Another solution is to find a way to meet the people in your neighborhood. Instead of working from home, try the local coffee shop. My friend Barry and I did this. And over a course of six months, we got to know all the baristas as well as the regulars. We had many gospel conversations, built friendships and even started a Bible study to reach the people we met there.

The first command in the Great Commission is “Go.” As Jesus has entrusted us with the “Good News,” the best news ever told in history, this by itself should fill us with elation to tell the whole world. Jesus didn’t expect us to stay passive with this news, but rather that his love move us towards others, to go out of our way, beyond our comfort zones to reach those in need. If there are no non-Christians around us, we must “Go” where they are. Jesus went to Levi the tax collector’s house and hung out with other tax collectors and sinners. He was not afraid to mingle with the people of the world, because he knew they were the ones who needed him most.

Likewise, where should we go? Who should we reach in order to be faithful witnesses of the gospel?

Action Steps
How can I find ways to connect with more non-Christians?