PRINCIPLE 13 |
Producing converts is God's work. Evangelism is our work. We must not make the mistake of thinking that it is our job as evangelists to produce converts. Only God can save a person. Paul made this point clear when he said
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
This does not mean, however, that our job of evangelism is unimportant. In fact, just the opposite is true.
How can they believe ... without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14)
So we must maintain a balance. In one sense, our work of evangelism is absolutely essential because God has given us that task. In another sense, our work of evangelism is nothing because it merely opens the way for the individual to make an informed decision, something only he can do, and for the regenerating work of God, something only God can do.
Evangelism may be defined as the process of explaining the gospel to the sinner and inviting him to trust Christ. It is an instructional process which focuses primarily on the intellect rather than on the emotions. Evangelism is not a matter of sob stories, scare tactics, manipulation, or any other form of psychological pressure. Instead, evangelism focuses squarely on the intellect -- it involves the clear explanation of the gospel message. As evangelists, our burden and our prayer request should be the same as Paul's:
Pray … that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. … Pray that I may proclaim it clearly. (Colossians 4:3-4)
Of course, we do want to see results. We want to see people decide to accept Jesus as their Savior. But we must stick to our part of the job and let the Holy Spirit do his part unhindered. Our part is to inform the sinner of the facts of the gospel and invite him to trust in Christ. The Holy Spirit's job is to convict him of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). The most persuasive tool we have is a clear message. If we try to add other forms of persuasion we risk getting in the way of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a far better understanding of human psychology than we do. He also has a far better understanding of each unique individual than we do. He knows how to convict effectively, yet without overriding the freedom that the individual needs to make the decision of his own free choice.
Thus, we are not like the salesman whose livelihood depends on his volume of sales. There are very few salesmen who can afford to function merely as informers. For nearly all salesmen the goal is to make sales, and for some salesmen any means is justified by that end. The salesman's job is not done until he has closed the sale, but with the evangelist the picture is different. The evangelist has his job to do and the Holy Spirit has his. The evangelist is the one who instructs; the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts. The evangelist's job must not be confused with the Holy Spirit's job. Even though it may be difficult at times to find the fine line between a genuine invitation to trust in Christ on the one hand, and too much pressure on the other hand, we must consciously avoid pushing a person lest we produce a psychological rather than a true spiritual conversion. (Psychological conversions are discussed in chapter 16.)
Leading a person to trust in Christ usually takes place as the culmination of a long process of evangelism. The steps listed below are designed to emphasize two things: first, that evangelism is an instructional process, and second, the importance of allowing the individual opportunity for a free, unpressured choice. After fully explaining the plan of salvation.
If he gives a negative answer (either by explicitly saying "No" or by hesitating and raising resistance) probe further to see if there is some aspect of the plan of salvation which he still does not understand. Remind him of the seriousness of the matter and warn him of delay. Assure him you are still his friend and will keep in touch. And, of course, pray for him.
If he says he received Christ at some previous time, ask if he is trusting Christ now. Whether or not he can remember the exact place and date when he received Christ is not nearly as important as whether or not he is trusting Christ right now.
If he says we wants to trust in Christ, ask him if he would like to do it now, but assure him that the decision can be made alone. If he says "Later, when I'm alone," ask him to tell you when he does trust Christ, and check up on him if he does not contact you soon. (Usually, if a person says "later," either he does not actually want to trust Christ or he is feeling some pressure. Respect his wish. Never push for a decision right now if he is not comfortable with it.) If he says "Now" (praise the Lord and) give him a silent opportunity to actually place his trust in Christ. (It is extremely important that you do not get in the Holy Spirit's way by saying too much. However, everyone is different, so if he needs help at this point, you might offer to word a prayer to help him express his decision, or answer any further questions, etc.)
After leading a person to trust in Christ, before you leave him: