Evangelism is sometimes seen as something that should be left to pastors and those with the gift of evangelism. And yet, that is not at all how the Bible portrays evangelism.
The Bible makes it clear that we should not keep our faith to ourselves, but that we should share it with others.
Most Christians know they should share their faith… But many feel unsure, unqualified or even afraid to do it.
In fact, research shows that 80% of Christians struggle with evangelism and only 5% of Christians say they have ever led someone to faith in Christ.
In this guide to Christian evangelism, we’ll explore what evangelism is, why it matters and how to practice the spiritual discipline of evangelism in your everyday life.
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What is evangelism?
At its core, evangelism is simply sharing the good news about Jesus Christ with non-Christians, with the hope that they will choose to follow Jesus and become a Christian.
The word evangelism comes from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον or evangélion meaning “good news”.
The verb form ευαγγελίζω or evangelízo is used in the New Testament to mean “to announce good news” or “to preach the gospel”.
Today, evangelism has many synonyms. For example:
“Sharing your faith”
“Sharing the Gospel”
“Witnessing”
“Spreading the gospel”
And we see examples of evangelism all throughout the New Testament.
For example:
- Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4)
- Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2)
- Paul in Athens (Acts 17)
- Philip with the Ethiopian (Acts 8)
- Paul and Silas with the Philippian jailer (Acts 16)
- Paul with Lydia (Acts 16)
In fact, almost the entire New Testament is a story of evangelism.
The Gospels document the life and ministry of Jesus, who preached the “good news” of the Kingdom of God.
The book of Acts is the historical account of how the early church spread rapidly because first century Christians shared their faith boldly and led many people to faith in Jesus Christ.
The Epistles instruct new believers on how to live out their faith and share the gospel message.
The book of Revelation gives us the reason why we share our faith, pointing to Jesus’ second coming and ultimate victory, and showing us a glimpse of the eternal reward for those who choose to follow Jesus in this life.
Why evangelise?
But why do Christians evangelise? And is it necessary for all Christians to evangelise? Or is it the task of a select few – for example, pastors and those with the gift of evangelism?
Here are 6 reasons why all Christians should share their faith…
1. Because Jesus tells us to
At the end of Matthew’s gospel Jesus gives The Great Commission:
“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, baptising 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 (NIV)
And again, shortly before Jesus is taken up into heaven, Jesus says:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (NIV)
2. Jesus modelled a lifestyle of evangelism
But Jesus didn’t just tell his followers to share the gospel, he modelled it himself. A huge part of Jesus three-year ministry on earth was evangelism.
Right at the start of his ministry Jesus says:
“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God… because that is why I was sent.” – Luke 4: 43 (NIV)
He then spends the next three years doing exactly that.
- Jesus taught in synagogues (Mark 1:39)
- He preached to crowds (Matthew 5:1-2)
- He healed the sick and cast out demons (Matthew 8:16-17)
- He ate with “sinners” (Matthew 9:10-13)
- He had one-to-one conversations about faith (John 4:7-26)
- And he trained up his disciples to carry out the work of evangelism he had modelled (Mark 6:7-13)
If we want to be like Jesus, if we want to grow in Christlikeness, then it is clear we should follow his example and share our faith.
3. The early church modelled evangelism
It was not only Jesus who modelled evangelism, the early church did too:
“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” – Acts 5:42 (NIV)
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” – Acts 8:4 (NIV)
“Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” – Acts 11: 20-21 (NIV)
This shows that evangelism was not limited to a small group “special” Christians. Ordinary believers shared their faith as a natural part of their everyday lives.
4. The epistles encourage all Christians to share their faith
And it is not just the example of the early church, the writers of the letters to the early church also underline the importance of evangelism.
Peter exhorts us to:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” – 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
Paul, in his letter to the Romans highlights why this is so important:
“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?” – Romans 10:14 (NIV)
And we are reminded in 2 Corinthians that we are Christ’s ambassadors:
“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” – 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)
5. Because this good news is too good to keep to ourselves
Imagine you had just discovered an amazing restaurant, an incredible money-saving trick or the cure for a deadly disease.
Would you keep that to yourself?
Of course not! You would tell your family, your friends, your neighbours… you might even stop random passers-by in the street!
The good news that Jesus Christ has taken the punishment for our sin, and offers salvation and eternal life is far better than anything this world has to offer.
So why are Christians often so reluctant to share this incredible news?
Surely we should be shouting it from the rooftops?
6. Because we don’t want anyone to perish
But perhaps the strongest motivation for evangelism is found in the most famous verse in the Bible:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (NIV)
This verse reminds us that anyone who does not believe in Jesus will perish and will not have eternal life.
Surely that is a strong incentive for us to get out there and ensure that as few people as possible perish!
READ MORE >>> Why should Christians evangelise?
What is the “good news” of Jesus Christ?
Before we look at how to share the good news of Jesus Christ, it’s important to take a moment to look more closely at what exactly is this “good news” that we as Christians are called to share?
The “good news” of Jesus Christ can be summarised in one verse:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Let’s look at that in more detail…
God’s plan: relationship with him
God created us, he loves us and he wants to live in relationship with us.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” – Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Our problem: separation from God
God is holy, but we are human and we don’t measure up to his perfect standard.
We are all sinful: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV).
We are all separated from him and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23, NIV).
God’s solution: Jesus
God sent his son Jesus Christ to take the punishment we deserve “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” (John 3:16, NIV).
Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sins. “He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV).
Our response: accept God’s free gift of salvation
All you have to do to be saved is to:
- Accept you are a sinner and ask God to forgive your sins
- Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead
- Invite him to be Lord of your life
That’s it! We are not saved by our good works, it is a free gift from God:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
And we can be assured that:
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9 (NIV)
And that:
“Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (NIV)
That is the good news of Jesus Christ that we have to share!
READ MORE >>> What is the gospel message?
How to “do” evangelism
So finally, we come to the “how” – how can Christians today practice the spiritual discipline of evangelism and share their faith with non-Christians?
Here are 9 important principles:
1. Be ready
Peter exhorts us to:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” – 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
One of the biggest reasons why many Christians struggle to share the gospel is that they have never taken the time to “be prepared” – to learn how to present the gospel message in a clear and concise way and plan out how to share their testimony.
Want to be prepared? Grab your FREE copy of The 30 Day Evangelism Challenge!
2. Pray!
Of course as well as preparing practically, we must prepare spiritually… and that means prayer!
We should pray for opportunities to share the gospel and pray for God’s help to give us the right words when we get those opportunities.
And when we’ve had the opportunity to share our faith with someone, we should pray that God would work in their heart and draw them to himself.
3. Take every opportunity
The Bible encourages us to make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel:
“Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” – Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)
Every conversation we have with a non-Christian is an opportunity to share our faith. We should look for those opportunities and make the most of them.
4. Share the gospel message
This is the heart of evangelism. When you get the opportunity to share the gospel, be sure to actually share the gospel message!
Take a look at the “What is the good news of Jesus Christ? section above and learn how to present the gospel message in a clear and concise way, so that when you get the opportunity you can use it well.
READ MORE >>> What is the gospel message?
5. Share your testimony
One powerful way that you can share the gospel is by personalising it and sharing your own testimony of how you came to faith.
This does not need to be complicated. One simple method is to share:
- The BEFORE (what was your life like before Jesus)
- The WHAT HAPPENED (How did you hear about the good news of Jesus Christ? What is the good news of Jesus Christ? Why did you choose to give your life to him?)
- The AFTER (what is your life like now)
- The WHAT NOW (What can the person you are talking to do to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour?)
There are some good examples of Paul sharing his testimony in the Bible in Acts 22 and Acts 26.
As we looked at in Principle #1 – in order to do this well, you should think about it and practice it first, so that when you get the opportunity, you can share your testimony clearly and confidently.
READ MORE >>> How to share your testimony
6. Be gentle and respectful
However, the Bible also reminds us it’s not just WHAT we say, it’s HOW we say it.
As we’ve seen already, Colossians 4:6 says: “Let your conversation be always full of grace.”
While Peter reminds us that we should always be gentle and respectful when we share the gospel:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
Being angry, aggressive or disrespectful is not the way the Bible teaches that we should share the Gospel. And is likely to do more harm than good.
7. Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary use words
The quote “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” is often attributed to St Francis of Assisi, though this is disputed.
It doesn’t really matter who said it, the key truth is one that is found in the Bible and is universally accepted: actions often speak louder than words.
Jesus himself, in his sermon on the mount says:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)
If we preach the Gospel, yet our actions do not reflect our words, we are hypocrites and we will be poor evangelists.
But if we live out the Gospel through our behaviour, God’s light will shine out of us so brightly that people will notice and be drawn to him.
Of course, we shouldn’t leave evangelism entirely to our actions (one of the key criticisms of this quote). People do also need to hear the gospel preached using words!
But our words will be far more effective if they match up to what people see in our daily lives.
8. Be patient and persistent
One of the reasons why more Christians don’t practice evangelism is that they tried once or twice and it didn’t go so well, so they stopped.
But the truth is, it is rare for a person to go from non-Christian to Christian after one conversation. Usually it takes multiple conversations, with multiple different Christians over multiple years for someone to become a Christian.
It’s important to remember that God doesn’t usually call us to take someone from 0 to 100 (where 0 is staunch atheist and 100 is Christian).
Usually he calls us to take someone from 9 to 10, or 27 to 29, or 89 to 95.
And when you do get the opportunity to lead someone all the way up to 100, it’s usually because dozens of people before you had faithfully prayed and shared their faith with that person, and you just happen to be the person who gets the joy of doing that last 99 to 100 step!
9. Conversion is not your job!
Finally, it’s important to remember that CONVERSION is not our job.
Our job is to faithfully share the good news. God’s job is results.
Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians:
“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 (NLT)
Our job is to be prepared, to pray, to take every opportunity to share our faith, to preach the gospel with our lives as well as our words, and to be gentle, respectful, patient and persistent.
God’s job is to change hearts and bring people to faith.
READ MORE >>> How to share your faith with a non-Christian
READ MORE >>> How to share your testimony
Final thoughts
Evangelism is simply sharing the good news about Jesus Christ with non-Christians, with the hope that they will give their life to Jesus and become a Christian.
We share our faith because Jesus told us to, because Jesus and the early church modelled evangelism, because the writers of the Epistles encourage us to, because this good news is too good to keep to ourselves, and because we do not want to see anyone perish.
The good news of Jesus Christ is that, though because of our sin we deserve death, God has given us the gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus took our punishment so that we can go free. All we have to do is repent of our sins, believe that Jesus died and rose again, and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
We can share our faith by preparing prayerfully, taking every opportunity to share the good news, living lives that preach the gospel without us even saying a word, and remembering that it’s God’s job, not ours, to make people Christians!
Your next step: The 30 Day Evangelism Challenge
If you want help building a consistent evangelism habit, I invite you to join the 30 Day Evangelism Challenge.
Each day includes:
- A short Scripture passage to read
- A brief teaching on the passage
- A guided prayer activity
- A short evangelism-related challenge to do at another point in the day
- Reflection questions to help you track your growth
Over the course of 30 days, you’ll grow in your knowledge and understanding of Biblical evangelism, and you’ll begin to build a foundation for a regular habit of evangelism.
Join the 30 Day Evangelism Challenge!
Recommended books on evangelism
- Out Of The Saltshaker And Into The World – Rebecca Manley Pippert
- Stay Salt – Rebecca Manley Pippert
- Honest Evangelism – Rico Tice
- The Case For Christ – Lee Strobel
- Evangelism And The Sovereignty Of God – J.I. Packer
READ MORE >>> Recommended books on evangelism
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