Evangelism is mentioned all throughout the New Testament, yet many Christians feel unsure, reluctant or fearful of evangelism.
Some even decide, either consciously or unconsciously, to leave evangelism up to pastors or “gifted evangelists”.
But that is not at all what the Bible says.
In this article, we will look at 9 compelling reasons why every Christian is called to evangelise.
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1. Because Jesus commands it
After his resurrection and shortly before his ascension into heaven, Jesus gave us 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)
“Go and make disciples” is not a suggestion, it’s a command.
And while the original audience for this message was the 11 disciples, the part where Jesus says “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” shows that all Christians are called to “make disciples”, not just a select few.
This point is underlined in Acts, where 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)
Evangelism is an act of obedience.
If we follow Jesus, we cannot ignore what he clearly commands.
2. Because Jesus modelled it
Jesus didn’t just tell us to share our faith, he modelled it himself.
Evangelism was central to Jesus’ ministry.
Right after Jesus had been baptised and spent 40 days in the wilderness, we read:
“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” – Mark 1:15 (NIV)
Jesus stated his mission was specifically:
“to seek and to save the lost” – Luke 19:10 (NIV)
And that:
“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God… because that is why I was sent.” – Luke 4: 43 (NIV)
And he spent the three-year long period between his baptism and his ascension doing exactly that.
- He taught in synagogues (Mark 1:39)
- He preached to crowds (Matthew 5:1-2)
- 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)
And Jesus didn’t just preach the good news – he also demonstrated the power of the good news through healing and other miracles. For example:
“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were ill.” – Matthew 8:16 (NIV)
His miracles provided visible evidence of his authority and the power of the Kingdom.
As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus’ example.
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. Because of the example of the early church
It wasn’t just Jesus who modelled evangelism, the early church did too.
All throughout the book of Acts we see examples of evangelism.
For example:
- 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)
But it was not just well-known figures like Peter, Paul and Philip who shared their faith. Ordinary Christians did too. For example:
“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. Because the Epistles instruct us to
We don’t just see examples of evangelism in the New Testament. There are also direct instructions to share our faith in the Epistles (letters).
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)
These instructions make it clear that evangelism is not optional. It should be part of our normal Christian life.
We are not just saved from something – we are saved for something. We are called to be Jesus’s representatives on earth and share the hope we have with others.
5. Because the gospel is too good to keep to ourselves
Imagine you had just discovered something amazing – maybe an incredible new restaurant, maybe a really cool new app, or maybe something much bigger – like the cure for a disease.
Would you keep that to yourself? Of course not! You’d likely tell everyone you knew – loudly and enthusiastically and at every opportunity.
So why is it that, we don’t do that with the good news of Jesus Christ? Why are we so shy about telling people about our faith? Why do we hesitate? Why do we hold back? Why do we keep something so life-changing to ourselves?
After all, the good news that Jesus Christ has taken the punishment for our sins and offers eternal life as a free gift is infinitely better than a new restaurant, a clever app or even the cure for a deadly disease.
Surely we should be shouting this good news from the rooftops? Surely we should be enthusiastically telling everyone we know at every opportunity? Surely we should be eager to share it? Surely we should be looking for opportunities, rather than avoiding them?
6. Because we don’t want anyone to perish
Perhaps the most compelling reason of all 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)
Many people look on this verse as a great comfort. And for those of us who are saved it IS a great comfort. We won’t perish – we’ll have eternal life!
But for those who are not yet Christians it is a terrible verse – it states plainly that whoever DOES NOT believe in Jesus shall PERISH and shall NOT have eternal life.
This stark reality should motivate us to evangelism – because we don’t want people to perish – we want them to have eternal life!
Many people worry that evangelism is “too pushy” or else they don’t share their faith because they are worried about offending someone.
This verse reminds us that the stakes are high and that, at its core, evangelism is an expression of love – a desire not to see anyone perish.
7. Because God chooses to use us in his plan
It is one of the great mysteries of our faith that God is all powerful and could do everything by himself and yet he CHOOSES to use us.
And this applies to evangelism too.
We read this in Romans:
“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 also 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)
While it is God who ultimately changes hearts and brings people to faith, he involves US in the process. We are his chosen messengers.
We are called to obediently play our part in God’s plan and share our faith with those around us.
8. Because it strengthens our own faith
Evangelism doesn’t only benefit non-Christians – it also benefits us!
Evangelism strengthens our own faith because:
It deepens our understanding of the Bible and our faith
We cannot share the good news of Jesus Christ without having a clear understanding of what that good news is!
Often when we share our faith, we realise there are things we don’t know the answer to or can’t articulate clearly, and this sends us back to the Bible to find the answers and / or to more mature Christians who can help us better understand hard concepts and explain them clearly to non-Christians.
It teaches us to rely on the Holy Spirit
We cannot evangelise in our own strength. As soon as you start sharing your faith this becomes painfully clear!
When we step out in faith and share the good news, we do so relying on the Holy Spirit to give us the right words to say.
It grows our courage
Sharing your faith can feel scary. But the more you do it, the more your confidence grows. What once felt intimidating becomes more natural over time.
It deepens our compassion
As we begin to see people through God’s eyes, our hearts begin to change. We become more aware of people’s spiritual need and more motivated by love than fear.
9. Because it brings glory to God
Ultimately, evangelism is about bringing God glory.
When people hear the gospel, respond in faith and begin to follow Jesus, God is glorified.
More people worship him, more people honour him and more people live for him.
Evangelism is not ultimately about us. It is about God.
It’s about God being known, loved and worshipped by more people.
And there is no greater purpose than that.
Final thoughts
Evangelism is not for the select few – it is for all Christians.
We share our faith because we are commanded to by Jesus and the writers of the New Testament, because we want to follow the example of Jesus and the early church, because we are motivated by love and truth, because it strengthens our faith and because it brings glory to God.
Evangelism should not be seen as a burden, but as a great privilege, the God of the universe invites us to partner in this work of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ – what could be more exciting than that?
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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