Evangelism – Why (No 2)
We
started this series by outlining the most basic reason for reaching the unsaved
with the gospel – love for and obedience to the Lord Jesus. In this article I
would like to look at some of the other reasons for reaching out with the
gospel including why such urgency is required, what the core message is and who
the main communicators of the message are.
Individuals are in danger of the judgment
of God.
Do we
really believe that God is righteous and that people have broken his laws and
therefore are guilty? As believers we know that physical death is the outcome
of principle of sin in every living being, Ezek. 18. 20, Rom. 6. 23, but sometimes
we live as if the second death is not the ultimate judgment of God against
unrepentant sinners, Rev. 20. 14. The second death is the point of no return for
the unsaved soul. Eternity will be spent separated from God and all that His
grace supplies to those who believe. If I could envisage Hell and the Lake of
Fire for what it is and see the cost price of redemption that was borne by our
Lord and Saviour is would make me so much more passionate about reaching needy
souls with the gospel. It would be a good practice to spend some time on a
regular basis contemplating the work of redeeming grace and the prospect of
being eternally lost. It is said that
William Booth wished all his Salvation Army officers could hang over hell for
24 hours prior to their commissioning. He felt this would stir them to a deeper
commitment to evangelism. Doing this would certainly change my attitude
to the value of my salvation and keep me conscious of the danger that unsaved
souls are in.
