AnderspeaK
ON EVANGELISM AND OUTREACH
“Presbyterians don’t do evangelism,” I heard someone say at a presbytery meeting years ago. As my blood pressure peaked, I sought to remain calm and patient and otherwise to find words masking my outrage. “What do you think evangelism is?” I asked through slightly gritted teeth. “I mean,” she said, “that we Presbyterians don’t believe that people have to be born again and all that.” “If you mean,” said I, “that the Church can neither orchestrate nor engineer an experience to guarantee one’s salvation, then I agree; but if you mean that one can be saved without a spiritual rebirth initiated by the Holy Spirit, then I think you have the entire Bible against you.” She looked at me as if I had just told her that pigs fly and the Pope is Lutheran.
The “born again” forms of evangelism, beginning with early Methodists and canonized by popular evangelicalism, straddles the line between biblical fidelity and heretical idolatry: it is correct in that it expects no salvation outside of new life given by the Holy Spirit, but idolatrous as it limits God’s salvation to a narrow ritual which—though very popular—appears nowhere in Scripture.
“You must be born again,” says Jesus in John 3:7, King James Version (and others), which is the basis of the popular practice. Better translations—that is, those closer to the Greek—read, “You must be born from above.” The difference is enormous.
In the first, being born again is something the Church can do for you—or worse, something you can do for yourself. In the better translation, rebirth is required but depends upon an act of God. Whenever we the Church presume for ourselves to do the things only God can do, we either play God or diminish his role and work in and among us.
Yes, we must be born from above—even born again, if you prefer—but that new birth is not something the Church can guarantee for you. We cannot and should not presume that our evangelism, our sinners’ prayers, or our revivalist altar calls constitute the same thing as the Holy Spirit’s own work in renewing our souls “from above.”
The woman at presbytery was partly right, partly wrong. My Born Again enthusiast friends are partly right, partly wrong. So what exactly constitutes evangelism for us, if not seeking to lead people to born again experiences? At the risk of oversimplifying things and dumbing them down to a few steps, I’ll suggest six things that certainly help the movement toward Christ without presuming his role.
1. Trust in Him — everyday
Trust is the keyword. Trust can’t be bottled or finished off in a single act. It must be lived, morning by morning and night after night. Trust means more than merely believe, for it involves the depths of our will and costs us everything. We are right to call others to place their trust in Jesus Christ. Christ died for them. We can ask them to trust in the person and work of Christ.
2. Walk with Him —pray every day
Faith is not a set of beliefs so much as it is a relationship. Let God do his own work! Challenge others to pray and ask God to answer whatever questions he or she may have.
3. Advocate for Him—in this world, take his side always.
The world hates Christ—always has, probably always will—but we do not have to kowtow to the hatred of the world. Too many Christians want to believe that God is on their side, but this is usually selfish—a way to legitimize themselves. Rather, focus on taking God’s side and standing there no matter where it may lead you.
4. Love as He loves—the 70-year plan
There is no such thing as loving “just for today” or “just for this year.” To love as God loves means we intend to love others—even our enemies—for life. Be prepared to love someone by sharing the good news with them for decades at a time. It is weak and wavering evangelism that makes a one-time pitch and then abandons that person forever because they didn’t respond to your pretty little appeal.
5. Share His words and will.
Quote Jesus (correctly, please!) and share your best understanding of what he calls us to do with our lives—especially when it comes to trusting him. It is always fair game to say, “The way I experience him is….” How has he touched you, led you, surprised you, blessed you, corrected you? Share your own walk and relationship however you can.
6. Pray for others.
We can never overestimate how powerfully our prayers participate in how God moves in others’ lives. Keep it simple: “Lord, please reveal yourself in new ways to ____________ and use me however you will in reaching _________.” When you finish praying, it never hurts to pray it again. God wants us knocking at his door, pulling on his cloak, and haggling for those whom we love. We can all afford greater patience and greater persistence in reaching out.
God uses us in reaching the world for his glory. I’ll say it again: God uses us. We do not use him to make converts or otherwise save souls. As always, the Church is at its best when we simply let God be God as we ask, seek, knock, and thank him for his glories. †
EVANGELISM & OUTREACH
On Evangelism and Outreach
“Presbyterians don’t do evangelism,” I heard someone say at a presbytery meeting years ago. As my blood pressure peaked, I sought to remain calm and patient and otherwise to find words masking my outrage. “What do you think evangelism is?” I asked through slightly gritted teeth. “I mean,” she said, “that we Presbyterians don’t believe that people have to be born again and all that.” “If you mean,” said I, “that the Church can neither orchestrate nor engineer an experience to guarantee one’s salvation, then I agree; but if you mean that one can be saved without a spiritual rebirth initiated by the Holy Spirit, then I think you have the entire Bible against you.” She looked at me as if I had just told her that pigs fly and the Pope is Lutheran.
The “born again” forms of evangelism, beginning with early Methodists and canonized by popular evangelicalism, straddles the line between biblical fidelity and heretical idolatry: it is correct in that it expects no salvation outside of new life given by the Holy Spirit, but idolatrous as it limits God’s salvation to a narrow ritual which—though very popular—appears nowhere in Scripture.
“You must be born again,” says Jesus in John 3:7, King James Version (and others), which is the basis of the popular practice. Better translations—that is, those closer to the Greek—read, “You must be born from above.” The difference is enormous. In the first, being born again is something the Church can do for you—or worse, something you can do for yourself. In the better translation, rebirth is required but depends upon an act of God. Whenever we the Church presume for ourselves to do the things only God can do, we either play God or diminish his role and work in and among us.
Yes, we must be born from above—even born again, if you prefer—but that new birth is not something the Church can guarantee for you. We cannot and should not presume that our evangelism, our sinners’ prayers, or our revivalist altar calls constitute the same thing as the Holy Spirit’s own work in renewing our souls “from above.”
The woman at presbytery was partly right, partly wrong. My Born Again enthusiast friends are partly right, partly wrong. So what exactly constitutes evangelism for us, if not seeking to lead people to born again experiences? At the risk of oversimplifying things and dumbing them down to a few steps, I’ll suggest six things that certainly help the movement toward Christ without presuming his role.
1. Trust in Him — everyday
Trust is the keyword. Trust can’t be bottled or finished off in a single act. It must be lived, morning by morning and night after night. Trust means more than merely believe, for it involves the depths of our will and costs us everything. We are right to call others to place their trust in Jesus Christ. Christ died for them. We can ask them to trust in the person and work of Christ.
2. Walk with Him —pray every day
Faith is not a set of beliefs so much as it is a relationship. Let God do his own work! Challenge others to pray and ask God to answer whatever questions he or she may have.
3. Advocate for Him—in this world, take his side always.
The world hates Christ—always has, probably always will—but we do not have to kowtow to the hatred of the world. Too many Christians want to believe that God is on their side, but this is usually selfish—a way to legitimize themselves. Rather, focus on taking God’s side and standing there no matter where it may lead you.
4. Love as He loves—the 70-year plan
There is no such thing as loving “just for today” or “just for this year.” To love as God loves means we intend to love others—even our enemies—for life. Be prepared to love someone by sharing the good news with them for decades at a time. It is weak and wavering evangelism that makes a one-time pitch and then abandons that person forever because they didn’t respond to your pretty little appeal.
5. Share His words and will.
Quote Jesus (correctly, please!) and share your best understanding of what he calls us to do with our lives—especially when it comes to trusting him. It is always fair game to say, “The way I experience him is….” How has he touched you, led you, surprised you, blessed you, corrected you? Share your own walk and relationship however you can.
6. Pray for others.
We can never overestimate how powerfully our prayers participate in how God moves in others’ lives. Keep it simple: “Lord, please reveal yourself in new ways to ____________ and use me however you will in reaching _________.” When you finish praying, it never hurts to pray it again. God wants us knocking at his door, pulling on his cloak, and haggling for those whom we love. We can all afford greater patience and greater persistence in reaching out.
God uses us in reaching the world for his glory. I’ll say it again: God uses us. We do not use him to make converts or otherwise save souls. As always, the Church is at its best when we simply let God be God as we ask, seek, knock, and thank him for his glories.