The Spiritual Benefits of Evangelism
We normally think of evangelism as something that we do for others: to rescue the lost, in obedience to Jesus. And while that’s certainly true, there are also a number of spiritual benefits that come to those who faithfully share the gospel. Here are just a few.
(1) Evangelism generates spiritual intentionality.
Something I’ve observed in my life is that when I am intentional to talk about Jesus, it creates intentionality in other areas of my spiritual walk. When I know that I’m going to have a gospel conversation, I find myself reading my Bible more intently, being more careful to listen to God’s Word. My prayers are more focused and intentional as well, because I am more aware of my dependence on God.
Unfortunately, when we aren’t intentional in the rest of our spiritual lives, it often leads to missed gospel opportunities. We feel hesitant to share, because we wonder – why would God bless this obedience, when I’ve not been very diligent in other aspects of my faith?
Because this is a circle that feeds itself, move forward with obedience. Prepare for gospel conversations through diligence in your spiritual walk; then be obedient to Christ by seizing those opportunities to speak.
(2) Evangelism reminds you of gospel truths.
Christians are often told to ‘preach the gospel’ to themselves every day. What better way is there to do this than to proclaim it to someone else, and you get to listen?
When you recount gospel truths to others, you are also challenged to obey. You are reminded about repentance and faith, about the cost of following Jesus, and the incredible rewards. These truths are going to be hitting your heart, too.
(3) Evangelism displays spiritual conflict.
We read about spiritual conflict and we talk about it, but sharing the gospel gives you a first-hand view of the conflict that is raging around us. You see God’s Spirit at work – and you see the opposition to God’s Spirit.
Suppose that you tell someone about Jesus and they believe. Wow! It’s one thing to talk about how God changes lives – it’s another thing to get to see that, firsthand. It’s exciting to actually observe Jesus saving sinners.
Suppose, however, that the individual rejects the message. Again, we know about sin, hardened hearts, and the various ways that the devil resists the work of God. It becomes more sobering when you see that happen.
Evangelism, in other words, gives us a first-hand view of the spiritual battleground that Abraham Kuyper reminds us of: “If once the curtain were pulled back, and the spiritual world behind it came to view, it would expose to our spiritual vision a struggle so intense, so convulsive, sweeping everything within its range, that the fiercest battle fought on earth would seem, by comparison, a mere game. Not here, but up there – that is where the real conflict is engaged. Our earthly struggles drone in its backlash.”
(4) Evangelism enlarges our view of the Christian life.
We often think of faith as a personal matter, but Christianity is more than a personal religion. This isn’t just about you and your relationship with God. Your faith also involves other people – and part of that is the Great Commission: the fact that we are called to pass this message on to others.
Jesus says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Time is one of the greatest treasures that we all possess. When we invest our time in sharing the gospel, our hearts will follow. We become interested in God’s kingdom, both locally and worldwide. And in this way, we become more like Jesus, who described his mission as, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38).
(5) Evangelism generates compassion.
As Jesus ministered the gospel to those around him, he observed crowds of people. Matthew says that “he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Intentionality in evangelism makes your heart soft toward others. You stop thinking of them as a bother. You start to notice them. You care for more than just what they can offer you. Instead, you think about how to give this message to them. And in the process, your life further resembles that of your Savior.
(6) Evangelism changes our prayers.
After recounting Jesus’ compassion for the multitudes, Matthew records that he turned to the disciples and said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).
As we develop compassion for others, we also change the way that we pray. With a broader vision of God’s purposes in the world, we find ourselves longing for more people to know the truth. Our hearts ache for those who are ‘harassed and helpless,’ and that leads us to pray for God’s name to be hallowed as this message advances.
Don’t share your faith simply because you want to grow spiritually; this isn’t about you. But as you have conversations about Jesus, be encouraged that you will grow in many ways, including the ones that I’ve just listed. God can use this ‘scary’ discipline of evangelism to draw you closer to him!
In place of comments, I would love to hear from you personally. Please reach out to me via the Contact Page to share your thoughts and perspectives on this post!
