Godspeed and Onward, Christian Soldier

A Call to Faithful Gospel Proclamation

A Call to Faithful Proclamation

I far prefer the way that some Christians evangelize over the way that most Christians do not. Typically, the struggle that us moderns have regarding the public proclamation of God’s word is not methodological—the problem we have is complete unwillingness. Nevertheless, once you have worked up the courage to deliver a message of life and death to a world that worships at the feet of her father the devil, another problem soon shows its teeth: To whom do I deliver this message, and is there ever a time to stop proclaiming the victory of King Jesus?

To the Faithful Who Proclaim

For those who have freely received and choose to give that message to others, I am not here even addressing the issue of method. Some opt to hit the streets and preach from corners, others knock on doors, hand out tracts, or sit at a coffee shop with a warm scone and an open Bible. To all of these I simply say, “Godspeed.” They are neither ignorant nor complacent. The talents they have been given are neither being hidden nor squandered.

Some will double their investment; others will see stadiums come to Christ. Ultimately, and this is vital to grasp, the results are not up to you. Our task is faithfulness.

It is the Spirit of God alone who accomplishes the work. And that work may accomplish one of two things. For some the gospel is a message of life. Equally so to others, it is a message of death and condemnation (2 Cor 2:14-17 ESV). In both, it is the Spirit of God accomplishing His work in the hearer.

One of the biggest struggles faithful Christians face is this:

“How do I know if I’m being successful?” The answer to that is beautifully simple. Are you sharing the gospel? Then you are successful; or to be more accurate, God is successful. We do not measure our success by counting hands. Rather, we believe God when He tells us that His word does not return void (Isa 55:11 ESV).

We believe God when He says that He works all things according to His will (Rom 8:28 ESV). Christ was not lying when He said that His sheep will hear His voice (John 10:27 ESV).

If you are speaking the words of the shepherd, then His sheep will hear His voice. Likewise, if you are speaking His words and the listener refuses to receive the message, then you can have confidence that, at least for the moment, they are not supposed to. They reject your message because they have rejected Him (John 15:18-25 ESV). Our God is in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases (Psa 115:3 ESV). He has established the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10 ESV). This is enough to know that success in the field is measured by our faithfulness to proclaim His word, not by the audience’s reception. Do you want to be a successful evangelist? Deliver the message of Christ.

Is There Ever a Time to Stop?

As to the question of do you ever stop proclaiming the King? In practice no. He is worthy of proclamation. In particular application? Still no. There are certainly times when the enemy seeks to bog you down in an argument with one of his minions. We ought not cast pearls before swine. Trust the Spirit. There are certainly moments when you should stop engaging with one person so you can actually give the message to somebody with ears to hear.

This is a question for group number one. This is not the question that the next group needs to be asking however. The next group doesn’t need to worry about listening to the Spirit about when to stop, but rather obeying the Spirit who has already told you to start.

To Those Who Do Not Regularly Share the Gospel

Speaking now to those who do not regularly share the gospel (whatever method or location you may choose): Why? It can be only one of a few reasons. Either you do not know that you are supposed to “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2 ESV). You do know but you are afraid (1 Pet 3:14; cf. his own earlier denial in Mat 26:69-75 ESV). Or you do know but simply chose to not obey.

For the latter group—those who know the call but refuse—I leave you with a simple message; may the Spirit do His work in you as you hear the voice of the Shepherd.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46-49 ESV)

And again,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

My challenge to you is this. Not are you doing enough to inherit the kingdom of God. You can never do enough. But do you actually believe that Christ has done enough on your behalf. If so, why do you refuse to do the good work that is set before you out of the overflow of Christ’s work in you? If you are in Him, this is not a message of condemnation. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1 ESV). Please keep in mind the chapter that comes before this statement. It is not a message about the goodness of Paul, it is a message about where his hope truly lies in the midst of his failures. May you remember that goodness in the midst of whatever providential situation you find yourself.

To the Ignorant or Fearful

For the first group—the ignorant or fearful—allow me to help. You’re commanded to share the gospel; to “be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15 ESV). It’s not optional. Nor is it necessarily an occasion driven by a peculiar event in your specific world. But it most certainly is event driven. I happen to spend a lot of my time spreading the gospel to my Mormon neighbors. Others primarily interact with their coworkers. Stay-at-home mothers are spreading the good news to eternal souls every day of the week.

Much of the location is determined by providence, some by desire, but each and every one of these is event driven—the event of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the God-man. Because this event has happened, once for all time, we have been drawn into that narrative as representatives of the King.

And He did not simply suggest that the message of the Kingdom was a good idea to tell others about. He said, “Go make disciples of all nations” (Mat 28:19 ESV). And then, He was intimately involved when His people “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 ESV).

These commands were given to the church, and as part of the body, you are to function accordingly. If you are a foot, walk. If you are a hand, grasp. If you are a tongue, speak (Rom 12:4-6 ESV, 1 Cor 12:12-27 ESV). Note that not all are called to the office of a full-time evangelist, yet every Christian is called to speak the truth in season and out of season as opportunity arises. You may not be the one on the corner with a bullhorn. That’s okay. I promise. But you are a part of the body. As such, you are commanded to do what is good. And if you know what is good but faint in the day of adversity (Pro 24:10 ESV), may this be a strengthening message for you. The gospel isn’t about you. It never was. It’s about Christ, and he is worthy of your faithfulness where you have been called. If you know what is good for you to do, yet do not do it, that is sin for you (James 4:17 ESV). But you have good news. You worship a powerful savior. He was already humiliated for this message. Any humiliation you may face for your faithfulness is His humiliation, not yours.

Go Forward in His Victory. Godspeed and onward Christian soldier. Christ’s victory was already secured 2000 years ago. “Therefore, go.”