A Perfect Gospel for Imperfect People
(Read the first post in this series by Clicking Here)
One of the wonders and mercies in sharing the Gospel is that while we are imperfect, God is still perfect. I often struggle with sharing the Gospel because I worry that people will think that I’m preaching something I don’t perfectly practice, or in sharing my testimony people will look at my life and see that I’m not perfectly sinless as a follower of Christ.
But those flaws of mine are what make the Gospel such good news, because we’re all flawed people. If we were perfect we wouldn’t need a savior. Of course there’s no such thing as a perfect person. But if we’re all waiting for someone better than ourselves to share the Gospel with others, we will never actually do any kingdom work of bringing the light of the Gospel to the world.
The Christian Mission
Our charge is succinctly given by Jesus, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
But we complicate it when we make it about us. When we become focused inwardly on our own deficiencies we cannot focus on the sufficiency of the Gospel. You and I are exactly who needs to be sharing the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will use us, flawed as we are. Paul struggled with debilitating flaws and pleaded with God to remove them, and the Lord responded with, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Knowing what is stopping us from being bold in sharing the Gospel is key to removing its power over us.
Are we afraid of persecution? Are we afraid we don’t know enough of the Bible when questions come? Are we fearful of being mocked or rejected or criticized? While all valid questions, they remain excuses, prohibiting our evangelizing work here on earth.
And if you call yourself a Christian, you’ve got work to do.
When we feel fearful of being mocked or rejected, we must reinforce our work with Paul’s courageous declaration, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
When we spend time daily in the word, we grow in our ability to answer tough questions when they come. In prayer we can ask God for wisdom, who will give it abundantly (James 1:5)
Counterintuitive as it may seem, we are to rejoice when we are persecuted, because as Peter specifically tells persecuted Christians, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
1 Peter 4:14
If you are struggling with where to start sharing the Gospel, you’re not alone. For me, the best ways of sharing about the Lord with others has always come from watching or copying someone else who does it well. It is a skill for sure, and the more you work at it the more confident you will be. If you know someone who is gifted at sharing the Gospel, ask for help or advice on what works well for them.
Photo by RODNAE Productions
