Text- 2 Corinthians 5:11 “Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, and understand the importance of obedience and worship, we persuade people to be reconciled to Him…”
If you have been a Christian for some time, you must have heard words like, “The Great Commission”, “The Ministry of Reconciliation”, “Soul Winning” and some other names by which evangelism is called. Truly, every true believer knows that reaching out to unbelievers is one of the duties given us by God.
Today, I will share with you, four tips to effectively reach out to unbelievers:
1. Live Right
I have come to realize that the best form of evangelism is lifestyle evangelism. Live a life that clearly shows the difference Jesus makes; let your conduct be worthy of the gospel; be clean and pure, both without and within.
One of the stanzas of the hymn “Let others see Jesus in you” (Composed by Baylus Benjamin McKinney) says, “Your life's a book before their eyes, They're reading it through and through. Say, does it point them to the Lord, Do others see Jesus in you?”
2. Pray for them
Ezekiel 22:30 – “And I sought for a man among them; that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land…” God is constantly looking for faithful men and women that would stand in the gap and intercede for the souls of men.
Remember, “If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), so take it as a responsibility to pray for them, and let God count on you! Tear off every vail, and destroy every resistance in the Spirit!
3. Care for them
Someone said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”. One of the ways to reach out to unbelievers is to care for them, and show them the love of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. Good works there refer to charitable and benevolent acts.
4. Preach to them
Romans 10:14 – “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”
As you do the 3 things that I have mentioned above, watch out for when opportunity presents itself to share the gospel with unbelievers and dive in right at it. At times, also, you have to create the opportunity yourself, maybe by writing a letter; sharing a tract; inviting them for a crusade, a Bible study, or a Church service; scheduling a meeting etc.
Finally, we must bear in mind that soul winning is not the end point of the process. We are told to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). As such, we must follow up on our converts, and help them build a vital sustainable and reproducible walk with the Lord.
PRAYERS
1. Lord Jesus, I ask that you light up in me, passion for the lost. Give me that burning desire to reach out to the unsaved.
2. Lord, please help me; that my life and lifestyle will not be a stumbling block, but will be an encouragement for people to come to Christ.
3. My light will so shine before men, that they may see my good works, and glorify my Father which is in heaven.
Image Credit: theblaze.com