Evangelism, motivation for

Evangelism arises from a natural response to the grace of God, a concern for those who have yet to hear the good news and a desire to be faithful to the great commission to bring the good news to the ends of the earth. Evangelism is guided and directed by the Holy Spirit.

Motives for evangelism

Recognising God's call

2 Timothy 1:11 See also Isaiah 6:8–9; Jonah 1:1–2; Acts 22:14–15; 2 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Timothy 2:7

to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

A divine compulsion

1 Corinthians 9:16–17 See also Jeremiah 20:9; Amos 3:8; Acts 4:20

Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

A God-given responsibility

Ezekiel 3:17–20 See also Ezekiel 33:7–9; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10–11

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself. Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.

A desire to win the lost

Romans 10:1; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 See also Acts 20:19–20; Romans 1:14–15, Romans 9:1–3, Romans 11:14, Romans 15:17–20; 2 Corinthians 5:20

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.

Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law. To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

A recognition of coming judgment

Jude 1:23 See also James 5:20; 2 Peter 3:9

save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

Responding to God's grace

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 See also 2 Corinthians 5:18–19; Ephesians 3:7; 1 Timothy 1:12–16

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Confidence in the gospel

Romans 1:16–17 See also Isaiah 55:10–11; 1 Corinthians 1:17–18; 2 Corinthians 10:4–5; 2 Timothy 1:8–9

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

God directs and guides evangelism

Divine guidance in evangelism

Acts 8:26–29, Acts 16:6–10 See also Acts 5:19–20, Acts 9:10–11, Acts 10:19–20, Acts 11:12, Acts 13:2, Acts 18:9–11

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”

After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

God opens the door for evangelism

2 Corinthians 2:12 See also Acts 14:27; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Colossians 4:3; Revelation 3:8

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,

Areas of ministry assigned by God

Galatians 2:7–9 See also Acts 9:15

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles. And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John — those reputed to be pillars — gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

The Holy Spirit empowers evangelism

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Evangelism as a result of persecution

Acts 8:4–5 See also Acts 11:19–21, Acts 13:50–51, Acts 14:6–7, Acts 18:2

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.