Winning

As my time here in Portland is nearing an end, I’ve come to reflect on what the Lord has taught me during my time here this Summer. One thing I’m continually seeking the Lord’s strength for growth in is my boldness to openly share my faith with those I’m in relationship with. This morning during my time with the Lord, I was affirmed and re-affirmed of the reality that every single time I share my faith, it’s a win.

If I share my faith, there are only three different outcomes that can happen:

1. The person I’m sharing my faith in Christ with chooses to enter into a relationship with Jesus.
2. The person I’m sharing my faith with doesn’t come to Jesus, but a seed is planted.
3. The person I’m sharing my faith with rejects the gospel and rejects me as well.

The beautiful reality is that all three of these outcomes end in God’s glory and thus a win of a conversation.

Please don’t hear me advocating that evangelism is to be viewed as a mathematical or scientific practice that we can boil down to some perfect formula and in so doing treat people like numbers. I instead want to encourage and empower us all to be more active in sharing our faith without fear.

Life in Portland with these guys and gals has been a blessing.

So let’s walk through it.

Scenario 1 is clearly a win. To see someone we share our faith with come to Christ, being reconciled to the Father and adopted into biblical community is something worth praising the Lord about. Jesus makes it clear that there’s something worth celebrating when one individual comes into right relationship with God.

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. – Luke 15:10

Scenario 2 is also a win. There are countless multitudes of people who came and will come to Christ because of the influence and impact of many conversations and experiences regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, there are incredible moments when the Lord draws to Himself those who are hearing the gospel for the first time (and what a wonderful display of grace worth celebrating). But oftentimes it takes multiple gospel moments. So even if we don’t get to see the fruit of our labor so to speak, every gospel proclamation is a win because it’s a testimony of God’s grace and goodness that can lead to conversion at a later date.

Scenario 3 doesn’t sound or feel like a win, but it does. Any time we share our faith and it leads to rejection (whether of the Lord or of us), the Word actually says is a blessing and a proclamation of God’s glory.

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. – 1 Peter 4:14

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. – Luke 6:22-23

When we are rejected, insulted, or hated for Christ:

• We are blessed, for the glory of God is seen in our lives
• We are blessed, because our reward in heaven far exceeds any pain of rejection here on earth
• We are not to be surprised when it happens, for it’s been happening since the people of God have existed

Quick disclaimer: this is not reason or rationale that should lead to seeking the betterment of ourselves through the practice of evangelism. What I mean by that is there is a very thin line sometimes in my heart between wanting to extend God’s Kingdom, and my own. If I feel prone to open up about my faith to feel better about how I’m living as a Christian, I don’t believe that to be pure motivation. So chase after and pursue the glorification of God in your conversations, not personal blessings.

Every conversation we have where we confess our faith in Jesus and proclaim what God has done is a win, for it is a conversation where we have glorified God and made much of His Name.

I, Nate Roach, need to grow in boldness for the gospel and openness regarding my faith. I do not write this to you as someone who is a master evangelist. But my hope and prayer is that we as followers of Christ would go boldly into our communities and relationships with the hope of glorifying God by proclaiming the truths of the gospel.

In His Name,

Nate Roach

(The idea for this blog post came from the chapter “Winning, Winning, Winning” in Mark Cahill’s book One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven).

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