“Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
1 Corinthians 9:16.
Last month, many of us would have come across the news of the death of a missionary named John Allen Chau. He was killed by the people of North Sentinelese tribe in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Sentinelese tribe are not wary of the modern civilization and have been living in their own world for centuries. Being a traveller, John Chau was enjoying God’s finest creation called nature and there is no need for him to risk his life. Yet, He chose to put his life at stake so that the eyes of the unreached Sentinelese people could be opened to see the Glorious Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When someone takes the risk of his life to preach the Gospel to a tribe thousands of miles away from his home, how much are we burdened to share the Gospel with those around us? How many times we would have let go of the opportunities God gave us to share the Gospel? In order to preach the Gospel, we need to have a total transformation in our perception towards life. Here are 2 key characteristics a believer should necessarily possess to share the Gospel.
1) Separated for the Gospel:
As Christians, We need to understand that we are separated for the Gospel. Paul’s self-introduction in Romans 1:1 goes like this, “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God”. And again He says in Romans 1:9, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son..” We can not serve God, if we are not separated for the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Come out from among them and be separate..” If we try to stick to our old self, we can’t pursue this new passion Christ has sown in our hearts. Paul proclaims in Philippians 3:20, “Our citizenship is in heaven..” We need to have the assurance that we no longer belong to this world but Christ.
2) Unashamed of the Gospel:
Paul writes to the believers in Rome in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes..” What a bold statement of faith! Gospel is not just a story to be heard and forgotten but to be proclaimed as it is the power of God that saves those who truly believe in Him. If we rely on the power of God’s Word and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit over our human wisdom and persuasive speech, God will enable us to effectively share the Gospel and win souls for Him. Jesus Himself says in Luke 9:26, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory..”
1 John 2:17 says, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” We should never forget the fact that everything in this world will one day come to an end and whatever we did for Christ alone will be remembered forever. As we enter this Christmas Season, let us take a decision to pray God to give us the strength and wisdom to share the Gospel with those around us!
