Jesus told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Matt. 28:19. Sharing the Gospel of Christ is not an option, but a command for all true Christians. Even the thief on the cross scolded the other thief before asking Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered his Kingdom, (such a surprising fruit of faith, his only fruit of faith, literally performed on the day of his death. See Luke 23:40-42).
But how do we share our faith with others? Do we need to share the entire “four spiritual laws,” or do we need to argue and convince unbelievers? Do we have to witness to large audiences, when we feel shy? I am happy to say, “No,” to all of those questions. We could end up in a place where a person wants to hear all four spiritual laws, or where a large crowd asks us about God. Then we would share with them in those ways. But most likely those things will not happen, and especially we should never argue with unbelievers. We get to be sensitive and respectful.
If someone harshly rejects us and mocks us, we get to turn and walk away quietly (Matt. 7:6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” Also Matt. 10:14 “If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.”) Only the Holy Spirit must argue with unbelievers, although some unbelievers have been angry with Christians who only briefly shared about God, because (hidden from the believers’ eyes), the Holy Spirit was already strongly convicting the unbeliever in her heart.
Sometimes we sense we should limit what we share. If we pray before going out in public, and we sense a prohibition against saying anything about God, truly we can wait. We can even send up a spontaneous prayer like Nehemiah did when he asked God to guide him in how to answer the King who had just asked Nehemiah a question (see his prayer in Neh.2:4-5). In this case, we would ask God if we are being shy or are we truly hearing God’s prohibition. Some people are so hard-hearted, they either won’t listen right then, or they may never listen.
Sometimes God may want us to show his love to people a few times (or many) before we speak of our faith. I think of this loving interaction with an unbeliever like a farmer preparing soil before she even plants her seeds. Some people need to see we love them before they will listen to us telling them God loves them.
At other times a person may only be able to speak a few words, such as “God loves you.” And some people will never accept our witness, but a different person can speak to that unbeliever, often because the believer shares interests or even shares the same kind of pain the unbeliever suffers.
There are people I know who may never accept Christ, yet I love them dearly, and I will keep loving them, accepting them as they are, and praying for them until the day they die. I love all people, believers and unbelievers. Yet how hurt I do feel imagining any of these unbelievers rejecting Christ’s salvation from the horrors of sin and Hell that wants to suck these unsaved people into its cruel fires. God will not send anyone to Hell, but some people allow themselves to go there, because they reject God’s safety, Christ’s cross.
When we consider the risk to unbelievers, let us take the risk of their scorn and tell them the safety, the salvation, they can have. But don’t let anyone give you a guilt trip for using your own style in sharing your faith. You can be as gentle as your nature is, or as bold as God has made you to be. God uses all people, based on their personality, career, hobbies, and even geographic location. He enables them to reach unbelievers.
Sometimes we only meet a person once and never see her again. This person may hear the Gospel again from someone else and then accept the Lord. I am so glad witnessing our faith only requires our willingness to show up and speak. God will give us the right words.
I do have one last caution. The less I have prayed for opportunities to witness, and the less I did witness, the less able I was to do so again. I had to catch myself after those times of neglect and resume the work I needed to do before I went in public and saw others who needed God.
We must pray earnestly for the strength and desire to witness, and then we must speak up, unless God gives us a clear prohibition.
May the Lord bless you as you share your faith, and may he give you comfort when rejected, and joy when others listen.