I think we need to move beyond evangelism being something we feel we are required to do or something that is part of our duty as a Christian.  When we talk to people about Jesus, we are not checking a task off the “how to be a good christian” list.  It isn’t merely a dry act of duty.  Talking to people about Jesus is worship.  It is us praising our God in the presence of others, proclaiming his excellency, glory, majesty, love and grace.  It’s saying with the apostle Paul that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15).  In our every day life, we have opportunities to introduce people to our Savior.  Every time we have a conversation with someone, it is an opportunity to put our God on display and praise him.  “Look.  This is the God who saved me.  This is the God who redeemed my life from the pit (Psalm 103:4), who removed my sin from me as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), who has given me meaning, purpose and life to the full.”  And it’s giving them an opportunity to know him and praise him as well.  This is what we were created for.  This is what they were created for.  We were created as beings who worship.  Our identity is rooted in worship.  Ultimately, we were created to worship God.  Therefore to tell people about Jesus is to embrace our identity and call them to embrace theirs.  Evangelism is embracing what we were made for and who we were created to be.

Remember that great scene in the last movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, when Elrond meets Aragorn at the entrance to the Dimholt road. Elrond tells Aragorn of their bleak situation with little hope for victory over the powers of Mordor.  He restores hope to Aragorn though when he gives him the sword of his ancestors and challenges him to embrace his identity.  He tells him: “Put aside the ranger, become who you were born to be.”

We have a chance to be who we were born to be and to invite people to become who they were born to be.  They are meant for God.  They were made for Him.  Let’s introduce them to the awesome God they were made for.

For some more thoughts on evangelism, check out this post.

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