Christians Should Witness, Here’s 6 Reasons Why

As I am tending booths for The Story Farm at county fairs the next couple weeks, I’m not only offering my books for sale. I am also offering two evangelistic tracts that I wrote.

One tract uses family values as the hook, the other uses farm animals. I wrote both these tracts in preparation for an evangelistic outreach at the Iowa State Fair a few years ago. I still use them, especially in places were families and animals gather, like county fairs.

Thinking about all the people at the fair this week, I was reminded that God loves each of them, no exceptions. Even the people that are vastly different from those I normally see, God loves them just like he loves me.

They need to know it. It’s not my job to convict them of sin, righteousness or judgment, that’s the Holy Spirit’s work. (John 16:8-10) It’s not my job to draw them to Jesus, that’s the Father’s work (John 6:44).

What IS my duty is to somehow tell them that Jesus redeemed them from their sin. Often it is as simple as handing someone a tract that they can read later when the time is right. It may be a conversation turned to spiritual matters that opens a door for in-depth worldview analysis. Sometimes a prayer need leads to deeper conversations.

The method and results of each interaction is not up to me. I am only responsible for my availability. Am I willing to do whatever the Holy Spirit prompts me to do?

My availability for sharing the gospel is directly related to my belief that I should share the gospel. If I don’t believe evangelism should be a part of my life as a Christian, I won’t likely do it.

Why should I witness to unbelievers? I’d like to offer you six reasons. There’s nothing special about these six bullet points. There are likely more. Six is just what I thought I could cover today.

6 Reasons Christians Should Witness

1. Jesus said Christians should witness.

It’s pretty clear, Christ commanded us to love God and love our neighbors. He also made it clear that we are supposed to tell others about Him. Each of the Gospels has a different compelling command that we go spread the gospel.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you… Matthew 28:19-20*

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24:46-48

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” John 20:21

That’s the command. Ray Comfort makes s strong statement about our duty to witness in this article: The Firefighter.

The other reasons I’m going to list are answers to the philosophical question: WHY? You will see that they all start the same way.

2. Jesus said Christians should witness because that’s why He came.

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11

“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

In two different contexts, with a child and with a tax collector, Jesus said saving the lost was His purpose. His disciples didn’t realize that the work of saving the lost was their purpose, too. He made that clear with the commands listed in number 1.

We should witness to the lost because that’s why Jesus came, why He was sent, and why he sends us. (John 20:21)

3. Jesus said Christians should witness because that’s how much God loves the world.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Jesus explained the love of God to Nicodemus that night very simply. Because He loves the world, He sent Jesus to redeem it. Now, because He loves the world, He sends the Christians to witness to others about that redemption.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

The love of the Father flows through the Holy Spirit and motivates us to obey Christ’s commands. That includes the commands to be witnesses.

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:9-10

4. Jesus said Christians should witness because that’s why He sent the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said he would ask the Father to fill His believers with the Holy Spirit so He may abide in us. (John 14:16) All through the book of Acts, you see how the Holy Spirit empowered Christ’s believers to witness. The demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit was the main method Paul used to evangelize entire cities. (1 Corinthians 2:4)

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

“And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:48-49

If not to witness about Jesus, why do we need the Holy Spirit? All the ministries of the Holy Spirit that Jesus mentioned in John 14 and 16 are evangelistic in nature. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to glorify and bear witness to Jesus. (John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-8, 13-14)

Our purpose through the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus and tell others about Him.

5. Jesus said Christians should witness because there is no other way to heaven.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

It’s pretty clear in the scripture that faith in Jesus is the only way to escape the eternal damnation we all deserve and enter eternal life. (John 3:18-19)

It’s also clear that this way to salvation is open to everyone, but they have to hear it from others.

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:13-14

If there is only one way (Jesus) and we know the way (John 14:4) then we must show others. Paul felt preaching the gospel was a life necessity (1 Corinthians 9:16). Shouldn’t we feel the same way?

6. Jesus said Christians should witness because the end result is worth it.

Heaven is a wonderful place. That’s what the kids’ praise song says.

Jesus likened it to a place to call home and where we would be with Him (John 14:2-3). His description of entering heaven is to “enter into the joy of your Lord.”(Matthew 25:21,23)

Our presence in heaven with Him and the Father is the goal of His life and sacrifice. It’s part of the focus of His prayer the night before He died.

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24

In Revelation, heaven is likened to a marriage feast:

“Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:6-9

All in all, the kids’ song is correct. Heaven is such a wonderful and worthy goal that Jesus… for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

How about you?

I gave you six reasons Christians should witness to others about Jesus. What is your reason? Can you really expect to get out of it?

Humans are the object of God’s love, and He wants them restored back to Him. Some of them may only get that opportunity through you.

Did you ever learn First Aid because sometime someone’s life may depend on it? You can learn to witness, too, because everyone’s eternal life depends on it.

Here are three links to ministries that do evangelism training:
What Does the Scripture Say
Tomorrow’s Forefathers
Living Waters

Witnessing for Christ is a skill that can be practiced until it becomes a habit. If you’re a Christian, you should witness to others. Jesus said so.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

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