Evangelism As An Ethical Obligation

Evangelism as a Duty of Christian Ethics
It's interesting to think that the act of proclaiming the gospel is evangelism, while the outcome of evangelism is to proclaim the gospel. Let that sink in for a moment; if you need to, read the sentence again. Most of us understand that we engage in the Lord's call to evangelize or spread His good news by proclaiming the message of sin, repentance, and restoration. Sometimes, we do not realize that the result of evangelism is more evangelism. That's because, as joyful recipients of God's grace, the response is to want to proclaim that grace to those who need it also. Thus, proclaiming the gospel message is a matter of acting ethically as a believer in Christ.

Far beyond right and wrong, the discipline of Christian ethics is meant to be a study that teaches us how to live in a way that pleases our Lord. Wayne Grudem defines it as the following: “Christian ethics is any study that answers the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God's approval, and which do not?’” (1)

What is ethical is not a matter of personal preference but the Lord's teaching according to His Word.

The Ethical Marks of Evangelism
If Grudem’s definition is appropriate, how then does evangelism qualify as an ethical duty for Christians? First, evangelism is appropriated by Scripture as the means to spread the gospel and all truth associated with that gospel. Jesus Christ himself not only commands it (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15), but he establishes a vision of evangelism for the New Testament church in Acts 1:8. The rest of the New Testament offers itself as a testimony of various apostles and followers of Christ testifying to this gospel (just follow the ministries of Peter and Paul throughout Acts).

Second, evangelism done according to the will of God is approved by God. Evangelism is a behavior, perhaps even a lifestyle, that receives the support of the Lord because it is a mandate given by the Lord. As a result, we know that when people are sharing the message of the good news, he is pleased by the obedience of the one sharing, by the message being proclaimed, and by the response to the Spirit's work for those who respond.

Ultimately, we see that biblical ethics is concerned with glorifying God by serving Him and others with what we have. In 2 Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul expounds on what it means to give generously, saying in verses 13-15:
“For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, ‘Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.’” (2)

These verses speak of the sharing of material things, but we notice three principles that come out of this verse:

• We give generously.
• We give out of the abundance that the Lord has given to us.
• We use what we have for others.

Is it possible that those principles could be applied to more than just physical items? What about the knowledge we have? Is it ethical to give it generously to others and use it for their benefit and the service of the Lord? Absolutely. Why is this important? Because the gospel is a gift of the Lord by which He has blessed us, and in great abundance. At the same time that we have received it, there are others in need of it, and it gains us nothing to hoard the gospel for ourselves. In fact, I would propose that we enjoy the fruit of the gospel more when we see it enjoyed by others. And so I would say first that it is unethical when we don't share the gospel. That means we live ethically when we give the gospel generously and completely.

Evangelism As More Than an Ethical Obligation
I share this with you because we don't often think of evangelism in terms of Christian ethics. Yet, when we do, it adds weightiness and seriousness to the task that the Lord has called us to import into our lives. However, I urge caution in thinking of evangelism only as an ethical obligation. Evangelism is a supernatural act of God, sanctioned by God, and sanctified by God. When we think of evangelism only in terms of ethics, we risk forgetting those truths, reducing evangelism to nothing more than responsibility rather than a privilege. May we endeavor to remember that evangelism is an ethical obligation, but remember that it is also more than an ethical obligation.

(1) Wayne Grudem. Christian Ethics: An Introduction to Biblical Moral Reasoning. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018. 37 iBooks.
(2) All Scripture references are from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

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