An overwhelming number of Christians choose not to evangelize. Many state that they don’t know how to approach someone with the gospel message. Christian evangelist, Ray Comfort, illustrates a thought-provoking way to approach an unbeliever. This is his approach: Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Almost everyone answers with a “yes”. I’m going to ask you a few questions to see if that’s true. How many lies have you told? What do you call someone who tells a lie? Have you ever stolen something even if it was something small? What do you call someone who steals? Have you ever used God’s name in vain? That means to use God’s name to express disgust instead of a four letter cuss word. This is called blasphemy and the Bible says that God will not hold him guiltless whoever takes the Lord’s name in vain. Jesus said that if you look upon a person to lust after them then you’ve committed adultery in your heart. Have you looked with lust? So [insert person’s name], I’m not judging you but you’ve just admitted that, you are a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, and an adulterer at heart and that’s after looking at just 4 of the 10 commandments. If God were to judge you based on the 10 commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? If they say they would be innocent, then take them back to the commandments. “But you just told me that you’ve lied, stolen etc."

If they say that they no longer do those things, then give them the courtroom illustration: If you were standing in front of a judge and you were guilty of a crime, like drug-dealing, can you tell the judge to let you go because it’s been a long time since you’ve done your last drug deal? The answer is no. The same thing with God, He is a holy and just God. Do you think God should let murderers and thieves off the hook even if it has been a long time since they last murdered or stole something? If they say that God is forgiving, then ask them, “Based on what will God forgive you?” If they give you any answer other than “because Jesus Christ died on the cross for me” then bring their answer back to the courtroom illustration. Would you go to heaven or hell? If they say heaven, then ask them, “How do you figure that?” Continue to give the law to the person until the law has humbled them. It’s only that once a sinner realizes that he/she is on their way to hell, then they are ready for grace (Jesus). If they answer “hell”, then ask them, “Does that concern you that if you were to die today that you would be on your way to hell?” If yes, then give them the gospel. If no, then ask them why not. At this point, simply teach them what the gospel, or “good news”, means. This news must start with repentance, then bring them to the cross.

Many who read the law as given in the Old Testament find it difficult or impossible to actually follow. They’re thankful that Jesus preaches love and forgiveness. But as we read, Jesus doesn’t negate the law as He said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” He then goes on to raise the bar, not lower it. We read in 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment...But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” He goes further in 5:27-28, “”You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Though many would pridefully parade their self-righteousness around, Jesus brought the law to the level of the heart and this should bring everyone to their knees knowing they can’t possibly follow the law. At one point we read how impossible being “good enough” seemed to His disciples, as we read in Matthew 19:25-26, “When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Concerning the law, we read in Galatians 2:16, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Along this line we read in Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Simply following the law as best as we can, and adhering to the proscribed sacrifices could not remove the stain of sin. So one might ask, what is the purpose of the law? We read in Galatians 3:24, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” We must understand that Jesus raised the bar to show how impossible the situation truly is apart from Him. But if He left us that way, we would live in hopelessness. But that is where His love, grace, and mercy comes in. He can’t simply overlook our sins, because that would be unjust. So, our beautiful Savior, willingly went to the cross for our sins. By His death and sacrifice on the cross, He paid for all sins: past, present, and future. He is the only sinless sacrifice capable of washing us clean. He did it all, since we are thoroughly incapable. As Ray Comfort illustrated for us, may we lead others to the point of repentance realizing the futility and the facade of being “pretty good”. Then lovingly bring them to the cross and invite them to begin a saving relationship with Jesus.