WE EVANGELIZE TO SAVE OTHERS AND OURSELVES
This is the second article on the topic, “Why Evangelize?” The previous article was, “We Evangelize Because the Bible teaches it.” We must study this subject more often and more fully. Evangelizing is key to the salvation of souls. This article is entitled, “We must evangelize to save ourselves and them that hear.” Paul gives some general instructions to the young preacher Timothy in chapter four of first Timothy, and he includes this, “Take heed to thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee” (1 Tim.4:16). Paul had instructed Timothy to pay attention to reading, to the doctrine and other things and by so doing his preaching would save others as is noted by the phrase, “…and them that hear thee.” Men are saved by the preaching of the gospel. Evangelizing! “…It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). Paul to the Romans ask the question,
“ For whosoever shall call upon 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” (Rom. 10:13-14)?
We must evangelize in order to save ourselves and them that hear. We save ourselves by obeying the commands of the Lord, and others are saved when they hear the gospel and are obedient to it.
Evangelizing is done in different ways and by different methods. There is public evangelism such as publicly preaching in the pulpit, preaching via radio and television or the written article.There is personal evangelism of one on one such as Aquila and Priscilla taking Apollos aside “…and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). The great example of one on one teaching when Philip taught the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27-39).
Find a way to teach others the gospel. When we begin to focus on those who are lost then our love for them begins to motivate us to find a way in which we can teach them the gospel. Above all, pray for God to help us; prayer works; prayer can open doors. Jesus said, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Mt. 9:38). When we engage in evangelism, we are saving ourselves and those whom we endeavor to teach.
Larry