Recently I participated in a support group for evangelism. As we discussed various strategies for sharing Christ, one of the participants made the comment, “Of course, I don’t want to treat the unbeliever as a project.” There seemed to be general assent that he was right. And, put that way, who wouldn’t agree? It sounds so ugly to treat another person as a “project”. This is, in fact, currently a bit of common lore shared across our society today, even outside of Christian circles. People should never be viewed as “projects”.
As my friend made his comment, I experienced an ambivalent reaction. Part of me agreed with him – with what I thought he meant, and part of me felt uncomfortable. The statement raises a worthwhile issue, and yet I wonder if there isn’t a better way to state it. Let me explain:
What I find uncomfortable about the idea that we “shouldn’t make unbelievers a project”
1. I find the statement, “we shouldn’t make unbelievers a project” to be too ambiguous
What does it mean to make another person “a project”? We all assume that we share a common understanding of this phrase, but I doubt that we do. What I think my friend meant was that evangelism should occur within a context of genuine love and friendship and not just be an exercise in spiritual manipulation, or as another person present put it: “just trying to get another notch in my gospel gun.” I can agree with that. But, for others, especially in our post-modern society, the statement seems to mean that we have no right to approach another person with the intent of changing them in any way. So if I have a goal for your life, spoken or unspoken, they reason, I’ve now turned you into a project. Is that true? The statement has multiple possible meanings, and it’s hard to know what’s being communicated when it’s used. This leads to my second concern.
2. The statement “we shouldn’t make unbelievers a project” seems to cast a shadow on intentional evangelism
Jesus told us to “make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). Notice the word “make”. It implies intentional evangelism; deliberate efforts to convert others in Christ-followers. We don’t just hope that others find Christ, we try our best, within reasonable limits, to make that happen for them. Does the deliberate effort to lead someone to Christ turn them into a “project”? In the eyes of many today, it does. But should it? Are we to be reduced to passive evangelism, to “just shining Christ’s light in my own life” and hoping that somehow others will be inspired by our example to seek Christ too? If so, the Apostle Paul, who unabashedly tried to persuade others to follow Jesus, would have failed this test. He constantly preached Christ and attempted to persuade others to believe (Acts 26:28,29).
3. The statement “we shouldn’t make unbelievers a project” seems to make evangelism an optional priority
While everything I do with others needn’t be directly focused on evangelism, helping others find Jesus will always be my top priority in every relationship. In the end, if they die without salvation, what else matters? This doesn’t mean that we can’t just have fun with others at times, or interact on non-spiritual subjects. Much of what we do will not be overtly spiritual; mostly ordinary living life stuff. It just means that I do always have an agenda; often unspoken, and that is to see that everyone gets the greatest gift of all; salvation. This is not “making people a project”, it’s loving them at the highest level. Anything less is unloving.
Having expressed my discomfort with the statement that “we shouldn’t make unbelievers a project”, let me add, however, that I agree with at least some of the concerns it’s trying to address. So let me share some possible correctives.
How can we avoid “turning unbelievers into projects”?
1. I avoid turning unbelievers into projects when I act out of genuine love and concern for them
Jesus came to save us, not just to buff up His divine image, but because “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). We aren’t just chess pieces He manipulates on a celestial board. Jesus came because He cares about us personally. He wept over rebellious Jerusalem (Luke 19;41,42). He expressed His love often to people and showed its depth by giving up His life for us (John 15:13). Evangelism not motivated by love is a distortion. And, let’s be honest, it is possible to do evangelism for questionable reasons. Paul spoke of people preaching Christ “out of envy and rivalry” (Phil. 1:15). Or we may, indeed, be “seeking to get more notches on our gospel gun”, leading others to Christ mostly because it gives us something to boast about. When God gives us a genuine concern for another person’s welfare, this will guide us away from using them merely as objects to be maneuvered for our own gain. In fact, the rest of the correctives are based on a foundation of love.
2. I avoid turning unbelievers into projects when I respect their free will to choose or to reject Christ
When I make a wood project I don’t ask the boards if they want to be cut and fastened. I just do it. People, however, aren’t boards. They’re moral agents with free wills. Even God Himself does not coerce anyone into following Him. Many did, in fact, reject Jesus while He was on earth. He could easily have overwhelmed all opposition by unleashing His divine power, but He chose not to do that. The apostle Paul “persuaded” people to follow Christ (Acts 17:4) but he always stopped short of trying to impose conversion. Salvation is a free choice or it’s not biblical. It’s easy, even out of love, to get too pushy or even manipulative about the gospel, but that’s not only usually counterproductive – people resist – it’s also wrong. When we sense ourselves getting too forceful, it’s a hint that we’re slipping into a “project” mentality.
3. I avoid turning unbelievers into projects when I continue to show them love regardless of whether or not they are open to Christ
This, I think, is what my friend in the opening story was getting at. Don’t share the gospel, and then just dump those who aren’t interested. Continue to value them, serve them, enjoy them, and love them regardless of their receptivity to Christ. Not only is this a reflection of Christ’s love for all sinners, it also increases the possibility, down the road, that the unbeliever may open up to Christ after they’ve experienced our unconditional love.
84. What about those who have never heard of Jesus.docx
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81. What about those who have never heard of Jesus?
“
Are you saying that only Christians will go to heaven?
”
asked the person indignantly.
“
What about people who didn
’
t grow up in a place where Christianity was taught? What
about people who have never heard the name of Jesus or at least h
ad Him explained
well? Are they condemned to eternal suffering? How is
that
fair?!
”
This issue is among a handful of questions which make nearly every Ch
ristian
squirm.
In fact, it
’
s not just
non
-Christians who ask this question
–
m
any
Ch
ristians
wrestle with it too.
I
’
m aware that by even bringing up this question I
’
m walking into a theological
minefield. Any answer I give will be unacceptable and probably ev
en offensive to
multiple groups. There are no easy answers. If you have one, please h
and it over. I too
want to believe that everyone has an equal chance to find salvation
through Jesus.
Anything less seems unfair and unbiblical (more about that in a moment).
I will now disappoint my first group by admitting that I don
’
t have a solid, well-
defined answer to this question.
Nor have I been satisfied by the confident solutions
proposed to me by theology books and articles. For reasons I will discuss, th
ey leave
me dissatisfied.
So what I will attempt to give you today is not a final answer, but an
effort to put the issue in as plain a light as I can so that we can deal hon
estly with our
limitations on the subject, while trying to come
to
at least a livable solution.
Factors to consider when dealing with the issue of those who ha
ve not had a
good hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ
Factor #1: The Bible leaves a certain amount of mystery about this
subject
One reason we argue so much over this issue is that the Bible doesn
’
t fully explain to us
all the factors which we
’
d like to know. Is general revelation (God speaking through
nature and reason) enough to damn people, but insufficient to sav
e them? Can God
speak clearly enough through the Spirit, apart from Scripture, to b
ring them to
salvation? Is an open heart toward God enough to guarantee tha
t He will reach to the
seeker? Each major theological group, it seems to me, attempts to answ
er the tough
questions by sliding the mystery around to a different location, but n
one removes it
altogether. This leads to my second assertion:
Factor #2: God is as clear as He chooses to be
The mysteries of Scripture are not accidental. God does not even try t
o address all of
our questions in the Bible. He leaves out some pieces of the puzzle. Delib
erately.
This
doesn
’
t mean, of course, that God
Himself
is unsure of all the right answers. He
understands everything perfectly. But He has not allowed us the same pri
vilege. Why?
I suspect that, at least in part, it
’
s done to humble us and remind us of our human
limitations. It also pushes us toward faith; toward trusting God beyond wha
t we can
understand. And, I suspect as well, that our human minds are incapable
of completely
comprehending all of God
’
s ways.
Admitting mystery where it exists is part of honestly
facing these sorts of issues.
81. What about those who have never heard of Jesus?
Factor #3
:
God loves every human being
Can we agree on that? Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Lk. 19:44-44) becaus
e He
’
d
wanted to draw them to Him as a hen draws her chicks but they were unwilling (
Matt.
23:37). John 3:16 tells us that
“
God so loved the world. . .
”
By
“
loves
”
, I mean that God
cares about each person and wants what is best for them, which, for me,
must
include
the next factor, otherwise it
’
s not love:
Factor #4: God wants to save everyone
A large group of believers will fall away from me after this statemen
t. They believe that
we can only be saved with God
’
s help (which I too believe), but that God only chooses
to give this absolutely crucial help to a small group called
“
the elect
”
.
Those outside of
that group lack even the
potential
to be saved and that
’
s by God
’
s choice. They
’
re
born
stuck and out of luck. In love, I must reply that I cannot buy that perspe
ctive. It goes
against the grain of so much in Scripture, in which God constantly plead
s with rebellious
people to repent. Furthermore, it
’
s hard to reconcile with verses like 2 Peter 3:9, which
tells us that God is
“
patient with you, not wanting
anyone
to perish, but
everyone
to
come to repentance.
”
A universal invitation makes no sense without a universal
capability to respond positively. I realize that there are sophisticate
d arguments which
disagree with me here, but I
’
ve heard them and come away unconvinced.
My last two
statements lead to the next:
Factor #5: God provides each person with sufficient resources
to be saved
This is where I choose to place the mystery in the salvation dilemma. If Go
d wants to
save everyone, then everyone must have a fighting chance to accept or to r
eject that
salvation; otherwise, the universal invitation is a hollow, me
aningless one
–
like offering
to sell a 30 million dollar mansion to a beggar. Why? Because God is ju
st (Ps. 98:9b),
and justice requires a fair chance. Furthermore, I
’
m unwilling to believe that God
’
s plan
to save someone will be foiled if the church fails to do its part; that yo
ur salvation
ultimately depends on me
–
that either Tim does his job or Joe goes to Hell
–
lots of
Joes in fact. I believe that what God commands, he always enables, ev
en if it involves
plans B, C, or Z.
So what is this
“
sufficient resource to be saved
”
, if it
’
s not a full presentation of
the New Testament gospel? The Bible does not answer this question directl
y. It does
tell us, however, of a large number of Old Testament saints who ne
ver heard about
Jesus; His coming to earth, His dying on the cross for our sins, and His r
esurrection.
Yet they
’
re still saints. In fact, two of them, Elijah and Moses, spoke with Jesus on the
Mount of Transfiguration. It tells us of people who didn
’
t even
have
the Jewish law, like
Melchizedek (Gen. 14:1
8)
, and possibly, Job, who, nevertheless clearly had a saving
relationship with God. So is it possible that the Spirit can save
anyone open to Him even
if they haven
’
t heard the name of Jesus? Before I make my final comments, let me set
some firm boundaries.
81. What about those who have never heard of Jesus?
First, without Jesus and his work on the cross no one would be saved. There
is
no alternate Savior or plan of salvation. The Bible makes this clear (A
cts 4:12, John
14:6). Second, we
’
re held responsible to boldly share the good news about Jesus
wherever possible (Matt. 28:19,20).
So how do I come to peace with the issue of those who have never heard
?
Although I must admit that the Bible does not specifically say this, in th
e end I want to
believe that the Spirit reaches to all, and that all who respond posi
tively to His invitation,
He will save. God
’
s love, His ways, and His creativity are deeper than we can imagine.
If
we
care about every lost person, He who sent His own Son to die on the cro
ss, must
care far more.
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84. What about those who have never heard of Jesus.docx
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Share
Open ▾
81. What about those who have never heard of Jesus?
“
Are you saying that only Christians will go to heaven?
”
asked the person indignantly.
“
What about people who didn
’
t grow up in a place where Christianity was taught? What
about people who have never heard the name of Jesus or at least h
ad Him explained
well? Are they condemned to eternal suffering? How is
that
fair?!
”
This issue is among a handful of questions which make nearly every Ch
ristian
squirm.
In fact, it
’
s not just
non
-Christians who ask this question
–
m
any
Ch
ristians
wrestle with it too.
I
’
m aware that by even bringing up this question I
’
m walking into a theological
minefield. Any answer I give will be unacceptable and probably ev
en offensive to
multiple groups. There are no easy answers. If you have one, please h
and it over. I too
want to believe that everyone has an equal chance to find salvation
through Jesus.
Anything less seems unfair and unbiblical (more about that in a moment).
I will now disappoint my first group by admitting that I don
’
t have a solid, well-
defined answer to this question.
Nor have I been satisfied by the confident solutions
proposed to me by theology books and articles. For reasons I will discuss, th
ey leave
me dissatisfied.
So what I will attempt to give you today is not a final answer, but an
effort to put the issue in as plain a light as I can so that we can deal hon
estly with our
limitations on the subject, while trying to come
to
at least a livable solution.
Factors to consider when dealing with the issue of those who ha
ve not had a
good hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ
Factor #1: The Bible leaves a certain amount of mystery about this
subject
One reason we argue so much over this issue is that the Bible doesn
’
t fully explain to us
all the factors which we
’
d like to know. Is general revelation (God speaking through
nature and reason) enough to damn people, but insufficient to sav
e them? Can God
speak clearly enough through the Spirit, apart from Scripture, to b
ring them to
salvation? Is an open heart toward God enough to guarantee tha
t He will reach to the
seeker? Each major theological group, it seems to me, attempts to answ
er the tough
questions by sliding the mystery around to a different location, but n
one removes it
altogether. This leads to my second assertion:
Factor #2: God is as clear as He chooses to be
The mysteries of Scripture are not accidental. God does not even try t
o address all of
our questions in the Bible. He leaves out some pieces of the puzzle. Delib
erately.
This
doesn
’
t mean, of course, that God
Himself
is unsure of all the right answers. He
understands everything perfectly. But He has not allowed us the same pri
vilege. Why?
I suspect that, at least in part, it
’
s done to humble us and remind us of our human
limitations. It also pushes us toward faith; toward trusting God beyond wha
t we can
understand. And, I suspect as well, that our human minds are incapable
of completely
comprehending all of God
’
s ways.
Admitting mystery where it exists is part of honestly
facing these sorts of issues.
81. What about those who have never heard of Jesus?
Factor #3
:
God loves every human being
Can we agree on that? Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Lk. 19:44-44) becaus
e He
’
d
wanted to draw them to Him as a hen draws her chicks but they were unwilling (
Matt.
23:37). John 3:16 tells us that
“
God so loved the world. . .
”
By
“
loves
”
, I mean that God
cares about each person and wants what is best for them, which, for me,
must
include
the next factor, otherwise it
’
s not love:
Factor #4: God wants to save everyone
A large group of believers will fall away from me after this statemen
t. They believe that
we can only be saved with God
’
s help (which I too believe), but that God only chooses
to give this absolutely crucial help to a small group called
“
the elect
”
.
Those outside of
that group lack even the
potential
to be saved and that
’
s by God
’
s choice. They
’
re
born
stuck and out of luck. In love, I must reply that I cannot buy that perspe
ctive. It goes
against the grain of so much in Scripture, in which God constantly plead
s with rebellious
people to repent. Furthermore, it
’
s hard to reconcile with verses like 2 Peter 3:9, which
tells us that God is
“
patient with you, not wanting
anyone
to perish, but
everyone
to
come to repentance.
”
A universal invitation makes no sense without a universal
capability to respond positively. I realize that there are sophisticate
d arguments which
disagree with me here, but I
’
ve heard them and come away unconvinced.
My last two
statements lead to the next:
Factor #5: God provides each person with sufficient resources
to be saved
This is where I choose to place the mystery in the salvation dilemma. If Go
d wants to
save everyone, then everyone must have a fighting chance to accept or to r
eject that
salvation; otherwise, the universal invitation is a hollow, me
aningless one
–
like offering
to sell a 30 million dollar mansion to a beggar. Why? Because God is ju
st (Ps. 98:9b),
and justice requires a fair chance. Furthermore, I
’
m unwilling to believe that God
’
s plan
to save someone will be foiled if the church fails to do its part; that yo
ur salvation
ultimately depends on me
–
that either Tim does his job or Joe goes to Hell
–
lots of
Joes in fact. I believe that what God commands, he always enables, ev
en if it involves
plans B, C, or Z.
So what is this
“
sufficient resource to be saved
”
, if it
’
s not a full presentation of
the New Testament gospel? The Bible does not answer this question directl
y. It does
tell us, however, of a large number of Old Testament saints who ne
ver heard about
Jesus; His coming to earth, His dying on the cross for our sins, and His r
esurrection.
Yet they
’
re still saints. In fact, two of them, Elijah and Moses, spoke with Jesus on the
Mount of Transfiguration. It tells us of people who didn
’
t even
have
the Jewish law, like
Melchizedek (Gen. 14:1
8)
, and possibly, Job, who, nevertheless clearly had a saving
relationship with God. So is it possible that the Spirit can save
anyone open to Him even
if they haven
’
t heard the name of Jesus? Before I make my final comments, let me set
some firm boundaries.
81. What about those who have never heard of Jesus?
First, without Jesus and his work on the cross no one would be saved. There
is
no alternate Savior or plan of salvation. The Bible makes this clear (A
cts 4:12, John
14:6). Second, we
’
re held responsible to boldly share the good news about Jesus
wherever possible (Matt. 28:19,20).
So how do I come to peace with the issue of those who have never heard
?
Although I must admit that the Bible does not specifically say this, in th
e end I want to
believe that the Spirit reaches to all, and that all who respond posi
tively to His invitation,
He will save. God
’
s love, His ways, and His creativity are deeper than we can imagine.
If
we
care about every lost person, He who sent His own Son to die on the cro
ss, must
care far more.
Page 1 of 3
TU
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The point of connection between believers and non-believers has moved. The frontline for sharing Christ is now mostly outside of the church building. Unbelievers are not entering our sanctuary doors. We must increasingly go to them where they are.
One of the most common places of contact between Christians and non-Christians is work. Our jobs allow us repeated contact with non-believers, usually more contact than we have with fellow church members or sometimes, even with our own families. Certain jobs, of course, allow more interaction than others. Nevertheless, one can learn a lot about another person over time, even from general observation and occasional conversation. And once it becomes clear that we are committed Christ followers, the level of scrutiny often increases; if only in subtle ways. People are curious about others who are unabashed Christ followers – What do we believe? Is it true? Are we for real? Are we judgmental? Are we weird? Do our beliefs offer any real help for life?
These are fair, and even wise questions. One would be foolish not to ask them about foundational beliefs for life. This leads to a key issue for us as believers:
How can I be a strong witness for Christ in my job?
1. I can be a strong witness for Christ by doing my job well
How we do our work is a key part of our testimony. If we work hard and do quality work this not only earns respect from those around us, it also sends a message about our inner beliefs. We’re told in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. . .” If our faith guides us to work hard and well, this is a pleasing testimony to the Spirit who lives within us. Mediocre work, on the other hand, especially if it’s by our own choice, is a poor testimony.
2. I can be a strong witness for Christ by doing my job with a good attitude
Work is work. It’s not always fun or fair. Yet, if our primary boss is God, we can still come to work with a positive attitude. He’ll reward our faithfulness whether or not the company does. I’m not suggesting that we can’t address problems or inequities when they arise, just that we project a willing, positive focus on the job and those around us. This makes us more winsome to others and draws them toward us. It honors God. As a bonus, it also makes the job more pleasant. Whining and griping, on the other hand, is not appealing and detracts from our spiritual credibility.
3. I can be a strong witness for Christ by being helpful to my co-workers
Do I think about what will make my fellow-workers look good, or what make their job easier? Am I focused on the team? Or is my focus mainly on myself, my performance, and my achievement? Paul tells us, in Philippians 2:4: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Sure, our primary focus is our own job, but there are ways of assisting others at the same time. This earns us credibility and creates more of a bond between us and our co-workers.
4. I can be a strong witness for Christ by showing moral integrity
This one is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, if people see that we’re honest, fair, keep our word, and so on, this earns credibility. On the other hand, If we are serious followers of Christ, we’ll sometimes have to set moral limits at work which create difficulties. I remember being told, at the steel mills, to falsify shipping reports and risking my job by refusing. Some of you know what I mean. Your boss is crooked, or your co-workers lie, and they pressure you to join in. Or you make a mistake and are tempted to blame someone else.
5. I can be a strong witness for Christ by taking genuine interest in my co-workers
What do I know about the lives of my co-workers? Their families? Their interests? Joys? Sorrows? Are we willing to listen more and to talk less? There’s an art to doing this. We don’t want to become the Grand Inquisitor. Start with easy questions and let their openness lead the way. It’s a positive, though, for most people, when another person has a genuine interest in them and treats their lives as important. Try to remember at least a few details of what they’ve shared, even if you have to write them down later, and repeat them back. This is proof that you’re paying attention.
These first five actions are critical for building a foundation of trust, credibility, and friendship. And remember that these are done, not just to set up an opportunity for sharing Christ, but because we actually care about the person right now, whether or not we ever get the chance to speak of Christ to them. God loves them right now and so do we.
6. I can be a strong witness for Christ by being open about my faith
By “being open”, I don’t mean preaching sermons or wearing “evangelism T-shirts”. I just mean mentioning God’s role in our lives in natural ways that fit into the conversations and situations that come up at work. Short stories and personal examples are often more interesting and less threatening than declarative statements about absolute truth. Don’t be afraid to mention something interesting that happened at church or how God is helping you to face a particular challenge.
7. I can be strong witness for Christ by learning about my co-workers’ spiritual beliefs
This has to be done carefully. Ask them spiritual questions. If they don’t want to go there, respect that. If they do give an answer, resist the urge to jump in with a quick critique and set them straight where you think them unbiblical. Ask clarifying questions. Be quick to find common ground where you can and express your appreciation of their understanding on those points. If you do express a counter view-point, try expressing it more as, “this is where I’m coming from” than, “this is the way it is!”
8. I can be a strong witness for Christ by patiently planting seeds and giving them time to grow
Some of us were taught, in evangelism, to jump quickly into a gospel presentation and then go for the closing. If they weren’t open, we were to shake the dust off of our feet, and move on to the next person. That’s a short-term strategy which may be the best we can do on an hour bus trip with a stranger, but it doesn’t usually work well in long-term relationships. Research has shown that people seldom change their basic beliefs, and when they do, it’s often done very slowly, piece by piece. Allow time for God’s truth to sink in and to take root.
9. I can be a strong witness for Christ by consistently praying for my co-workers
In ourselves, you and I can’t save anyone from sin. God the Spirit has t0 soften hearts and open minds. If we try to do this on our own strength we’ll fail.
Pray and plant and wait with expectation.