“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NLT “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT).
That is known as the Great Commission. Chances are, you made your decision to follow Christ because of God’s working through a person (or persons) who took Jesus’ words to heart. You can make a difference in other people’s lives by taking His words to heart as well. When you do, you will find that some “nations”—or people—are harder to reach than others. Some of the hardest people to reach are those who are satisfied in life. They may not see their real spiritual condition because they have everything else in order. That is why I think it is a mistake when we share the gospel merely to appeal to unhappy, lonely, empty individuals. The reality is that not everyone is unhappy, empty, or lonely at every given moment. Many people have frequent bursts of happiness. Their lives are often going well. So, if we say to them, “Jesus can help you be happy,” they are likely to reply, “I do not need Him. I am already happy. “And if we say, “Jesus can take away your emptiness,” they are likely to say, “There is nothing for Him to take away. I do not really feel any emptiness. “
When we talk to other people about Christ, we need to recognize that there is more at stake than mere happiness. So, we must go beyond that message to the deepest need of all. That is, the need for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus did not die on the cross to make us happy. He died to save us from sin and death. Look at the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 above. Or in Romans 5:8: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (NLT). Or the apostle John’s words in 1 John 2:2: “He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (NLT). And, of course, in John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT).The need for salvation and eternal life is true of every person at every moment in time. There is no unbeliever who does not need to hear the gospel message. The more powerfully you make that message resonate with someone, the greater impact it will have. Learning to make the gospel resonate is one of the keys to spiritual growth.
