The Irony of Evangelism (2 Cor 5:20)

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. - 2 Cor 5:20

Many people are turned off by Christians sharing their faith because they feel like they're being sold something. They feel as though the Christian is trying to mentally manipulate them into signing on the dotted line, and getting another notch in their belt.

And to be fair to the people who feel like this, much of evangelism can indeed come across this way, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Most people are skeptical of salesmen because they know that the salesman is most likely not trying to make the buyer's life better, but to simply make a profit for himself.

The salesman tries to convince you to buy something so they can make profit. This is not necessarily wrong, it's just how sales tends to work.

When it comes to (true) evangelism, things are a bit different. The genuine evangelist is not thinking of himself, but only of the salvation of the soul with whom he is speaking. Whether that person accepts Christ or not, the evangelist can rest assured in his own salvation. It would in fact be easier for the evangelist to simply enjoy his own salvation and let others live their lives however they would like. But his love for God and neighbor compels him to do otherwise.

The work of the evangelist is like trying to convince someone who is drowning to 'please take this life preserver.'

Or like trying to convince someone who is dying of a disease to 'please take this life saving medicine.'

Or to someone who is starving to 'please take this food."

Here is the irony of the task of the evangelist: The reason that people need to accept the gospel is the very same reason that they are not able to accept the gospel.

The reason people need the gospel is that they are are enslaved to sin which is trapping them in delusion, deception, and confusion.

And the reason people are unable to accept the gospel is that they are are enslaved to sin which is trapping them in delusion, deception, and confusion.

Would it make any sense for a starving man to reject bread? Or for a drowning man to reject a life preserver? Or for a man dying of a disease to reject life-saving medicine?

Of course not. But let us examine another similar question.

Would it make any sense for a man who is ensnared in foolishness to scoff at wisdom? Or for a man stuck in darkness to resist light? Or for a man lost in delusion to reject truth?

When you think about it, of course these things makes sense. Of course it makes sense for a fool to reject wisdom. Their propensity to reject wisdom is precisely what makes them a fool.

Wisdom is nonsense to ears of a fool.

Light is blinding to eyes used to darkness.

Truth is offensive to the mind conditioned by delusion.

Definitionally speaking, outside of Christ every person is trapped in foolishness, darkness, and delusion.

Thus, the evangelist is tasked with doing the impossible. He is tasked with giving people what they are incapable of receiving.

This is the irony of evangelism - that we are commanded to do it, and yet are incapable of doing it. It is both a necessary work, and an impossible work.

And yet it is precisely this - the impossibility of the task - that makes its accomplishment possible.

If spreading the gospel was an extremely difficult task, then it would take an extreme amount of wisdom, courage, training, and education to accomplish it.

But if spreading the gospel is an impossible task, then no one short of God Himself, to whom all things are possible, can hope to succeed.

Therefore the one task of the evangelist is not to spread the gospel per se, but to die to himself, be emptied of all self-will, and simply allow God to do what only God can do: to make His appeal through him.

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it

Isaiah 55:11