Schoolmaster Evangelism

I have been praying to the Lord for opportunities to share the gospel with others. And, wouldn’t you know it, He has actually answered that prayer.
The other part of that is I have to see and seize those opportunities. Not all opportunities are the same. Some I get to share the full gospel while other times it may just be a small portion due to the circumstances of the encounter. But, every little seed counts.

I have been trying to use the law as a part of my presentation of the gospel. Sin is a non-negotiable aspect of actually sharing the gospel. And the ten commandments are the best way to show people that they are sinners in need of a Savior.

I didn’t come up with this all by myself. I heard it from the Way of the Master ministries. This is an evangelistic ministry by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. I don’t agree with everything they say, but I do like their gospel presentation.

They actually didn’t come up with it either. It is from scripture. In Mark 10 a guy comes to Jesus’ and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And as the conversation continues what Jesus uses is the law to show the guy his sinfulness and need for forgiveness.


" And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Mark 10:17-22, ESV)

I love that account. Most Christians today would jump out of their shoes if someone approached them and said, “What must I do to be saved?” It is never that easy. But, look at what Jesus did. He didn’t sign the guy up, or encourage him to get baptized, or ask him to fill out a card and say a prayer. He offended him by pointing him to the law. And the account ends with the guy walking away from Jesus.

Maybe Jesus needs to take a course in relationship evangelism? Maybe Jesus needed to be taught how to build a relationship with this guy and meet him at the local pub to build some lasting bridge into his life? Or not.

Jesus dealt with the primary issue in his life – his sin. And Jesus used the ten commandments to show the guy that he was a sinner.

I have tried to follow that model more often lately and find it surprisingly easy. It is easy to walk people through some of the ten commandments and let them see for themselves that they have fallen short of the glory of God.

I will ask them if they have ever lied, or stolen, or taken God’s name in vain. Most people are willing to acknowledge that they have done those things. If it is a male then I ask them if they have ever lusted after a woman, which Jesus says is adultery. I know that all guys have done that.

So, as I walk them through the commandments they have freely admitted to me and themselves that they are lawbreakers and sinners. If they are judged by those standards they are guilty and deserve the punishment for their own sin.
From there it is an easy step for them to see Jesus as Savior and not just some icing on the cake of their life. That is more likely to lead to genuine repentance and faith demonstrated in a life of fruitfulness to Christ.

Forgiven Much

Luke 7:47
“He who is forgiven little, loves little.”

I have been thinking a lot lately about the ten commandments. Specifically, I have been thinking about the use of the law in evangelism. This is not new, but it is new to me. I have always made a point to highlight the concept of sin with anyone I witnessed to. This is a must. In fact, evangelism without any mention of sin is not biblical evangelism.

But, recently I have been more intentional in using the ten commandments to confront people with their specific sins. This is biblical and serves a great purpose.

If people are unaware that they have broken the law and deserve the full punishment for their iniquity they will be unlikely to see the need for a Savior.

Luke 7:47 takes place as Jesus is eating dinner at a self-righteous Pharisees house. While eating, a known sinful women comes in and anoints Jesus’ feet with her tears and expensive perfume. The Pharisee objects because Jesus allowed a sinner to touch him.

At this moment Jesus turns to Simon Peter to make a point using an illustration. There are two men who owe money. One owes fifty bucks(denarii) the other owes 500. The owner of the money cancels the debt of each man. Who would be more grateful? Obviously the one who owed more. The one with the greater debt.

The Pharisee didn’t see himself as a sinner, and therefore saw no need for a Savior. The woman understood the depth of her iniquity and responded with gratitude and sacrificial love.

The Pharisee was just as much a sinner as the woman, he just refused to see it. Therefore, he did not respond to Christ in the same way the woman did.

There are many people who come to Jesus as an insurance policy or because they want a better life. They love God very little. It is different when someone comes to Jesus because they are confronted by the magnitude of their lawlessness. They are painfully aware that they have broken God’s law and stand in the path of facing the full judgment for their sin. The run to a Savior and stay with that Savior who rescues them from the depth of their iniquity. They love much!

I am beginning to see the need to confront people with the ten commandments to make it clear the reality and severity of sin. Hopefully, this will produce believers who love Jesus much!