How important is participating in evangelism to one's sanctificati

[Ddavid from NC]

The majority of Christians never expereince leading someone else to a born again experience. Will this stunt the spiritual growth of a Christian at some point in his/her development?

[thunderbyrd]

The majority of Christians never expereince leading someone else to a born again experience. Will this stunt the spiritual growth of a Christian at some point in his/her development?

for me, santification = obedience to the Holy Spirit. so if the Spirit leads me to share my faith and i fail to do it, i have sinned. learning to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit has been for me a long process, it probably is for many others, too.

[Trusting Jesus]

I read one time of a lady who made a New Year's resolution that she would lead at least one person to Christ in the coming year. She kept her eyes and ears open for someone to talk to, but realized that she needed to have some answers ready in case who ever she talked to asked her things she would need to have answers for. So, she made a list of possible questions and then studied her Bible to find the answers. She studied and looked for anyone who she could share her faith with. Well, as the end of the year approached she had not brought anyone to Jesus. She cried out to God and asked why He had not sent anyone to her so that she could introduce them to Jesus. His answer to her was that in the past year she had strengthend her own faith and found answers to questions she had and it was herself that she had brought to Jesus!

The point is, study and be ready to defend your faith. You will come closer to Him and if someone crosses your path who needs to hear the Good News, you will be ready!

<>< ><>

Nathele

[OneLight]

The majority of Christians never expereince leading someone else to a born again experience. Will this stunt the spiritual growth of a Christian at some point in his/her development?

How important is participating in evangelism to one's sanctificati, Can I be like Christ and not share my faith with the lost?

First, to answer the question in the title, No. If Christ shared His faith, we are to do so also.

To answer your OP question, I have found that being an example in life is worth more then words. What we do is more important then what we say. If we are being Christ-like, then questions will be asked of us. That is why we are to have an answer for those who ask. Giving your testimony will, in fact, strengthen your own walk. There is nothing like reliving your own walk to remind us of where we came from, deepening our desire to be more like Him.

[Fraught]

i'm not sure about this one either.

i feel more like a seed planter. many times i can just drop in a little something about God and i don't feel i need to elaborate much but i feel like the person will call it to mind later and someone else will be there to add a little water and eventually the Lord will reap the harvest.

i do, however, look for opportunities to say straight out that Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior. i don't want to miss a chance to acknowledge Him !!

[patricia1]

One does not need to be a evangelist to tell someone about Jesus. A one on one declaration to anyone about Jesus is imporatant. Just do not be ashamed of knowing Him or saying His name. Has nothing to do with Salvation which is by Grace and Mercy of the Father who sent His Son Jesus to die for....patricia1

[Neeva Candida]

The Myth of a Christian Lifestyle Witness

I used to believe that I could be an effective witness by simply living a Christian life. Others would see the way I lived and be prompted to ask me why I chose to be different.

This belief was reinforced from the pulpit.

I was relieved. Truth be told I was afraid to approach people and start talking about Heaven and Hell. What would they think? What would they say? What would they do?

These fears kept me clinging dearly to this "silent" witnessing approach. It helped me feel good about avoiding an uncomfortable task.

I finally learned that I was mistaken. This teaching is not biblical. In fact the bible teaches us that we are all responsible for sharing the gospel.

Mark 16:15 (King James Version)

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

I know you are most likely familiar with this verse. It is called the Great Commission. It speaks to all of us that claim the gift of salvation. A couple of words stand out for me; "Go" and "preach". These are action words. They imply a deliberate act. This doesn't adequately describe the situation we see in "living a Christian witness". "Accidental witnessing" more accurately describes when someone comes to us solely because they think we are living differently than other people.

Luke 10:2 (King James Version)

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.

According to some statistics nearly 98% of the people filling our church pews have never witnessed to another soul. This is a very disturbing thought! A laborer is someone that provides a service or performs a task. An employer doesn't hire laborers in the hopes that their mere presence will get a job done. He expects them to act. As laborers for God why are we content to think it is different for us?

1 Corinthians 9:16 (King James Version)

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

Paul felt very strongly about witnessing. He felt it was his responsibility and that not doing it was a sad thing.

Should we be saddened if we choose not to witness? If we truly believe that the unsaved are going to be cast into a real, burning Hell I think the answer is obvious. We wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. We would do most everything possible to warn them.

Ephesians 6:19-20 (King James Version)

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul prayed that he would speak boldly of the gospel. He said it was the very thing that he "ought" to do.

It's the same for us. This is something that we should be doing!

Fortunately I no longer believe that simply living a Christian life is a substitute for actually seeking someone out and telling them about God's plan of salvation.

Unfortunately I wasted a lot of years before I realized this fact.

I still have fears. One of them is the blood that will be on my hands on judgment day. The blood of those that I avoided witnessing to because I was uncomfortable. Those that failed to make a decision for Christ before it was too late.

~Neeva