Why ask questions IN evangelism? If evangelism is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ about salvation to all men, then we have to assume that all men NEED to be saved (Romans 16:31, Romans 10:9-10) and aren’t saved.
A person who is saved in the eyes of God is rescued from the future negative judgment of God. How? BY GOD. God does ALL the saving work and one enters into salvation when one is born again (John 3:3) and responds positively. Once a man is enlightened he will become willing in repentance and faith to trust in the work of Jesus Christ.
The MOST important think to know in evangelism is THE gospel! If you don’t know the gospel then you can’t answer peoples questions. It’s important to do both!
So what is the gospel? What does the word gospel mean? It means Good News! The good news of the gospel is a message we proclaim, telling a non Christian how to be justified/right in the eyes of God, and a good evangelist will not only tell people this great news but ask questions to unconverted people to help them have more clarity concerning this good news. The gospel alone saves, but good questions bring clarity to peoples false assumptions.
One can ONLY be justified (declared righteous by God) because the trinitarian God does what’s necessary in salvation. The FATHER calls people to himself (John 6:44), the SON accomplishes the work of saving people (John19:30) and the intervention of the SPIRIT OF GOD in the soul of a sinful spiritually dead men, spiritually awakens such a person (Ephesians 2:5). The result is one will repent and trust alone in Jesus to be saved/justified.
True repentance involves a man recognizing his moral guilt before God in his life based, upon being born in sin and living a life through disobedience to God’s commands. Man is in a covenant with God and has not kept the covenantal requirements (Matthew 5:48). Man is not just a sinner but a rebel and criminal in Gods eyes.
The bible says ONE sin makes a man guilty in the courtroom of heaven (Romans 6:23a). The bible calls people who are not followers of Jesus amongst many things, sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). So in repentance a man recognizes his guilt and turns away to Christ in faith whose atoning work makes the guilty righteous (Romans 5:19).
By turning away from sin and putting faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, one will no longer be condemned (John 3:18) and under a curse (Galatians 3:11). Gods favor brings one into the family of God so that he has a heavenly hope when he dies, while God’s wrath will be revealed to those who don’t trust in Christ by sending those to Hell in the final judgment who have not heard and trusted in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:23). A person under ordinary circumstances must hear the gospel to be saved (Romans 10:14-17).
The one who is born again, and believes solely in Christ has becomes spiritually alive, and by faith becomes a child of God, is adopted into the family of God and now has the power of God in his life (Romans 8:3) to obey and serve the Lord and others. Gods prior regenerating work, promotes faith and repentance and one will believe, He is not dragged to God or regrettably is forced to trust in Jesus. He willingly comes.
The phrase “believe in Jesus” is not just talking about belief in a person but the word itself has a deeper meaning. When one has belief/faith in Jesus Christ, he recognizes that only the perfect obedient life of Jesus (Hebrews 10:14), and his sacrificial death on the cross can rescue oneself from Gods wrath.to come. A person is acknowledging personally to God that Jesus efficacious work is what places them in right standing with the Lord.
People who have not seen the need to repent and trust in the perfect life of obedience by Jesus and his sacrificial death at Calvary have the wrath of God upon them, they are condemned right now (judged guitly right now) and are under a curse. NOT a good place to be. This is why we share the gospel AND ask questions.
Well one might say, “I thought evangelism was just telling people the good news?
It is but there is much value in asking questions in a gospel presentation.
First the unbeliever ordinarily has false assumptions about their position before God. Asking questions reveals their unbiblical thoughts and affords the evangelist the opportunity to bring to the table accurate biblical truth that refutes those thoughts.
The second type of person is a false convert, one who claims to be saved, BUT who has a misinformed understanding about salvation. The more experienced evangelist will not only share the gospel but ask questions to make sure someone is not adding or subtracting from the work of Christ. A whole book in the New Terstament was written on people adding to the gospel (Galatians). It is a Jesus plus gospel which is NOT the gospel.
For instance many people that I speak to on the streets believe that baptism at birth has cleansed them from sin or being baptized as an adult makes them a Christian. IE-Trusting in something other than the work of Christ.
In others situations people believe that knowing Jesus PLUS good works save a person. Yet the bible with overwhelming evidence denies good works as the means of salvation.
It’s important when speaking to people that you are able to refute and point directly to scripture where one is saved/justified. Four “go to” verses concerning justification I use are Galatians 2:16-17, Galatians 3:10-11, Ephesians 2:8-10, and Romans 4:5. I can quote these verses from memory and then ask the person if they want to see what the bible says. This is why it’s important to bring a bible with you when you evangelize.
Third, we meet Christians who are saved BUT use poor terminology, like “I asked Jesus into my heart. It never says this in scripture, yet people are not only taught this unbiblical teaching, but reiterate it to others and in essence are sharing a false gospel. They can be saved because the Spirit has regenerated such a person and God saves whom he saves, but many young converts will eventually grow in their depth of understanding concerning the work done for them.
Last, I listen and try to help Christians who only speak about the death of Christ to the neglect of the righteous life of Christ share a full gospel. Plenty of people know they are guilty but their guilt isn’t that bad. When we can convey to such a person that they not only need forgiveness BUT righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), I believe we are sharing the full gospel. The full gospel that mentions repentance and faith in BOTH the death AND life of Christ (Romans 5:10) shows people that both forgiveness and righteousness is what a man needs and what is available in Jesus.
Jesus used what was called the Socratic method. He would often answer a question with a question to draw out of a man what such a person believed concerning himself, the true gospel so that he could give them a clearer, more precise understanding of what concerns one might have with the gospel, so that the gospel message addressed false assumptions
Try asking questions. Asking questions will grow you spiritually and help you accurately respond to peoples concerns and you will see how God helps you become a better evangelist!
