Passion for Christ
Jodi Hickerson, pastor and church planter, said, “Saved people tell people about their Savior.” I often think we in the church get caught up in the “how” of evangelism and forget about the “why” of sharing our faith. When we come to know Christ, a relationship begins. How we cultivate that relationship determines the level of intimacy we reach. My passion for Christ manifests in how I worship Him. God’s magnificence draws me to Him, and I desire to experience His presence regularly. My worship translates to the people around me, and, hopefully, draws them into a space where they desire to know Him. I want others to know Christ with the kind of hunger and thirst I feel.
The world is full of broken, hopeless people, all looking for something to fill a hole in their souls. The heart of the Father desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). My first real understanding of God’s love came in my teen years when I desperately needed to know I was loved. A friend had a relationship with God and knew I needed to feel the love of her Savior. She shared with me how Christ had changed her life, and continued to do so. I did not readily accept that message, believing I was not worthy of love at all. But my friend took seriously God’s mandate to share the Gospel of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Here, we see God’s passion for humankind to know Him, a passion that should be ours. In order to make disciples, we must first tell them about a Savior who loves them enough to die for them. The love of Christ brings us into a relationship with Him. As that relationship develops, intimacy deepens, and our lives are transformed.
Share the Passion
As Christians seek to share Christ with others, many experience fear. This fear can often be paralyzing, stopping a believer from sharing the good news of the Gospel with those who need to know Christ. Early in my faith walk, the Holy Spirit would prompt me to share the gospel with others, and I would experience that kind of fear. When I would muster the courage to speak out, I often met with resistance and rejection. Through prayer and study, God began to show me that fear did not come from Him, and I have a responsibility to share my faith.
Each of us, as believers, have a testimony, our own story of Christ’s movement in our lives, and the individual relationship we have with Him. We can share these stories with others, helping them understand who we were before we came to know Christ, how we met Christ, and how Christ has changed our lives. We have a responsibility to push past our fears and share our stories with those who need to know Christ. God has placed a need to know Him in the heart of every human being. Many look in all the wrong places for the love the God has for them. As we live filled with, and led by, the Holy Spirit, He will draw others to us so we can share Christ with them. We must remember, however, that the Holy Spirit draws, and Christ saves. Our responsibility is to be obedient, and share our faith story when prompted.
Proper Perspective
Reading in A. W. Tozer’s, Delighting in God, Tozer says, “The evangelical church today has seen some serious spiritual problems, the primary one being a loss of the perception of God that has been a hallmark since its inception.” Perception is reality for most people. As we seek to share God’s love with those who are not yet believers, our desire is to share the beauty of our Heavenly Father. Psalm 84:10 tells us, “Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere” (NIV). As we learn to gaze upon the beauty of God, the Holy Spirit draws us closer to Him and draws others to us through Him. We realize the world needs to know our Savior, and we are compelled to share the magnificent love of Christ with a lost and dying world.