Born Identity — Evangelism

Matthew 28 v16 (MSG)

God authorised and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian family. Sometimes, it didn’t feel much like a privilege: as a teenager walking home from school with friends and seeing my parents leading a prayer walk, complete with banners, flags and singing, coming towards me, is still seared on my memory! Some of us love sharing our faith. Others of us stutter and mumble a little more than we want to if people ask, 'What did you get up to on Sunday?‘ or ‘What’s your view on the whole God thing? ‘

We know that we are specifically asked in the Bible to share our faith, the Great Commission, as we read above. We understand the good news that knowing Jesus brings to our friends, family or colleagues who don’t know him, but it still feels sometimes like the hardest thing to share. We worry about the embarrassment, the risk that people might avoid us or assume we hold bigoted views and discount us. Whilst we cannot help others’ reactions to the good news, we can step out boldly in our identity in Christ. We are loved by our heavenly Father and, though others’ reactions to us might sting, sometimes a lot, nothing can change that identity. 

In Jesus, we have a heavenly confidence that nothing can take away. Despite still finding it hard to share our faith, as our confidence in our unshakeable identity in Christ grows, so will our boldness. We might not have the specific gifting and calling to evangelism that some have, but we are all children of our heavenly Father, loved unconditionally by the King of Kings so why wouldn’t we want to share that joy and the freedom it brings? 

Prayer — Dear Lord, as I understand more deeply your love and unconditional acceptance of me, I pray you will ignite more in me a new enthusiasm to share this with others around me.