Conversion, the Result of Method or Miracle?

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8, 9

Let’s be real, evangelism is hard. As believers we face many challenges in sharing our faith. Among the most obvious and honest answers to why is our fear of man, which is better defined as a protection of self. We fear the loss of reputation, loss of position, being re-characterized by others, or simply not being liked.

All of these fears are real because there are real consequences, positive and negative, in confronting the lost with eternity. If we knew ahead of time each and every heart God intends to touch we could simply present the gospel to those people alone and avoid all others who would respond negatively.

But that is not God’s ordained means or manner in reaching the lost. He has sovereignly designed the proclamation of His truth to be a broad net, drawing some, repelling others while always bringing glory to Himself in the process regardless of the response.

Jesus made clear the mission of his earthly ministry was to glorify His Father (John 17:4). And He encouraged us to take heart in the midst of rejection, to rejoice when reviled for our faith knowing this is evidence that we are inseparably connected to Him (John 17:11-12). His desire for us was to be on mission also, His mission of glorifying our Father in heaven (John 17:18, 20).

In additional to those already mentioned, there is an often overlooked fear that impedes our desire to share the gospel; the fear of not knowing what to say. Many Christians admit they struggle with an inability to articulate the gospel and this, more often that not, results in a clamming up and letting opportunities pass by. We can become so focused on method or communication style that we wrongly believe the power of conversion resides in technique rather than the sovereign and transforming power of God (Romans 1:16).

Functioning in the secular work force, interfacing daily with the culture presents us with many opportunities accompanied by challenges in knowing how to turn conversations toward spiritual matters. Even when successful in the first step, we can overly concern ourselves with worry about how we sound or how we are being perceived instead of placing real hope in the Gospel’s transforming power.

God’s salvation is His alone to give and He has placed us on mission as conduits for His message. In my own life as a non-vocational pastor, I have been presented with many opportunities to share the gospel in my place of business. Some I have acted upon, others I have passed by for the same reasons sited earlier. Two opportunities with my clients in particular demonstrate the point of this article.

I have an elderly woman client who tragically lost her husband in a collision with a drunk driver the year they retired. She has struggled for many years with the simple message and acceptance of Christ for her. Many times she has communicated her longing for freedom from the shackles of works righteousness, having been raised in Roman Catholicism since early childhood. To this day I do not truly know if she is in faith despite many hours of engaging conversation with her around the Gospel.

Another client on the East Coast, who also described himself as Roman Catholic, watched his wife lose her battle with cancer right at the time they retired. Through the years, I had some, but much less interaction with him regarding eternal matters. In fact I missed opportunities until the time of his wife’s suffering. But God generated interest in the midst of his grief and turned what could have been life long bitterness into miraculous new birth.

He has personally testified to hearing the gospel one morning when it finally resonated, a moment he can only describe as feeling like God was personally speaking directly to him. Shortly thereafter he received Christ and a number of months later he was in my office sharing his testimony as a Christian brother and follower of Jesus.

In both of these individual’s lives the miracle of God’s sovereign grace was needed. One involved many detailed gospel conversations, the other not so much. One is still surrounded in uncertainty, the other in faith and experiencing peace. Both situations serve as a reminder that while learning to articulate the gospel is important and we should certainly make efforts to grow in this discipline, conversion is a work of the Holy Spirit who gives power to our proclamation.

So be encouraged to share your faith with the right mindset, as a joint heir in Christ, redeemed by His blood. Ask Him to give you a burden for the lost and a motivation rooted in thanksgiving and the glory of God. Make efforts to improve in your presentation, learn how to turn conversations towards eternal matters, and take time to let those outside the faith share what they believe. These are good and worthy efforts as a follower of Jesus. But take care to maintain a balance of representing the King accurately in word and deed, while trusting Him with the miracle of conversion.

In closing, remember Jesus’ words...

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44

May we be those effective tools in the Father’s hands that He uses to draw the lost to saving faith and repentance.

Tim Menez is a Pastor at Grace Bible Church