Salvation Summaries

This is an important yet controversial question, especially today.  One might think that Christians would answer it one way, and non-Christians (atheists, agnostics, those who follow a different religion) another. Right?  Maybe not.

Let’s consider non-Christians for a moment.  Atheists are likely to say “no,” as most believe that religion has done more harm than good (though in a discussion I had with one of my wife’s relatives, a Millennial atheist, I don’t think she would say “no” even though she is “turned off” by Christians).  Agnostics, or those who are indifferent about God, may not care, but would probably prefer Christians don’t. People of other religions, such as Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, might lean towards “yes,” since they can relate to the idea of sharing one’s beliefs with others.

Regarding Christians, one would assume that most, if not all, would say “yes!” but if a recent Barna survey is accurate, this is no longer true.  According to the survey, nearly 50% of “practicing Christian Millennials” (age 20-34) do not believe they should share their Christian faith with others.  What are we to make of this?

In this post, I will provide highlights from the survey, discuss two concerns with its results, offer reasons why most Christians do not share their faith, and appeal to non-Christians as to why Christians may witness to them.

Highlights from the Barna Survey

Barna surveyed 992 “practicing Christians” and 1,001 U.S. adult non-Christians from May 8 – 17, 2018. Results of the survey were published February 5, 2019 in a report titled “Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say Evangelism Is Wrong.”

Here are highlights:

• Nearly half (47%) of practicing Christian Millennials believe it is at least somewhat wrong to share one’s Christian faith with another person with the hope that they will have the same faith.  Only 20% – 25% of other (older) Christians feel this way.

• Relative to older Christians, Millennials are more personally aware of the cultural temperature around spiritual conversations. They have family members or close friends who practice a religion other than Christianity.  They experience cultural resistance in personal conversations with others when peoples’ differences are raised.

• Society today casts a negative light on proselytizing.  60% of Millennials believe that people today are more likely to be offended than in the past when others share their faith with them.

• 40% of Millennials believe that disagreeing with you is the same as judging you.

Results of the survey indicate that nearly half of today’s Millennial Christians do not share their faith with non-Christians for fear of offending them and being judged by them.

Concerns from the survey

I have two concerns with the survey’s findings.

Concern #1:

Millennials are not sharing the good news of the gospel with others to the extent that other Christians are.  This is due to recent changes in our culture, where people are expected to tolerate others’ differences (including sinful lifestyles), and at the same time are more easily offended by others with an opposing view.

I believe older Christians should acknowledge that Millennial Christians are on the “front line” of the culture war against Christians, and they associate with more people who act contrary to Biblical teachings. For example, they likely know more than a few who engage in sexual relations outside of marriage, practice homosexuality and promote this lifestyle, promote abortion, smoke marijuana or use other drugs, get drunk, use foul language and take God’s name in vain, etc.  As a result, I can see how some Millennials may feel pressure to not say anything rather than tell some of their friends or co-workers that their lifestyles are sinful (according to the Bible) and need to change if they want to become a Christian.

While it’s true that recent changes in our culture have made it more difficult to witness to others, Millennials may need to be reminded that there is a cost to following Jesus.  Most Christians, at some point in their lives, will be looked down upon, teased, ostracized, criticized, mocked or otherwise persecuted on account of their faith.  This is the “cross” they must be willing to bear if they have made the decision to make Jesus the most important person in their life and follow Him.

• Matthew 10:37-39 37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

• Luke 14:26-27 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters– yes, even his own life– he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

• Luke 14:28-33 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Also, there are cultures far worse than ours in terms of how Christians are treated. Pick up any Voice of the Martyrs magazine and you will read story after story of Christians in middle eastern countries that have been abandoned, tortured and even killed for either converting to Christianity or sharing their Christian faith. How do you think they would feel about Christians here who will not witness because of possibly offending someone?

Last, it’s important for Millennials to realize that if it is “culturally incorrect” now for them to witness, this problem only stands to get worse.  The next demographic group, Generation Z, will likely witness less than Millennials, the group after Generation Z less than Generation Z, and so on.  This trend will create increasing problems for the church (body of believers), as it will lead to:

• declining church attendance
• fewer Christians in our society
• further erosion in our country’s morality (e.g., there will be fewer Christians defending traditional marriage, the rights of the unborn, etc.)
• declining voter turnout for political candidates who may be supportive of, or at least neutral (rather than antagonistic) towards, Christian beliefs and values.

Thus, older Christians may want to educate and counsel Millennial Christians now on the real cost of sharing their faith, and the longer-term moral and cultural implications if they don’t.

Concern #2:

Of greater concern is that a number of Christian Millennials are not simply hesitant or reluctant to share their faith, but believe it is wrong to do so.  The survey does not provide details as to what wrong means to them, so we have to speculate.

Do Christian Millennials believe it is wrong to witness because they believe one should not say or do anything that may offend another? If yes, they need to ask themselves a tough question of whether they are ashamed of the gospel and their faith.  The apostle Paul encountered this, and he endured many hardships (much more than simply offending someone) due to his conviction that the gospel message of salvation was true and that people needed to hear it.

• Romans 1:16-17 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
  

• 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Or, do they believe, like so many in our society, that all other religions are equal to Christianity (e.g., all roads lead to heaven, and can’t we simply coexist with each other?), so people of one faith should not promote their own faith over others or seek to convert someone of another faith (for now I’ll set aside the fact that if all major religions believe their way is the only way to heaven, then either all of the religions are wrong or only one can be right)?  If this is the main reason, older Christians may need to remind Millennials that Christianity is unique among the world’s major religions, and they can be comforted by this fact.

Why most Christians do not share their faith with others

Although this post may seem to single out certain Millennials for not sharing their faith, I think it’s fair to say that most Christians don’t. Why? I believe that most:

• Do not know how to (the church they attend does not teach them how, or they have not taken the time to study this on their own)
• Do not have a good story to tell (unlike some Christians, they did not have a dramatic change in their lifestyle when they became saved)
• Do not believe they will know answers to questions they may be asked
• Do not want to take the chance of offending someone or making them feel uncomfortable
• Do not believe it is that important (someone else will do it)
• Do not believe they are required or commanded to (though the Great Commission applies to Christians today)
• Do not want to or do not care; complacency, apathy (an unfortunately common reason among many Christians)

Why Christians should witness to non-Christians

To answer this question, I’d like to appeal directly to any non-Christian (atheist, agnostic, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew, etc.) who might read this post.

Why would we Christians be willing to accept and endure risks (ostracized, mocked, criticized, etc.) in order to share our faith with you?

Is it because of the Great Commission, where Jesus told His disciples to go forth and make disciples of all nations?

Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

That’s one reason, but not the main one.

Is it because we want to emulate the apostle Paul in the New Testament, who sought to “save” Jews and Gentiles by all possible means?

1 Corinthians 9:20-23 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

That’s another reason, but not the main one.

Is it because we want to be like Jesus’ disciples, all of whom but John were killed as part of their willingness to spread the gospel?

That’s yet another reason, but not the main one.

“So what is the main reason why you want to witness to us?”  I’m glad you asked. It is…love.

“What?  How can that be?  The Christians I hear and read about are homophobic, transphobic, bigoted, judgmental, hypocritical and probably racist too, so love can’t be used as an excuse to proselytize others!”  I understand why some of you might think this way, but let me explain.

Beliefs

It is important that you understand what Christians believe, for this affects how we live. I listed below a number of major beliefs (Christians may differ somewhat on these), starting from “the beginning” and working my way to the end, which is where you come in (I realize the list is long, but it’s important that you read it):

• God – There is a God; He exists.

• Creation – God created all things.  He provided everything to sustain His creation (sun for heat and light, air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, etc.).  Man created evolution as a theory to explain creation without God. Evolutionists must believe that something came from nothing, which is impossible unless a powerful God, who exists outside of creation, did this. The design, order and laws in the universe are not accidental, but reflect the intelligent “hand” of a Creator.

• Mankind made in God’s image – The intelligence, morality and conscience within every person are not byproducts of random chance and mutations, but reflect the fact that we, unlike animals, are made in God’s image.

• Existence of good and evil – Good and evil exist. People can act in a good or evil way; everyone knows this.  Our conscience reveals to us what is good and evil.

• Reality and problem of sin – Sin is real. Everyone sins in their thoughts, words and actions.  Sin is rampant in our world; you see it on the news and read about it every day.  Hatred (probably most clearly seen in the political arena), violence, pride, arrogance, greed, lust and sexual immorality are examples.  Sin can lead to emotional and physical pain, guilt and regret, and hurt others.  Also, there is a spiritual penalty to sin, which is spiritual death, or separation from God.  Although God is loving, kind and merciful, His wrath remains on people who do not know Him. Everyone is born with a sinful nature (we inherited this from Adam and Eve), and needs God to correct this sin problem.

• Solution for sin – Because of His grace and love, God offers a solution for our sin problem, which is forgiveness.  The solution required that God send a Messiah, a Savior, to this earth.  The Messiah had to be sinless, suffer, and die as a sacrifice and substitute for the sins of mankind in order to save them from their sins. He had to rise from the dead to show his power over death, and thus enable men and women to have power over death too.

• The Messiah, or Savior, is Jesus – Jesus was and is real; there is evidence for Him outside of the Bible.  Jesus was unlike any other man in history. He was born differently.  He performed miracles no one else could (healed the blind, the lame, the leper; raised people from the dead).  He predicted future events that came true.  He lived a sinless life. He claimed to be equal with God.  And, He rose from the dead.  Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection reportedly fulfilled more than 300 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.

• Salvation – The only way a person’s sins can be forgiven is by repenting of their sins and surrendering to the Messiah as Lord.  This requires a belief and faith in Him, and commitment to follow (obey) Him.  When a person does this, they become “saved” or a Christian. Trying to treat others like you want to be treated is part of the Golden Rule in the Bible, but does not result in forgiveness of sins, for no one can be good enough to please God.  If doing good deeds alone could save a person, God would not have needed to send a Messiah to earth to save us.  Faith in God and the Messiah are required to please Him.  It is God’s desire that His people be saved.

• Spiritual changes when saved – When a person repents and surrenders to Jesus as Lord, many spiritual changes take place. Their sins are forgiven, they are born again, they become a new creation, they receive God’s Holy Spirit, they become adopted into God’s family, etc.  All of these lead to changes in how a Christian thinks and lives.  For some, the changes are immediate; for others, they are gradual. Becoming a Christian is a big deal; it is life-transforming.  One proof as to whether a person is a Christian is evidence of a changed life.

• Purpose in life – Most people live for themselves; to be wealthy and famous, etc., but the Christian’s purpose in life is to do good works and bear fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control), as these glorify God.  A Christian is to die to self (former, lustful way of life) and walk by the Holy Spirit; this is not easy to do, and many Christians “stumble” in this area.  A Christian is to grow spiritually, which comes from reading God’s word, praying and living by faith.

• Judgment – We all will be held accountable for what we say and do. We all will be judged by God through the Messiah.  Those who have had their sins forgiven will receive everlasting life in heaven. Those who lived for themselves and did not receive forgiveness will spend eternity in hell.

Conclusion on why we witness to non-Christians

Based upon our beliefs, we Christians want you to experience what we have experienced. We want you to recognize your sinfulness, repent from it, and surrender your life to the Lord so that you can have your sins forgiven, receive the Holy Spirit and have assurance of eternal life.  We want you to grow spiritually, bear fruit and live in a way that pleases God. We want to be able to have fellowship with you, and pray with and for you, for you will be related to us a “brother” or “sister” in Christ.  We realize there are risks in witnessing to you, but we believe the potential reward for you far outweighs the potential risks to us.

This, my non-Christian friend, is why we Christians want to share our faith with you.

1 Peter 3:15-16 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.