Historically, the type of evangelism in American culture most persons have been aware of has been a focus on life after death. It struggles to save “souls.” It offers the opportunity to say “Yes” or “No” to Christ so that in the life to come persons who have said “Yes” may be among the “saved” while others will be “dammed.” Thus, life has no meaning except as it relates to our response to the offer of “eternal” salvation.

Though this approach is sometimes associated with theological conservatism, it defies a conservative principle that affirms there is nothing more important than God and God’s actions. This type of evangelism implies that what God the creator has done is not as important as what the person does by saying “Yes” or “No.” Human action is elevated above the action of God: What God has done, humans can undo. God’s redeeming activity has no effect unless you “do the right thing.”

In the center of the faith

Many in the center of the faith have struggled with this evangelism approach. How can one proclaim the sovereignty of God and at the same time say that human actions are, in practical effect, more powerful than God’s? How can one say that God is indeed God, but as far as God’s salvific purposes go, human actions trump those of God? What God has done is well and good, but only if we respond in the “right” way does it have any effect.

The heart of the problem is that this approach has transformed the faith of Jesus of Nazareth into a faith solely about Jesus. Biblically, the faith of Jesus is about living life to the fullest. “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly.” For some Christians it has become a faith about keeping out of hell when we die. Social and economic justice are of little or no concern, for in the words of the old song, “There’s pie in the sky when you die.”

Other Christians, however, have done something far more damaging when it comes to evangelism. Offended by the “If you were to die tonight do you know where you’d go” approach, they have neglected evangelism almost entirely. Lacking in motivation to “win people” for Christ, they have adopted a “take it or leave it” approach. They have lost all passion for inviting others to come to Christ.

Dramatic negative consequences

This has had dramatic negative consequences for the church, the communities we serve, and the people who live therein. Because we believe that God’s actions are always more significant, more powerful, more salvific than human actions, we have enthusiastically proclaimed the universal love of God for all people, just as they are. And in doing so, we have been faithful. This is, in fact, the good news of the Gospel: God loves us as we are. “Just as I am, I come to thee” has been sung as many have given our lives to Christ.

But where we have gone astray is that we have nevertheless bought into the attitude that says: “Evangelism is not so much about our lives on earth as they are given to us, but about what happens to us after death.” And to the extent we have done so, we have lost any urgency to “bring people to Christ.” “God loves them as they are,” we rightly proclaim. “So what is the urgency of seeking to bring them to Christ?”

The core faith of Jesus, as revealed through scriptures, affirms that our lives here and now are of tremendous importance. We were created by God and redeemed through Christ. Our life on earth matters!

We have choices

We have choices, and our choices make huge differences. We can ignore the reality of being created and redeemed by God and live lives of isolation, individualism, selfishness, etc. Or we can say “Yes” to God and accept the fact that God through Christ has already accepted us.

Our “Yes” or our “No” makes all the difference in the world each and every day of our life. It brings about the “Joy” of life in Christ. We live, knowing that God loves us. We live, knowing that unacceptable as we imagine we may be, we are nevertheless accepted by God through Christ. We live, knowing that our life has a purpose: the purpose of sharing with others this wonderful good news that they too are loved and accepted by God.

Thus, I believe that Christians need to reclaim a passion for bringing people to Christ. Of course, God through Christ loves every human being whether or not they ever come up with the “right” response, whatever that is.

But until we come to believe, we live in the shadows. Joy is not ours if we have not claimed our identity as a child of God, redeemed through Christ. Hope is not ours, for we know not the God who loves all creation. Salvation is not ours, not because God will send us to hell after we die, but because each precious day of our life lived without an awareness of God’s saving love is indeed a day lived in hell and lost forever, never to be reclaimed.