God's Evangelistic Strategy

...for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Deuteronomy 4:6-8

Recent headlines regarding the pseudo-prophet Harold Camping have been anything but flattering to the Christian faith. His misguided (and repeated) attempts at calculating the date of the end of the world have rightly been regarded as foolish. Mr. Camping can't seem to help himself from making yet another prediction after his other predictions have openly failed, and the world laughs on.

The biggest folly in the Camping debacle, as I see it, was the large sums of money--possibly millions--that his followers donated for the purposes of erecting billboards across the country warning people of the coming of the Lord that was to take place last Saturday (May 21, 2011). Presumably, this was an evangelistic outreach, because why else would you warn someone about the coming of the Lord? But God doesn't use foolishness for the purposes of evangelism.

In Deuteronomy 4, Moses summarized the law God had given to Israel by stating that if they kept it, all the nations surrounding them would be impressed with the wisdom therein. The nations would note the wisdom and righteousness in Israel's law, and also note how that the one true God was always quick to intervene for Israel's good when they were in need.

The text shows us that Israel was intended to be God's showcase which would illustrate the principles of God's righteousness, justice and wisdom to the rest of the world. God said that the nations would see this and be impressed, and ultimately long for the same relationship with Him. Israel, if she had been faithful to the covenant, would have been God's evangelist.

Fast forward to Jesus and his followers on a mountain in Galilee.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14,16

Can you see the parallel between Christianity and Israel? As Israel was to demonstrate God's righteousness to the world around them, so is the Church to be God's object lesson to the world for truth and righteousness. See also what the Apostle Paul wrote:

To the intent that now, unto principalities and powers in heavenly places might be [made] known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. Ephesians 3:10

When God saves a new believer, He has more in view than that one believer's eternal destiny. God wants the entire world to know the Truth. He loved the world enough to send His Son to die for the world--this was the necessary price to be paid for the original sin. But now, His love is such that he sends His Church to live in the world so that the world can know Him. Believers are saved for a reason, and that is to be living examples of God's righteous ways.

To proclaim that God saves us when we profess faith in Christ even though our lives are not changed is not biblical evangelism. Like begets like. Unchanged "christians" beget more unchanged "christians", and the net result is precisely nothing. No witness to God's ways is presented to the world, and the Kingdom of God is not advanced.

The Kingdom is not advanced in the winning of theological arguments. This is not to say that having correct theology is not important. But isn't it possible, that when we stand before God and receive the ultimate revelation, that every last one of us will learn something, irregardless of our theological brand?

By Divine Design, the Kingdom is advanced when its citizens walk in accordance with the decrees of King Jesus. His ways are not oppressive, but rather, they are the very definition of abundant life. There is joy and peace when we obey the Sermon on the Mount, and these are infectious and attractive to the world around us. Jesus said that if he were lifted up, he would draw all men to him (Jn. 12:32). He was lifted up on the cross at Calvary, of course. But you and I continue to lift him up by obeying his teachings (Jn. 14:15). May His Church, wherever it be found, truly rise up to be a city set on a hill!