Tag: Evangelism

How do I share the gospel with someone who compares his own righteousness with those who seem worse?

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.” Luke 18:14

Jesus told a parable about a proud “Pharisee” who trusted in his own righteousness and a humble “tax collector” who recognized his own lack of merit and trusted in God’s mercy to justify or declare him righteous before the Lord (18:9-14). Christ said both men “went up to the temple to pray” (18:10). The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” (18:11-12). He was comparing his own righteousness with that of other people to justify himself before God. But Jesus said the tax collector, “standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner’” (18:13). Christ concluded, “I tell you, this man [the tax collector] went down to his house justified rather than the other” (18:14).

Before a person can be declared righteous before God through faith alone in Christ alone, he or she must realize, like the tax collector did, that they are a guilty sinner before God who needs God’s mercy to save them. But like the Pharisee, many non-Christians compare their own righteousness with those who, in their opinion, live worse than they do. They conclude, “I am not as bad as him or her. I have not murdered anyone nor committed adultery.” 

But God is not asking them to compare themselves with other people. He is asking them to compare themselves with His own standard of righteousness, which is found in His perfect Son, Jesus Christ (cf. Matt. 5:17-18; John 316; Rom. 3:23; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 3:18). Even though Jesus was like you and me in His humanity (He got hungry and thirsty, and even had feelings), He never sinned because He was fully God (John 1:1, 14; Heb. 4:15). And when we compare ourselves to Him, we fall short in every area of life. Jesus never told a lie, but we often twist the truth to make ourselves look good. Jesus never stole from anyone, but we can steal peoples’ reputations by gossiping about them. Jesus never had a wrong thought, but we can have several lustful or hateful thoughts within seconds. Christ never uttered a harsh word, but we can quickly lose our patience and curse God or other people when we do not get our way. Jesus was God’s only perfect Son (John 3:16; Heb. 4:15). And none of measure up to His perfect standard of righteousness.

When we share the gospel with non-Christians, we must remind them to compare their own righteousness with God’s, like the tax collector did. This will reveal to them that they have sinned against God and fall short of His perfection (Rom. 3:23), so they can see their need to believe or trust in Christ alone whose perfect sacrifice for their sins on the cross and resurrection paid the penalty for their sins in full (John 3:16; 19:30; I Cor. 15:1-8). Then God can declare them totally righteous before God and accept them into His family on the basis of their faith alone in Christ alone (John 1:12; Rom. 4:5). 

What did Jesus means when He said, “It is finished”?

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

When Jesus was hanging on the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of the world, He triumphantly said, “It is finished!” What did He mean when He said this? The Greek word that is translated “finished” is tetelestai. Receipts in New Testament times were stamped with this word which meant that the debt had been paid in full.

All people have sinned against God with their thoughts, words and actions (Rom. 3:23) and deserve to be separated from Him forever (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15). But God so loved the world that He gave His only perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sin when He was crucified in our place on the cross (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8) and rose from the dead, proving He is God and had finished the work of paying our sin debt in full (Rom. 1:3-4; I Cor. 15:1-8; I John 2:2).

No amount of our good works can change the fact that we are sinners before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6; Rom. 3:1-20, 23; 4:5; Gal. 2:16). Christ did not make a down payment for our sin when He died on the cross so that we must pay the remainder of our sin debt to God. God does not accept us on the basis of our good life, our keeping of His commandments, our water baptism, or the sacraments we have taken. We are accepted by God on the basis of the full payment for our sin debt to God when Jesus Christ died and rose again on our behalf. God was completely and forever satisfied with Jesus’ full payment for our sin. The verb tetelestai is in the perfect tense. This means Christ made the full payment for our sin debt when He died on the cross and it remains paid in full to the present.

When we communicate the gospel with non-Christians, we must be clear that all people have sinned against God and deserve to die forever in the Lake of Fire (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; Rev. 20:15). No amount of our good thoughts, words, or actions can change the fact that we are sinners before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). Because Jesus finished paying the penalty for our sins when He died in our place, that means we do not have to work for our salvation (Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8-9). All God asks of us is to believe in Jesus and His finished work on the cross as sufficient payment for our sins (John 3:14-15; 19:30). When we do, He gives us everlasting life and forgives all of our sins (John 3:16; Acts 10:43).

Those who are trusting in their good works or in Christ plus their good works to get them to heaven, are telling God the Father that Jesus’ death on the cross failed to pay their sin debt in full. However, since God was forever satisfied with His perfect Son’s payment for the sin of the world (Isaiah 53:11; John 19:30; I John 2:2), we must also be satisfied with what satisfies God. God cannot accept anything we do as payment for our sins because He has already accepted His Son’s payment for all of our sins when He died in our place on the cross.

We can reflect this truth in evangelism by inviting non-Christians to believe or trust in Christ alone, not their good works, to give them a right standing before God (Rom. 4:5; Gal. 2:16) and everlasting life (John 3:15-16; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26) so they will go to heaven when they die.

How do I share the Gospel with those who focus on “hypocritical Christians”?

When sharing the gospel with non-Christians, we may encounter those who focus on the hypocrisy of Christians as a reason not to hear or believe the gospel. They may claim to know Christians whose lives are no different than non-Christians or even worse. Perhaps you have met someone who was quick to point out that televangelists preach God’s Word on TV but fail to live it out in their personal lives. Some non-Christians have referred to people who have done horrendous things in the name of Christ such as the Spanish Inquisition and The Crusaders. Even Adolph Hitler claimed to serve God by persecuting the Jewish people because they had crucified Christ. An unbeliever may say, “I want nothing to do with Christianity because I see too many Christians who are some of the most angry, greedy, immoral, and selfish people I have ever known!”

How do we respond to non-Christians whose focus is on the hypocrisy of Christians? There are several things to consider:

1. Explain to them that not all people are Christians who say they are Christians. The Bible emphasizes that eternal life is a free gift (John 4:10-14; Rom. 6:23; Ephes. 2:8-9). A person does not receive eternal life by living a good life, keeping God’s commandments, going to church, praying every day, or being baptized with water. The Bible tells us that a person must come to God as a sinner (Rom. 3:23), realizing that Christ died for all his sins and rose from the dead (I Cor. 15:3-6), and then believe or trust in Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life (John 3:36; 6:40, 47; I Cor 15:3-6). The moment a person trusts in Christ alone to give them everlasting life, God not only gives him or her the free gift He paid for when He died on the cross – eternal life – He also comes to live inside of that person through His Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11; Gal. 2:20; 3:2) to give them the power to live a life that pleases Him.

Many people who claim to be Christians do not understand this simple gospel message. Instead of trusting in Christ alone to get them to heaven, they are trusting in their good works or in Christ plus their good works to get them to heaven, and therefore, they do not have God’s power in them to live a life that pleases Him. Many non-Christians use their religion to try to cover up their sins. So it is important that the non-Christian understands that not all people who say they are Christians have God’s power in them to live a different life because they are not trusting in Christ alone to save them and give them everlasting life. Instead, they are depending on their good works or religious efforts to get them to heaven, instead of on Christ and His finished work on the cross alone. 

2. Inform them that Christians are also imperfect sinners who do not always live the way God wants them to live. The Bible tells us that when a person believes or trusts in Christ alone for everlasting life, he becomes a child of God forever. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Just as children can disobey a father and lose their closeness with him, so God’s children can disobey Him and lose their closeness with God. And as an earthly father’s children remain his children no matter how they behave, so God’s children remain His children no matter what they do after they trust in Christ alone for their salvation (cf. 2 Tim. 2:13). But God is not pleased with them and He will lovingly discipline them if they continue in disobedience (Heb. 12:5-11).

It is unfortunate that the disobedience of God’s children can discourage non-Christians from wanting to learn more about Jesus Christ. Ask the non-Christian not to permit the ungodly lifestyles of Christians keep them from receiving the greatest message ever offered to humanity! It is essential that the non-Christian distinguish between the lifestyle of a Christian and the message of Christ.

3. Ask the non-Christian if there are any Christians they respect for the way they live. Most non-Christians know of believers in Christ who try to live consistent Christian lives, but they tend to focus on the few believers they know who live hypocritical lives. Like all of us, non-Christians can be inconsistent in their thinking. 

4. Confront the non-Christian with Christ’s invitation to believe or trust in Him alone on the basis of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, not the lifestyles of Christians. Christ is not inviting non-Christians to trust in Him alone for salvation on the basis of how Christians live or do not live their lives. Christians cannot save lost sinners from hell no matter how much they live for Christ. Only Christ can save sinners from hell because only He has paid the full penalty for the sins of the world through His death and resurrection (John 19:30; Rom. 5:8; I Corinthians 15:3-6). 

When Jesus was talking to a religious leader, named Nicodemus, who thought the way to heaven was by living a good life, Jesus confronted Nicodemus with his need to be born of God’s Spirit by believing in Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life (John 3:1-16). Christ referred to Numbers 21:8 where God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent so that all who were bitten by poisonous snakes and dying, could “look” at the serpent and “live” physically. Jesus explained their “look”as simply believing in Him:

“14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). 

Just as the dying Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole, so all people who are dying in their sins must look in faith to Jesus Christ who was lifted up on a cross to die for their sins. Christ did not say to look at how Christians live so they can believe in Jesus. No, He says to look at the “Son of Man,” Jesus Christ, who was “lifted up”on the cross for them so they can believe in Him for the gift He paid for when He died in their place.  

The most important issue for the non-Christian to consider is not what Christians have done, but what Christ has done for them when He died on the cross and rose from the dead! Encourage the non-Christian not to let the Christians who disappoint them keep them from believing or trusting in Christ alone who will not disappoint them!

(Adapted from Larry Moyer’s, 1999 Dear God I’m Ticked Off, pp. 110-117). 

Is God ever Unfair?

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

When we face difficult times, we may doubt that God loves us. We may feel like He has abandoned us. We may accuse God of being unfair when He allows us to suffer. But please understand there was a time when God was unfair. It is when He sent His innocent Son to die in the place of guilty sinners. The Bible says,“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21).

The perfect Son of God was punished on the cross instead of guilty sinners. Was that fair to Jesus!?! Of course not. But thank God for His love and grace which sent His perfect Son to pay the debt for our sins that we could never pay – “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (I Peter 3:18).

After all, the Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). All people have sinned against God and deserve to be punished for their sins forever in the Lake of Fire (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15). But God loved us so much, He sent His perfect Son who never sinned to die in our place for our sins and then rise from the dead, proving that He is God (John 3:16; Romans 1:3-4; I Corinthians 15:3-6).

If you have never understood this before, God now invites you to “believe” or trust in Jesus alone to be made right with our holy God. “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). The moment “ungodly” people believe in the innocent Son of God who died in their place for all their sins and rose from the dead, God declares them “righteous” before Him so He can accept them into His family forever! Believe in Jesus for His gift of eternal life and He will save you from hell forever and give you life that never ends (cf. John 11:25-26; Acts 16:31).

When you believe in Jesus, He comes to live inside of you through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; Galatians 2:20). You can thank Him for saving you from hell forever by living for Him now: “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Do our Priorities reflect God’s?

“But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.” Joshua 13:33

When Joshua prepared to divide the land of Canaan that they had already conquered among the tribes of Israel, he writes, “But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them” (13:33). The tribe of Levi would receive no specific land inheritance as did the other tribes because “The Lord…was their inheritance.” (cf. Num. 18:20). However, this did include the sacrifices or offerings for food (13:14), the priesthood (18:7), and the Lord Himself (13:33)! Could there be a greater inheritance than God!?!

As Christians, we can place a lot of emphasis on material possessions, including the purchasing of land or the building of buildings. Churches can preoccupy themselves with buying land on which to construct a building. While there is nothing inherently wrong with owning land or building a building, do we think we are lacking if we have no land or building to call our own? The truth is since we are believer-priests in Christ (I Pet. 2:9), the Lord is our inheritance and we are also His inheritance (cf. Rom. 8:17a; Ephes. 1:11, 14, 18). No amount of land or buildings can compare to Him! Jesus Christ is eternal and unchanging (cf. Heb. 13:8), but buildings and lands are changing and temporary. Natural catastrophes can wipe them out in an instant. While we cannot lose our relationship with Christ once we believe in Him (cf. John 3:16; 10:28-29; Heb. 13:5), we can lose land or buildings in a moment of time. In fact, the Bible tells us that in the future all earthly things will be destroyed by fire (cf. 2 Peter 3:10). 

Knowing this should cause us to invest more of our time, talents, and treasures in what is eternal, not that which is temporary (cf. Matt. 6:19-20). Our hearts will follow what we value – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The more we invest in temporary material possessions, the more our hearts will focus on them. But the more we invest in the Lord and His work (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20), the more our hearts will focus on what is eternal.

For example, I have observed churches in America spend millions of dollars to purchase land and build buildings, and that becomes their primary focus because they are investing their treasures in those things. Their prayers, their meetings, their conversations, activities, and giving revolve around the purchasing of land and the building of buildings. There is no outreach or disciple-making taking place. However, I have also observed churches who invest the majority of their money in the Lord and His work. As a result, their hearts are more focused on the things of the Lord. Their prayers, conversations, activities, and giving revolve around who the Lord Jesus is and leading people to faith in Him, discipling or equipping them, and starting churches. They also send missionaries to other parts of the world to make disciples of Christ. Yes, they have land and buildings, but those temporary things are used to enhance their primary mission (making disciples), not detract them from it. 

Where we invest our treasure influences where we focus our hearts. Do our priorities reflect this biblical truth? Does the way we manage the money God has given us reflect that the Lord and His work are our inheritance?

How to be more Effective in Evangelism

“But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’” Luke 5:5

After fishing all night without catching any fish, Peter was hesitant to obey Jesus’ command to launch out into the deep water to let down their nets (5:4-5a). Who could blame him? Peter was an expert fisherman, and he knew that if you do not catch any fish on the Sea of Galilee during the night time when fish come to the surface to feed, you are not about to catch any fish during the daytime when the fish go down into the deeper waters. Even though Jesus’ command did not make any sense to him and contradicted his experience, Peter still was willing to obey the Lord – “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (5:5a). 

When Peter let down his nets where Jesus told him, he caught a net-breaking, boat-sinking catch of fish (5:6-7). What made the difference between this outing and the previous one? After all, this was the same fishermen (with the addition of Jesus), the same boat, the same nets, and the same body of water they fished upon during the night. The main difference was that Jesus was now in Peter’s boat (5:3) to direct his fishing. 

If we want to be effective at catching men (and women and children) for Christ (5:10), we must have Christ in the boat of our lives, and we must obey Him even if it does not make sense to us or line up with our experiences. We can get Christ into the boat of our lives by believing in Him for His gift of everlasting life (John 1:12; 3:15-16). And then He will make us fishers of people as we learn to trust and obey Him as our Master Fisherman (Luke 5:1-11). With Christ at the helm of our lives, we will see more people come to Him in faith than we ever thought possible!

Prayer In Evangelism

“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live.” Joshua 9:14-15

After Israel had learned that obedience was necessary to experience victory at Jericho (6:1-27), they had another important lesson to learn. Not all of Israel’s enemies wanted to fight them. The Gibeonites were certain they could not defeat Israel, so they pursued peace with them. They approached Israel’s leaders pretending to come from far away to make a peace treaty with them (9:3-13). How did Israel’s leaders respond? “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live” (9:14-15). Their failure to seek God’s guidance in prayer led them to compromise God’s will. 

If we do not pray as individual believers and as a church, we will become more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks (cf. Ephes. 6:10-13, 18). Prayer protects us from the deception and bondage of the devil.

However, when we do pray to God, nothing is impossible with God. We see this in the next chapter of Joshua. When Joshua needed more light to defeat the Amorites, he remembered God’s promise to deliver the Amorites into his hand (10:8) and prayed for the sun and moon to stand still: “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon’” (10:12). God supernaturally stopped the rotation of the earth so Israel could defeat its enemies: “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies” (10:13). 

Never underestimate what God can do through one person who prays (cf. James 5:17-18). As we preach the gospel to a lost world, keep this in mind when you need God to overcome your circumstances (cf. Acts 12:3-12; 13:4-12; Philippians 1:12-19), give you boldness in a fearful situation (cf. Acts 4:29, 31; Ephes. 6:18-20), or grant you favor with others (cf. Acts 1:14; 2:1, 41, 47; Col. 4:3). He still answers the prayer of faith.

Preaching Repentance

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:4-6

When Luke writes that John the Baptist “went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (3:3), he refers to the prophet Isaiah’s beautiful description of John’s ministry (cf. Isaiah 40:3-5) which is compared to a highway builder that prepares “the way” (3:4). Isaiah tells how highways are built: “Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth” (3:5-6a; cf. Isaiah 40:3-5). Check with a modern road builder and he will tell you that is exactly how a highway is built: the low spots (“valley”) are filled in, the high spots (“mountain”) are leveled, the “crooked” ones are straightened out, and the “rough” ones are made smooth. 

This description of John’s ministry to people is still the way repentance works in the human heart today. If you feel low and worthless, depressed, insignificant, your life is meaningless, you are in a “valley” — then transfer your trust to Christ and He will lift you up: “Every valley shall be filled.” That is where Jesus will meet you. If you feel proud and self-sufficient, able to handle your own affairs, then come down: “Every mountain and hill brought low.” That is where Christ will meet you, and nowhere else. If you are handling things in a “crooked” manner, if you are devious in your business dealings and untrustworthy in your relationships with others, then realize there is only One who can forgive your crooked ways – Jesus. “The crooked places shall be made straight.” That is what John preached: “Repent.” Change your mind about whatever is keeping you from trusting Christ and trust Him for salvation. Christ will meet you right there. If you are given to riding roughshod over people, your life is filled with a lot of rough, tough situations, repent, change your mind and trust Christ to save you; decide to smooth out those places, deal with those things, and Jesus will meet you right there. “And the rough ways smooth.” That is a highway for God to come to you. That was John’s ministry all through his life.

John’s message of repentance is one of preparation: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight” (3:4). John summons the people to be ready for the coming Messiah so “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” in His Messiah (3:6). John is the one preparing the way for the coming King – an important role in ancient times that involved leveling the land and clearing the road. John’s “voice” was to prepare the way for Jesus the Messiah to come to His people so they may believe in Him (3:4a; cf. John 1:7; Acts 19:4). 

Likewise, God calls believers today to be His “voices.” God wants to use each of us to prepare the way in our generation. Each generation has a voice, and we are the voice for this time and this place. Our role, like John’s, is temporary, but it is essential. Without the voice, the people will not hear. And if they do not hear, they won’t be able to believe in Jesus for eternal life (cf. Rom. 10:14).

Must I keep the Sabbath to go to Heaven?

When the apostle Paul traveled to Troas, the disciples there met “on the first day of the week…to break bread” i.e. observe the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). This is the first reference in the New Testament to Christians meeting on Sunday instead of the Sabbath or Saturday for worship. They chose to meet on Sundays because this was the day of the week on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead (cf. John 20:1, 19; I Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10). 

However, there are some religious groups (e.g. Seventh Day Adventists, Seventh Day Baptists, etc.) who insist that Christians must meet on Saturdays to obey God’s command to keep the Sabbath (cf. Exodus 20:8-11; 31:16). Some groups go so far as to teach that you must keep the Sabbath to go to heaven. The apostle Paul addresses those who teach such things in the book of Galatians where certain Jewish teachers were pressuring the Galatian believers to go back under the Law to be justified or saved. 

Paul was astonished that the Galatian Christians were “turning away so soon” just months after he had preached the gospel of Christ’s grace to them “to a different gospel” which taught you had to keep the Law to get to Heaven (1:6-7; 2:3-4, 11-16; 3:2-3, 5, 10-13, 21; 4:10, 21; 5:1b-3, 6, 11; 6:12-13, 15). Hence, the good news of justification by faith alone in Christ alone (2:16) had now been distorted by false teachers so that it had become bad news. Instead of relying on the finished work of Christ on the cross as the only means of salvation, these false teachers said you also had to be circumcised (2:6-9; 5:1-6) and observe both Jewish dietary laws (2:11-21) and Jewish sacred days (including the Sabbath) and festivals (4:8-11). 

Paul warned his readers that if he and the other apostles (“we”) or “an angel from heaven” preached a different gospel than what Paul preached to them, he is to be “accursed” or under God’s displeasure (1:8-9). Paul used the words “believe” and “faith” fifteen times when referring to justification before God (2:16; 3:2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 22, 24, 26) in the book of Galatians. He used no other words as a condition for justification. He warned the Galatians not to support or join those who do not preach a “believe/faith alone” Gospel (1:6- 9; 4:12, 21-30; 5:1-12; 6:17). It does not matter how kind or helpful a person is who teaches a different gospel. They are “accursed” by God if they preach a different way to heaven other than faith alone in Christ alone. 

Those who teach that you must keep the Sabbath to be saved have been “bewitched” or cast under a spell (Galatians 3:1) into thinking that their obedience to the Law will justify them before a holy God. They have rejected the sufficiency of Jesus’ finished work on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead (John 19:30; I Corinthians 15:3-6; Hebrews 10:1-18). Instead of teaching you must rely on the finished work of Jesus alone to get to heaven, they are teaching you must rely on Christ plus your obedience to the Law. They are telling God the Father that His Son’s death was disappointing. In their words, Jesus only paid for some of their sins, and now they must pay for the rest of their sins by keeping the Sabbath. 

Sabbath keepers fail to realize that the Bible requires them to keep all of the Law, not just the Sabbath Law to be justified by works. The Bible says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). It is not enough to keep the Sabbath Law, you must keep the entire Law if you are to be justified before God through the Law. And the Bible says that is not going to happen because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; cf. 2:13-3:20).

Sabbath keepers fail to realize that the Sabbath Law was uniquely given to the nation of Israel to distinguish them from other nations (cf. Exodus 31:13-17; Deuteronomy 5:15; Ezekiel 20:12-13). The church today is no longer under the Mosaic Law which required Sabbath keeping as a sign between Israel and God (Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:13), but is now under the New Covenant (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 7:5-6; 10:4; Galatians 3:22-25; 4:21-31) which was inaugurated by the death of Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 8:8-13; 9:11-10:18).

As a result of the New Covenant, the church no longer observes the ceremonial laws such as circumcision and Sabbath keeping (Acts 15:1-29; Galatians 6:15; Colossians 2:16-17). God and His Word are unchanging, but some of His commands relate only to certain people or a certain time. While God’s moral law never changes, Christians are not subject to the ceremonial law of the Old Testament (Mark 7:14-19; Acts 11:5-9; 15:1-29). Although Jesus, Paul, and James affirmed the moral law of the Old Testament; they referred to some of the Ten Commandments as eternal moral standards, but they did not mention the Sabbath law in these references (Matthew 5:21-30; Mark 10:19; Romans 2:22-24; 13:8-10; James 2:10-11). In fact, Jesus never promises to give eternal life to those who keep the Sabbath. He only gives eternal life to those who believe in Him (cf. John 3:15-16; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26). 

God used the ceremonial law – including blood sacrifices, dietary laws, circumcision, Sabbaths, and feasts as shadows of truth to be found in Christ and His gospel. Since we now have the substance or reality of Christ, we no longer need to observe the types and shadows. “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17). When Christ came, He explained that the Mosaic Law was no longer binding (cf. Mark 7:18-19; Luke 16:16; John 1:17) as did the apostles (cf. Acts 10:12-15; Romans 7:6; 10:4; 2 Corinthians 3:6-17; Galatians 3:19-25; 4:9-11; 5:1; Hebrews 7:12; 8:1-10:17). The emphasis on keeping the Sabbath really amounts to a failure to appreciate Christ and what He has done to secure our eternal salvation! It also leads to bondage instead of freedom from the Law (Romans 7:6; Galatians 4:9-31; 5:1).

The Ten Commandments and Evangelism

“I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 5:5

To prepare the new generation of Israelites to enter the Promised Land, Moses reviewed the Ten Commandments with them because they provided guidance concerning their relationships with the Lord and one another (5:5-22). These commandments have provided timeless truths for God’s standard of holy living. However, there are many misunderstandings regarding the place of the Ten Commandments in evangelism today. Let’s look at a few of them:

1. The Ten Commandments are not the means of salvation but show the need for salvation. Some people misunderstand that these commandments must be obeyed to get to heaven. But the Bible is clear that the Law (including the Ten Commandments) is to be used in evangelism to show a lost person that they are guilty sinners before a holy God so they will see their need to believe or trust in Christ alone for salvation (cf. Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:19-25).

2. Obeying the Ten Commandments does not take away our sins because our sins must be paid for. Only Jesus’ death on the cross in our place and His resurrection have paid for our sins in full (John 19:30; I Cor. 15:3-6). Therefore, those who believe or trust in Christ alone can be forgiven of all their sins (Acts 10:43; Col. 2:13-14). 

3. Christians may think that people who openly disobey God’s commandments need the gospel more than those who appear to obey them. But the truth is, all people need the gospel because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and are separated from God (Rom. 6:23) no matter how good or bad they may seem to be. 

4. Those who seem to obey God’s commandments tend to be the most reluctant people to believe the gospel. The religious leaders of Israel were like this which is why Jesus often directed His most severe condemnation toward them (cf. Matt. 23:14; Mark 12:40). Those who trust in their own morality or righteousness have a more difficult time seeing their need to believe or trust in Christ alone for His gift of salvation (cf. Mark 10:14-25). 

5. God wants Christians to be known for promoting Jesus more than the Ten Commandments. Our objective in evangelism is not to help people become more moral, but to help them see their need for Jesus Christ and His righteousness, so they will believe or trust in Him alone to save them from hell and give them eternal life (cf. John 3:1-16; Rom. 3:20-4:5). 

(Adapted from EvanTell’s 2014 Evangelism Study Bible, p. 184).