The ONLY Real Evangelist - The Holy Spirit

When do people become Christians? How are they converted? Some say that for people born and baptised by their parents in the church there is no real need for evangelism. That they have always been born again (or were when they were baptised).

Then what of repentance? What of those who are drawn, convicted of their sin and come to repentance. This happens when they are aware of the lostness of their state. Something made them aware of being lost, something drew them to Jesus. A baby can't repent, be drawn or convicted. This happens only when the Holy Spirit draws them. Usually at a moment of crisis. A moment when a person is open. Holy Spirit driven evangelism takes place when people are ready and being drawn to Jesus by Him. We waste our time trying to evangelise people outside of that circumstance.

Let's go back to the Bible. Jesus was dealing with some cranky disciples in John 6 after having fed 5000 people. He says to a mass of followers:

John 6:44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.

He was saying, what called you, what makes you think you are or can be saved? A person cannot be saved unless the Holy Spirit in a given moment is in that moment drawing, convicting, and convincing a person of salvation in Christ and God’s desire for that individual to be saved (which is, in fact, saving “faith”). A person cannot be saved at any given moment, but only in those moments when God’s grace, the work of the Spirit drawing, convicting, convincing, is happening. If the Spirit is not doing this work, a person cannot come to Christ. Then as the Holy Spirit opens the door faith must arise. It's a gift from God.

Then there is the passage that we all know so well:

Ephesians 2: 8-10
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. New American Standard

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. New Living Translation

But grace is “resistible”—a person can either receive or resist the grace that creates conviction, repentance, and faith. As moments of opportunity to “believe” happen as people are placed (or place themselves) in the means of grace, and the Spirit of God brings conviction, repentance, and is creating faith—people can choose to cooperate with what God is doing or not. However, if they choose not to cooperate in that given moment, there is no guarantee another moment—the moment in which God is drawing, convicting and convincing—will happen again.

This is the act of obedience by a person to the call and prompting of the Holy Ghost. To resist is commmitting the sin Against the Holy Ghost so many fear. This cannot be the result of some act of parents on a child's behalf. This can only be a continuing progressive working out of our salvation thru fear and trembling as we obey. We must walk a road and make choices. WE walk the road, no one can walk it for us.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matt 7:13-14

The danger is teaching people that they are "OK" because they were baptised or confirmed or made a decision for Jesus at some crusade or signed a card in the back of a Bible Tract or prayed a sinners prayer on with Brother Buddy on TV. It is a narrow gate of grace and must be entered thru repentance after the Spirit brings conviction. Jesus warned about these kind of deceptive teachings of false salvation:

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matt 7:15-20

Even those who look Godly, even those who accomplish the very highest works of God are subject to being deceived. It takes humility and a fear of God driven by a consequence of an eternity without him to keep our spiritual eyes open. This is not light loving. Repentance and conviction of sin must cause every man no matter how high and mighty his calling to tremble before God in fear of slipping into ease and comfort without even as a minister of God.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matt 7:21-23

Of course some would use this verse to say that Prophesy, Casting out Demons, and Miracles are not desired by God. The opposite is true. The Lord uses them as examples because in his eyes they are things that he wants his servants to be doing as he did.

Jesus did exactly that when he was on this earth.

"And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him". Acts 10:38

Devil Oppression means sickness, poverty, despair, trouble, pain, demon pressures, and the need for a miracle. That's what Jesus did. That's the answer to the little Wristband that says, WWJD. That's what we are supposed to do. We must do it in purity and by the anointing empowerment of the Holy Ghost as God is With US.

If we find a person who is in pain, let the Holy Ghost call them, then help them find the solution to the problems they are having by finding Jesus. Lead them, do a prophetic act, cause them to start down the narrow way to salvation. Don't let them have any hope in anything other than the shed blood of Jesus. Don't let them depend on traditions, baptism, confirmation, communion, the sinners prayer, or anything except REPENTANCE; a turning around and turning toward Jesus. Then get them Baptised in Water and filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. Disciple them, teach them well, help them find the way. That is the great commission in action. There is power in the truth of God's mighty word but it falls on dead ears unless the Holy Spirit first opens them to hear----

----the Evangelistic Power of the Holy Spirit.