Motivation for evangelism

Motives for evangelism

Recognizing God’s call

2 Timothy 1:11 NASB 2020

for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

See also Is 6:8–9; Jon 1:1–2; Ac 22:14–15; 2 Co 4:1; 1 Ti 2:7

A divine compulsion

1 Corinthians 9:16–17 NASB 2020

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless.

See also Je 20:9; Am 3:8; Ac 4:20

A God-given responsibility

Ezekiel 3:17–20 NASB 2020

“Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live, that wicked person shall die for wrongdoing, but his blood I will require from your hand. However if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for wrongdoing, but you have saved yourself. Again, when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require from your hand.

See also Eze 33:7–9; 1 Co 3:10–15; 2 Co 5:10–11

A desire to win the lost

Ro 10:1; 1 Co 9:19–23

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 NASB 2020

For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; to those who are without the Law, I became as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

See also Ac 20:19–20; Ro 1:14–15; Ro 9:1–3; Ro 11:14; Ro 15:17–20; 2 Co 5:20

A recognition of coming judgment

Jude 23 NASB 2020

save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

See also Jas 5:20; 2 Pe 3:9

Responding to God’s grace

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 NASB 2020

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.

See also 2 Co 5:18–19; Eph 3:7; 1 Ti 1:12–16

Confidence in the gospel

Romans 1:16–17 NASB 2020

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “But the righteous one will live by faith.”

See also Is 55:10–11; 1 Co 1:17–18; 2 Co 10:4–5; 2 Ti 1:8–9

God directs and guides evangelism

Divine guidance in evangelism

Acts 8:26–29 NASB 2020

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get ready and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got ready and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”

See also Ac 5:19–20; Ac 9:10–11; Ac 10:19–20; Ac 11:12; Ac 13:2; Ac 18:9–11

God opens the door for evangelism

2 Corinthians 2:12 NASB 2020

Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord,

See also Ac 14:27; 1 Co 16:9; Col 4:3; Re 3:8

Areas of ministry assigned by God

Galatians 2:7–9 NASB 2020

But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who was at work for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised was at work for me also to the Gentiles), and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

See also Ac 9:15

The Holy Spirit empowers evangelism

Acts 1:8 NASB 2020

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

See also Mt 10:19–20; Jn 15:26–27; 1 Th 1:5

Evangelism as a result of persecution

Acts 8:4–5 NASB 2020

Therefore, those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.

See also Ac 11:19–21; Ac 13:50–51; Ac 14:6–7; Ac 18:2