Every Believer Confident, Part 7
May 15, 2025 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
Sharing the Gospel Effectively
This is a multi-part series interacting with Mark J. Farnham’s new book, Every Believer Confident: Apologetics for the Ordinary Christian. Farnham is the founder and director of Apologetics for the Church and professor of apologetics at Lancaster Bible College and Capital Seminary. He states, “The purpose of this book is to help you to know, appreciate, firmly grasp, proclaim, and defend the Christian faith. My ultimate goal is to strengthen your faith, so you can confidently and effectively persuade unbelievers to believe in Jesus Christ” (p. 16). Let’s dig into the book together and see how our faith might be strengthened.
I served in youth ministry for 14 years before receiving the call as pastor at Oak Hills. Early in those years I served on a team of local youth ministers who invited a well-known speaker to come in to the local high schools for student assemblies. During those school-day assemblies, the speaker gave a talk about positive self-image and self-esteem. Then there was an invitation to come back in the evening for another talk. Outside of the school context, the speaker could then present the gospel. There were a lot of funny stories. There were a lot of emotionally charged stories. Then the speaker spoke about how Jesus had made a difference in his life. No mention of sin. No mention of the cross. No explicit Scripture. Just a vague sense of Jesus’ love and how he makes life better. The speaker closed that message with the invitation, “Give Jesus a chance!”
Was the gospel presented? Sadly, I do not believe the gospel was presented to that gathering. It is crucial to be clear on what the gospel is. The Good News is that sinful rebels can be forgiven and reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our sin is our greatest problem. And the work of Christ on the cross is our only hope of rescue.
In the previous chapter, Farnham said, “The end goal of apologetics is evangelism—leading other people to repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation” (p. 107). Now he wants to help us share the gospel effectively. “It is critical for us to share the gospel accurately, specifically, and effectively” (p. 126). He has four tactics to effectively share the gospel.
- Use Biblical Terms. Farnham says, “Presenting the gospel using biblical terms is the clearest and simplest way to communicate that each of us must acknowledge our guilt and turn away from sin” (p. 127). When we get away from the language of the Bible, we can drift away from the truth of the gospel. Farnham explains, “The simplicity and clarity of the terms repent and believe—as opposed to call to surrender, commit, give, or dedicate one’s life to Christ—are powerful because they minimize confusion about what people must do to be saved” (p. 127).
- Focus on Sin and Guilt. The Bible is clear that our sin is our greatest problem. Ephesians 2:1 says, “You were dead in the trespasses and sin.” And 1 Corinthians 15:3 says, “Christ died for our sins.” I know sin is not a popular topic to talk about, and people suffer under all sorts of problems that may appear, on the surface, unrelated to sin. But the Bible is clear that sin is both the greatest and underlying problem in this world. Farnham recommends, “We should listen to them and encourage them with the truths of Christ while showing them that their immediate problem is part of the larger consequence of living in a sin-cursed world” (p. 128).
- Emphasize the Love that God Shows Us Through Christ. God’s love is magnified when we highlight our sinfulness. Paul says in Romans 5:8, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And salvation does not leave us in a “neutral, wrath-free existence” (p. 130). God’s saving work through Christ makes us his beloved children (see 1 John 3:1). God’s free, undeserved love is a central component to the biblical message of the gospel.
- Emphasize Grace Instead of Merit. Farnham acknowledges that this is a challenge for most people. He says, “The idea of earning favor with God is so deeply ingrained in some people that they cannot understand that they can be reconciled with God purely by grace…When their sense of self-righteousness is strong enough, some people will bristle at the thought that none of their good works count for anything with God” (p. 131). This is where the biblical teaching on sin is so important. “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight (i.e. saved)” (Rom. 3:20). We communicate the gospel clearly when we emphasize grace.
These four tactics help us focus on sharing the clear truths of the gospel. Even though we are sinners, God shows his love for us in that he gave his only son to die in our place. Whoever believes in Jesus should not perish but have eternal life. Farnham says that if we get to this point in a conversation with an unbeliever, he or she will either want to be done talking about these things or he or she will desire what is next. Either they are not ready to receive Christ as Savior or they are ready to place their faith in Christ. That moment is in God’s hands, and we trust his work to open hearts to faith. Let’s keep praying and looking for opportunities to defend and commend the Christian faith with unbelievers.
