Imagine if you were to see a car about to drive over the edge of a 200-foot cliff. Wouldn’t you rush over and warn the people in the car of the impending danger? Hopefully, you would. Your fear for their safety is evidence of your love for them.
Now, consider that every person around you is hovering on the brink of eternal punishment apart from God because of their sin. As a believer, that reality should provoke a sense of urgency within you. When you understand the just wrath of God against sin, you are desperate to bring the remedy for sin to dying souls. You are compelled to reach the lost by the love of Christ.
Are you scared to witness? Maybe you fear that you won’t be able to counter the intellectual arguments of those who oppose Christianity. Because of your shy, introverted personality, you may simply dislike talking to people in general. Possibly, you are afraid of being criticized or mocked by your friends or others. Sadly, anxiety about evangelizing can cause many believers to lapse into complacency toward the Great Commission and apathy toward the dying souls around them. But if your faith is in Jesus, you will be controlled by the love of Christ (II Cor. 5:14)—and the love of Christ overcomes fear (I Jn. 4:18). Your love for Christ will drive you to obey His commands, and the love of Christ in you will compel you to love people enough to give them the Gospel.
Look at I John 2:3: “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” One mark of a true Christian is obedience to God’s commands. Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Witnessing is one of God’s commandments (Matt. 28:18-20). If you love Christ, you will witness.
Pause now for a moment to meditate on Jesus. Think about how He loved you enough to die in your place. When you see how much Jesus loves you, you begin to love Him more and more for what He has done for you. When you love Christ, you will obey His command to share the Gospel.
In addition, you will love others because you are becoming more like Jesus. You want them to be saved from hell. Understanding God’s just wrath against sin and God’s boundless love toward sinners leads to a consuming urge to tell others the truth.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear . . .” (I John 4:18). Let Christ’s perfect love control you. Love Christ enough to obey Him. Love souls enough to snatch them from the fire.
