When discussing sharing our faith and the gospel, someone might ask about the gift of evangelism. Further they might ask “do I have the gift?”, and even “do I need the gift in order to share my faith?” Let me answer those two questions before going any further.
“Do I have the gift?” Simple answer: I don’t know. Ultimately, I can’t tell you the answer. It is a good idea for us to discern our gifts with the help of the Holy Spirit, input from other Christians, and through prayer and meditation. For our purposes though, let’s just understand that the Bible teaches that we all have gifts. Our gifts are given by God and they are to be used for the good of the church. I’ll repeat that: spiritual gifts are to be used for the good of the church. Building up the church is the primary purpose of a spiritual gift and, like anything else, if not used to fulfill its purpose a spiritual gift is absolutely useless.
Whether we recognize what our gifts are, or even whether we use them or not, doesn’t change the fact that we have been given them. I also would suggest that there are many Christians out there who are using their spiritual gifts and don’t even know it. These Christians simply haven’t put that label on it. Or maybe they are uncomfortable with the term. Nevertheless, they are doing great work for God’s kingdom, building up the church through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is clear that we all receive spiritual gifts: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Cor 12:7). To be clear, this verse is speaking to Christians, those who have believed in Jesus and have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we also receive from God an embodiment, or “manifestations” of the spirit. We use these gifts to build up the body, to encourage and serve one another, and to bring others to know Jesus. The gifts mentioned in the New Testament can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 28-31, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-12, and 1 Peter 4:9-11.
There may be gifts that are not listed here. The Apostles Paul and Peter mention these gifts as examples to clarify their use or to give general instructions about the gifts. In some cases, the gifts discussed were being misused and in other cases the church was valuing some gifts as being more important than others. None of this necessarily means that no gifts exist outside the lists given. I consider, in a broader sense, that any ability given fully or enhanced by God is a spiritual gift.
It is true that identifying our gifts is an important thing to do. What is most important though, is the “doing” and “exercising” of the gift whether or not we name or identify it as a spiritual gift. Unfortunately, the opposite is true as well. There are those who know their gifts but aren’t using them. Whether we name the gift or not, we can’t sit on the sideline and allow others to do the work that God intended us to do.
Where spiritual gifts are concerned, many or even most represent characteristics that all Christians should have in some measure. For example, the Bible speaks of the gifts of faith, mercy, and encouragement. These are characteristics that all mature Christians should display in their lives. What about generosity, service, and hospitality? These are mentioned as gifts as well, but they are also characteristics that all Christians should have. Those who have gifts in these areas have a special measure of ability, given by God, but all Christians are directed to develop and display these characteristics. The same is true for the gift of evangelism.
So, you ask regarding evangelism, “Do I need the gift in order to share my faith?” Again, a simple answer: No. However, a major danger in answering questions regarding the spiritual gift of evangelism is that those who think they don’t have this gift can be misguided to believe that they are off the hook for sharing. They think they don’t need to share the gospel because they aren’t gifted. This is simply not true.
What we are talking about here is broader than the specific “gift” of evangelism and pertains to all Christians. We have to start with this basic understanding: We all, as Christians, have an obligation, and hopefully a desire, to share our faith and spread the gospel. We can never forget that “God … wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). This is the highest goal and priority. Not for just for a gifted few of us, but for all of us who know and love Jesus.
(1) Adapted from “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus“, see page 12-14
Dave Foucar has a passion for teaching God’s word. His first book, “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. The book provides a layman’s perspective on personal evangelism and the basics of the Christian faith. Dave has been married for thirty-six years to the love of his life, Debbie. They have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two granddaughters. To read more of David’s writing visit his Substack page.
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Well and good. Spiritual gifts can be viewed primarily as spiritual ideas received from God that enable healing and moral transformation. True “evangelism” is the practical demonstration of these ideas in daily life. Thank you for this topic.
Your friend – His servant,
Isaac Otieno