We all know people who don’t know Christ, but if I share the gospel with them will I ruin our relationship?
Sadly, most Christians know people whom they’ve never told about Christ.
If I Share the Gospel, What Will Happen?
One of the main reasons why many people don’t share the Gospel is because they are afraid that if they do, they will ruin their relationship with that person.
They enjoy their friendship, and they think that if they tell them the truth, they will no longer have the same type of relationship as before. Or perhaps they feel like it just isn’t time yet to open up and share the Gospel, and don’t want to burn the bridges for later on when that person might be a little more ready and willing to listen.
I know that every situation is different and that it takes a lot of wisdom, but generally speaking, I think that Christians wait too long to share the Gospel with loved ones. I want to encourage you to consider the following points to see if these are reasons why you haven’t pulled the trigger yet, and if they are, I encourage you to overcome your fear and to obey Christ by sharing Him with your friend.
I am not guaranteed tomorrow so why worry about what will happen if I share the gospel?
There is a presumption in thinking that a person is or is not ready to listen. That is, that you, through your winsomeness, can lead a person over time to be more ready and more likely to accept the Gospel. God is in charge of drawing people to Himself, and we can’t possibly know who is closer or further away from God. We also cannot know if we or the other person will be alive tomorrow. Of course, we trust God’s sovereignty in this, but when it comes to sharing the Gospel with those God has sovereignly put in our lives, we need to do it today, not only because God has called us to be faithful in this area, but because we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
It is prideful of us to think that we will be able to detect when a person is more likely to accept Christ, oftentimes if we are unwilling to share the gospel now we will be unwilling to later as well. Share the Gospel today, because that’s what we have been called to do. As Paul said, now is the acceptable time, today is the day of salvation!
An answer to what if I share the gospel? Nothing ruins a relationship like Hell.
Some people have told me that they do not want to ruin a relationship. They fear that by sharing the Gospel the relationship will never be the same. While it is true that sharing the Gospel can end up ruining the friendship, there is nothing that ruins a relationship more than an eternity apart from each other in hell. Of course, sharing the Gospel doesn’t guarantee that the Lord will open the eyes of our friend, but we have simply been called to be faithful to bring the message to the ears of the people God has sovereignly placed around us.
Simply put, we are being very short-sighted when we are unwilling to give up a 70-year relationship in order to perhaps win an eternal one.
It isn’t a true friendship if I don’t share the gospel.
It is for this exact reason that I must tell you that it isn’t a true friendship. Not only are you selfishly unwilling to play a part in rescuing this person from the hell they are so close to, but on top of that, you are not being your true self around them.
First, you know that each and every time you see them they are on the verge of meeting God face to face and you don’t say anything. You know that God in His justice will send them to hell for all eternity and that He will be righteous when He does, whether or not they ever get to hear about how Christ can save them. And yet, you say nothing about it. This isn’t true friendship.
Secondly, you are not being your true self around them. You identify as a Christian. You say that you are not a citizen of earth but rather are a citizen of heaven, and yet hour after hour, day after day, and year after year you withhold your true self from this person you claim to care about. Withholding your true identity from someone means that that person doesn’t truly know you and therefore cannot possibly be your true friend.
I know an article like this can be discouraging and can cause heartache. That is not my intention. I simply want to remind you about your calling as a believer. You are to pick up your cross and follow Christ. That means that each and every day you declare that everything you have in this life, whether it is money or relationships, belongs to God and that obedience to Him is worth more to you than anything else. If loving and obeying Christ means that you will have to choose him above father, mother, or friend, then so be it because God deserves all our worship for eternity.
This article about what happens if I share the gospel originally appeared here.
