3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)
Jesus told us to make disciples and this involves evangelism, prayerfully proclaiming Jesus’ salvation and lordship to those who either haven’t heard or do not yet believe. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 we find three reminders and two assignments to help us in this calling.
As you read this post, picture a person you care about who doesn’t know Jesus. Keep them in mind as you read.
Reminder 1: Jesus is Glorious
…the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:4b, 6b)
Glory is honor, splendor and weight. Though we don’t always use the term ‘glory,’ we are familiar with it. It’s what motivates hipsters to camp outside Apple Stores for the new iPhone, energizes football stadium crowds and prompts even the manliest men to tear up at the Grand Canyon.
Jesus is glorious above all these things, because he is the image of God. Hebrews 1 says that he is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of his nature. God, who created the Grand Canyon, football players and Apple engineers, funnels his glory in it’s most concentrated form through the person of Jesus.
Think of it this way: Why do we go to live sporting events when we could sit in the comfort of our homes, eating inexpensive food and watch it on our large high definition televisions for free? Because it’s different seeing it in person. Jesus is God in person. He is “The Creator: Live.”
All this makes Jesus inherently glorious. He needs no make-up, marketing or public relations. We don’t have to carefully word our evangelism to make him palatable. He is palatable because he is truly glorious, even though many can’t see it.
Reminder 2: Many Can not See Jesus’ Glory.
3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4a)
If the news that Jesus died to save us from our sins and arose from the dead to be our Lord is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1), it seems like we could save people just by speaking those words, like shooting them with a gospel ray gun. But, as 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 says,
15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
Two people of the same educational and socioeconomic background can hear the gospel and have contradictory responses. Why do some hear it as life and salvation, yet others hear it as stupid or incomprehensible? Because many cannot see Jesus’ glory.
The Mind-blinder works against us in evangelism. He renders people so blind that they can look right at the inherent divine glory of Jesus Christ, and see nothing. I found out not long ago that I have some color-blindness with blues and greens. For years I drove a car that I considered to be green until my wife told me it was blue. This is similar to the unbeliever’s condition. Its not that they aren’t smart enough or that those who have shared Jesus haven’t done so eloquently enough. It’s that they are Christ-blind. Where some see glory, others see nothing, until God shines “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” in their hearts.
Reminder 3: God Shines the Light
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
God has his finger on the switch. He is the one who can turn on the lamp, enlightening the hearts of men to the glory of God in Jesus.
Consider Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:
1But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (Acts 9:1-9)
Anyone who becomes a Christian experiences this same thing in their hearts. They’ve been brought from darkness to the light of the glory of Jesus Christ by the power of God.
This means that what goes on during evangelism is predominantly supernatural. So what’s our part?
Assignment 1: Proclaim Jesus
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5)
To proclaim means to herald and announce. It is different from explaining. It’s what a couple does on Facebook to let their friends know that they are expecting a child. They don’t explain it. They proclaim it! They herald it! They announce it! This is evangelism. Though there may be times of discussion and explanation, primarily, it is proclaiming, “Jesus is Lord!”
We need to proclaim Jesus. Stop taking selfies and brainstorming your next status update. Start proclaiming Jesus. Stop marketing your church and start evangelizing.
Furthermore, we need to proclaim Jesus as Lord. Usually when I think of evangelism, I think of him as Savior. But he is also our Lord, the one with absolute ownership rights. When we tell people about Jesus, we shouldn’t just focus on his utility. “You can use Jesus to be happy and fulfilled and saved.” He is not to be used like a moist towelette. He is to be reverently obeyed.
Assignment 2: Serve People
God has taught me a handful of very important lessons since I’ve been a pastor. I tape these lessons to a file cabinet in my study. One of them is: “Servant, not Savior.” We are not called to save; we are called to serve. We are slaves, not heroes. So don’t be paralyzed by pressure to perfectly evangelize. Just serve the people you love in the name of the Lord you love.
Your Person
Now, call to mind that person you’ve been thinking of throughout this post. What would it be like for them to suddenly see Jesus’ glory? What would it look like for God to flip that switch in their hearts? Do you pray for them? Have you proclaimed to them Jesus as Lord? What upcoming opportunities might you have to do so? Do you serve them? What upcoming opportunities might you have to do so?
Let the pressure to be awesome fall away. Enjoy Jesus’ awesomeness. Let the pressure to save people fall away and determine to serve them, proclaiming Jesus’ lordship and glory.
Discussion Starters
- What has been your experience with evangelism?
- What is evangelism?
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What comes to mind when you hear the word evangelism? Does that make you uncomfortable?
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What do these passages teach about evangelism? Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 10:14-17; (along with 2 Cor 4:3-6).
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Look at John 4:27-30. What did the Samaritan woman do and say?
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What then is our role in evangelism? What is God’s role?
- Who do you need to pray for and witness to for their salvation?
- What opportunities do you have to serve them?
- Take some time to pray together for these folks.
