though I am free from all men, (that is, Paul doesn’t have to defer or pander to anyone) I have made myself a slave to all (he takes on the obligation of relating to others on their terms, not his) that I might win the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
What a wonderful, freeing passage this is. It’s freeing because we can rid ourselves of hyper-spiritualizing the idea of what our role is in evangelism . . . that “people don’t win anyone to Christ; only God does that!” While it’s true that it’s not our power of persuasion that draws people to Christ, but the conviction of the Word and the Holy Spirit, Paul says “that I might win some . . . that I might save some . . .” Don’t diminish the importance of the messenger, or the careful planning Paul put into trying to connect with, and win, people in these different groups.
What might be the modern-day equivalents of these groups: under the Law, without the law, the weak? And how would we “become as” them in order to relate and identify?
Those under the Law – well, unless the group you are trying to reach is comprised of orthodox Jews, those under the law might more likely be defined as those persons who are legalistic in some fashion. These are folks who find a sense of security in adhering to a set of rules, of some kind, either religious rules or the rules of a particular sub-culture they relate to.
Those without law – this is a far easier set of people to find. At least in the US culture, with an prevailing attitude of self-determination regarding morals and ethics, they are widespread and numerous. In those days, there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6)
The weak – the hurting, insecure, fearful, etc.
The key thought here is that we don’t have to participate in sin to get close to the sinner. We as Christians can make an effort to understand the life situation of those we desire to share with, and relate to them accordingly. As one pastor put it, “In evangelism, if anyone’s going to be uncomfortable, it’s going to be me. Jesus went where the sinners were, and so am I!”
Let’s consider now some practical steps to go from spiritual ground zero, to sharing the gospel. The following illustration is just a guide—and prayer stimulus—for moving toward a gracious presentation of Jesus Christ.
Step 1 – Friendly talk . . . I have become all things to all men . . . (1 Corinthians 9:22) This first step comes pretty naturally. It’s just us talking with a friend, or even new acquaintance, about superficial daily issues. Remember, we want to relate to him or her, and draw them out, on topics they find interesting.
Step 2 – ID with Christ. . . I’m not ashamed of the Gospel… (Romans 1:16) Step two is you identifying with Christ. All this really means is that your friend knows that you’re a “religious” person. Then they won’t be surprised when you bring the conservation around to spiritual matters. And please be cool about this. Don’t say, “Just so you know, I’m a born-again, washed-in-the-blood-of-the-Lamb Christian!” You might mention in passing, “Oh, all the cars at the house on Tuesdays, that’s a Bible study my wife and I have for some of the neighbors.” That’s really all it takes to let them know there’s a spiritual element in your life.
Step 3 – Serious talk . . . Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious . . . (Acts 17:22ff) Step three is shifting the conversation to more serious life topics. These often concern people’s fears or anxieties. It may be about raising children, about relationships, about disappointments, or any other life issue that get beneath the surface of everyday life. In Acts 17, Paul makes the transition from complimenting those in Athens on their religious interest, to an explanation of God’s nature and plan. We too can be aware of people’s deeper life issues and make a transition to the Biblical perspective on these very issues. This step is probably the one most Christians find a bit intimidating. We may feel it’s risky to shift to Bible perspectives, but remember, we’ve already identified with Christ, so people are not usually shocked at this.
Step 4 – Your story . . . Paul tells his story of how he became a Christian. A good way to relate to a non-Christian about serious life issues is to share some of your own spiritual journey. (Acts 26: 4-23) It may relate to a struggle you had, or even a joyful event that you didn’t expect, but it should refer to how the Bible had good advice or answers to the situation you were in.
Step 5 – Share the gospel illustration: “HeroJohn” (See below how to do this illustration) There is salvation in no one else . . . (Acts 4:12) The last step is to ask, “Could I show you a little illustration that really helped me understand about God? I’d love to see what you think of it.” Draw out the illustration fairly quickly, then ask them about any thoughts or questions they may have. The Bible promises us that when His word is shared, it is effective and does God’s purposes, no matter how people respond.. . . When My word goes out, it never comes back empty . . .it will accomplish My purpose . . . (Isaiah 55:11) So don’t worry about how your friend reacts to seeing the illustration. The seed has been planted.
One last thought about the five steps is “pray each step”. That is, pray “God, please let me understand where my friend is in her life . . . “ for step one. Then, for step two, pray “Lord, please help me come up with a good way to let my friend know I’m a Christian.” Pray as you go along, specifically for each step of the journey. This keeps your prayers on target, not vague or generalized. It’s also helpful to remind us to how many people we know that we can bring into our “circle of five.” For instance, you may think, “There’s five people I know at work that don’t even know I’m a Christian . . . “ and begin to pray step # 2 for them.
Let me give an example of these five steps. I go frequently to the local UPS store, and I’d been able to get to know Brian, the young man who worked there. Here’s what I’d learned about Brian:
• He’s 23 years old.
• He works long hours at the UPS store, but he likes his job.
• He lives in a one-bedroom apartment with three dogs he adopted from the pound.
• He doesn’t have a girlfriend, which makes him sad.
• He doesn’t curse; he feels using bad language is wrong.
• He collects old movies on DVD’s, and he’d like to go to college and be a film major.
• He thinks I walk to the UPS store from “the church,” because I don’t park in the fire lane in front of the store.
I’d been praying for an opportunity to share the Gospel with Brian, following the little “5 step stair-case” plan. The friendly talk step is easy. Since I saw Brian frequently, I made a point of greeting him (unless he was busy serving customers!) and chatting. In this case, it was also quite easy for me to identify as being a Christian, since I come in to receive mail and packages for the ministry (Life To Life Ministry). Brian thought I worked for a nearby church; I don’t (I work in college ministry), but that’s okay; the key thing is that he knew I was “religious.”
It was quite easy, as well, to talk with him on more serious topics, drawing Brian out on what he thought about life issues. And again, I was sensitive not to interfere with his work schedule in any way, but to talk with Brian during moments when nothing
