Methods of Evangelism 1
Methods of Evangelism
Kion D. Bolden
Liberty University
Methods of Evangelism 2
Above all that has been adopted as tradition in the church, the primary responsibility
given to us by God is to “evangelize.” Throughout the scriptures we are commanded and
compelled to share the “good news.” As commissioned by the scriptures in Matthew 28:16-20,
the ultimate assignment of a believers is to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.” As we grow in our own relationships with our Savior we
ought not to be so selfish as to not share our new found joy with someone else. In his book,
“Everyday Evangelism,” author Dave Earley says, “True joy does not reach its climax in a
private communion with God. Rather, it reaches its fullest extent only when it is compounded by
the joy of seeing others share in it with us.”
While the main goal is reaching and winning souls, over time three (3) methods of
achieving this goal have been devised. One of which being, The Four Spiritual Laws. This
method throughout decades has been deemed the most popular because of its simplicity in
delivery. In fact, writer Mike Slick stated in an online article that, “If you've gone through a
discussion with someone and you want to present the gospel message in a simple and systematic
way, the well-known "Four Spiritual Laws" can be of help. They are simple, to the point, and
use Scripture to convict, convince, and convert.” These four laws present the fundamental
veracities of the gospel of our Savior.
In the mid-60s, Bill Bright wrote the pamphlet on The Four Spiritual Laws. Initially it
was an evangelical tool used at the Campus Crusades for Christ where he served as president, but
it quickly became widespread. This method has since become a popular practice and a catalyst
for transformation within the multi-facets of Christianity. In its intellectual nature, it gradually
guides the targeted soul into a state of repentance for a life of sin and into a posture to be restored
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back to God. Within its simplicity, it illuminates the whole premise of Revelation 3:20 when
Jesus says, "I stand at the door and knock," but the individual must open the door and invite Him
into his or her life.
The first of the four is “God loves you,” which is derived from John 3:16 where Jesus
speaks to Nicodemus about being born again. He says, “For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)”
Here Jesus expresses the magnitude of God’s love through His own personal sacrifice for
mankind. It ensures the sinner that they aren’t alone, but no man is perfect or without blemish.
Each of us are striving to get into and maintain a right relationship with God.
Second law being, “Man is sinful and separated from God,” which denotes man’s fall
due to sin and separation from God. It explains why we can’t experience the abundant life that
John speaks of in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(NIV)” Bright uses three (3) familiar scriptures to substantiate this law. First being Romans 3:23,
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (NIV). Here Paul is expressing to the
church in Rome the condemnation of man before God due to sin and having not measured us to
mandate of righteousness. He reminds them that we are all in need of Godly liberation. Second
scripture he references is Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul emphasizes to the church the options set before them,
but with each comes its own result. A lifestyle given over to sin is paid with the penalty of death,
but for those who choose to declare as the song writer says, “Some folks would rather have
houses and land, some folks choose silver and gold, these things they treasure and forget about
their souls; I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice” are granted eternal life through Jesus Christ.
The third scripture Bright uses to here is Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you
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from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you.” In other words, it is our immoralities
that have created a “partition,” as the Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers puts it,
between man and his savior.
Bight’s third law is, “Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.” This law
assures believers that all hope isn’t lost, but redemption for mankind is through Jesus Christ
because of His sacrifice at Calvary. It is the shed blood of Jesus that bridges the sinful creation to
its creator. Bright supports this law in John 14:6 when Jesus was preparing the disciples for the
fulfillment of prophesy. He would ascend into heaven to prepare a place and return for them. He
says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
(NIV).” Jesus lays down the roadmap to ultimate salvation, which is through Him. In addition,
Bright mentions Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)” Paul writes to explain our justification through the
voluntary death of Jesus. Christ died in place of mankind to illustrate to believers the need to die
to a life of sin and be reborn to righteous living in Him.
The fourth and final law Bright gives is “We must individually receive Jesus as Savior
and Lord.” As my grandmother would put it, “we are charged to work out our own soul’s
salvation.” This law explains the idea of personally getting in right relationship with Christ.
Knowledge of Jesus’ sacrifice isn’t sufficient, but receiving and accepting Jesus as your Lord
and Savior is essential. Here Bright uses John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8 and Revelation 3:20.
John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name (KJV).” John is explaining the conversion of
relationship through accepting Christ. We all are God’s creations, but once you “receive” Him
we are then considered “children of God” as the New International Version puts it. We become
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as family or as “joint-heirs” of Christ as Paul puts it in Romans 8:17. Paul then in Romans 10:9
tells the church, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God.” He is admonishing the church to recognize the works of grace.
The vital role it plays as it relates to our salvation and being restored. It is not of our own doing
for we cannot save ourselves, but with the faith that we have and through the grace of God
sending his only son to die in our stead we are given access. Finally, Bright references
Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens
the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (NIV)” Jesus is trying to
renew a relationship with the church at Laodicea. Bright uses this passage to show that Christ is
knocking at doors of our hearts of the unbeliever. Opening that door would allow God to come
in and establish or renew relationship with them.
The Four Spiritual Laws has its advantages when used. They are intellectual in their
approach as they break the word down into four elementary coherent thoughts intended to guide
the sinner to the conclusion of their own need for repentance from their sin and restoration to a
right relationship with God. They are most simplistic in delivery and makes for easier reception.
Additionally, this method is initiated with conversation of God’s profound love for us as oppose
to a harsh start of sin and death and failure which inadvertently deter a sinner from merely
engaging in conversation with you. While this method has proven to be successful, there are
some disadvantages as well. In lieu of all the love and grace that we express to the sinner, we
give the illusion of a trouble free life. This method doesn’t mention suffering as the scripture tell
us, “… if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans
8:17 NIV).” Also, with this method we lose context of the text in an effort to reach a sinner,
which could ultimately lead to misunderstanding of the scriptural meanings.
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Another method proven to be most effective is Lifestyle Evangelism. This particular
relational method of evangelism establishes a cultivating climate conducive for extending the
gospel and key principles of salvation to an unbeliever. The means for this method are more
experience driven as oppose to scripture-based. It is when Christians exhibit faith to others by
way of leading a righteous life. This they do in hopes that it would gain the attention of a non-
believer and sparking a level of curiosity. Righteous living should have others come to know
Christ through you. It suggest that not only are the scriptures viable tools for evangelism, but our
lives and life’s experiences would make us relatable. Dr. John Rothra stated, “This method is
built on the foundation of how one lives, with the idea that one’s life will lead others to Christ, or
at least lead others to ask about him.” The premise for this method can be easily found in
Matthew 5:16 when Paul instructs the church, “let your light shine before others, that they may
see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV)”
An advantage to this method is that it forces the witness to live a life in accordance to the
gospel they are attempting to share. It establishes some level of accountability on the witness’s
part while also promoting righteousness. It’s just as much about the position of the evangelist as
it is the positioning of the sinner.
While this method shows the truth of the scriptures through the life of a believer, the
disadvantage is found in the scriptures, “For all have sinned…,” (Romans 3:23NIV). There are
some Christians who do not live their life according to the gospel they profess, thus tainting the
general witness. Just as many good deeds that you can throw out at a sinner, they in turn can
defend with just as many flaws in the kingdom due to the imbalance and hypocrisy of some.
Moreover, this particular method of evangelism according to Dr. Rothra, “it is not biblical
evangelism, only a means to possible evangelism.” This route of witness requires little to no
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reference to the scriptures.
The Evangelism Explosion method is another widely used means of evangelism. It was
developed in the early 1970s by Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries and
Presbyterian Church. His premise was for disciples to breed more disciples would continue the
cycle. This was based Acts 6:7, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the
disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to
the faith.” It usually begins with a simple yet thought provoking question, “Do you know for
sure that you are going to be with God in heaven?” This approach is designed to engage the non-
believer by having them to consider this destiny. It compels them to open their heart and mind to
be receptive to the gospel. It takes them through a specific checklist in hopes that the end result
would be a won soul to the kingdom. This checklist includes the awareness of heaven and the
gift of eternal life in Jesus (Romans 6:23), the acknowledgement of sin (Romans 3:23), the
redemptive mercy of Christ Jesus (Jeremiah 31:3), the acceptance of the savior with appreciate
of his life, sacrifice and resurrection (Isaiah 53:6) and finally faith in the saving power of God
(Acts 16:31).
An advantage this method has is what Jason Vendetti refers to as “multiplication.” It has
the ability to recruit a nonbeliever who in turn begins to seek out souls for the Kingdom.
Vendetti says, “It systematically trains up believers to share the faith, which undoubtedly
includes discipleship, then sent out under supervision into the field to witness to unbelievers.
With a sound foundation of knowledge coupled with practical application under the umbrella of
discipleship, the effectiveness is clearly evident.” This approach to evangelism forces the sinner
to self-evaluate themselves and consider a better life with Christ. While the pros are intriguing,
the disadvantages can be a turn off as well. This method can come across as scripted in a sense
as
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oppose to being from the heart and genuine. The sinner could easily be turned off due to
the vagueness of the delivery.
Personally, I tend to use the Lifestyle Evangelism method because of the society that we
live in. People open up more when they feel that the presenter is relatable and trustworthy.
However, when using this method I also incorporate the appropriate scripture references while
also connecting it my own transparency. I try to be as thorough as possible while also letting the
sinner know that Life with Christ doesn’t mean trouble free but encouraging them by let them
know that Jesus says, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
(Matthew 28:20 NLT)”
Judging from past experiences, this method has proven effective with those in my life
that have come to know Christ through my witness. The ability to relate to where they were
assisted in helping to navigate them to the path God has laid out for them. Truth is authenticated
in rapport, but by itself cannot stand alone. When it comes to the truth of scriptures, people today
want to see it being practiced (practice what you preach) and authenticated in the life of another
before they accept it as "valid truth."
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References
Earley, D., & Wheeler, D. (2016). Everyday series: Evangelism. Nashville, TN: B&H
Publishing Group.
Slick, Mike. "The Four Spiritual Laws." CARM Christian Apologetics & Research
Ministry. N.p., 15 Oct. 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016., from https://carm.org/four-spiritual-
laws
Johnson, Harrison. Some folks would rather have houses and land, some folks choose
silver and gold, these things they treasure and forget about their souls; I’ve decided to
make Jesus my choice. “I Have Decided To Make Jesus My Choice.” Harrison Johnson &
The Los Angeles Community Choir. CD. Ume/Nashboro. 1995.
http://allgospellyrics.com/?sec=listing&lyricid=3332
Bright, Bill. (1965). Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws. Orlando, FL: New Life
Publications. N. Pag. PDF Document. Retrieved from http://www.campuscrusade.com/fo
urlawsengpr.htm
Rothra, John L. "Review of Seven Common Evangelism Methods." Review of
Seven Common Evangelism Methods. N.p., 30 July 2014. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
"History - Evangelism Explosion." Evangelism Explosion. Evangelism Explosion
International, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
