Spreading Faith Pt. 1: Preaching the Gospel

[AlexB23]

Hello folks. Today's devotional is part of a two part series on spreading our faith. The first part focuses on how we can preach the Gospel to others without offending people. Later on, the second part will focus on how God can use events in life, and even atheists as a tool to show His love, and present His rules to Christians.

Date​	October 7, 2024 | Spreading Faith Pt. 1: Preaching the Gospel​
Verse​	Mark 16:15 (NIV): "He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’" 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV): "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV): "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…" 2 Timothy 4:1-2; 5 (NIV): "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."​
Explanation​	The four passages from the Bible you've provided all relate to preaching the Gospel, which is the good news about Jesus Christ and his salvation.​ Mark 16:15 instructs followers of Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. This passage sets forth the great commission given by Jesus to spread the message of salvation far and wide. 1 Peter 3:15-16 encourages believers to be prepared to give a reason for their hope in Christ, always doing so with gentleness and respect. It emphasizes that our witness should be accompanied by good behavior, so as not to give an opportunity for others to speak maliciously against us or the message of salvation we represent. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 highlights the essential elements of the Gospel: Christ's death for our sins according to Scripture, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day according to Scripture. This passage underscores that salvation comes through faith in these events as recorded in the Bible. 2 Timothy 4:1-2; 5 encourages believers to preach the word of God, both seasonally and out of season, correcting, rebuking, and encouraging others with great patience and careful instruction. It also calls for endurance under hardship while discharging one's ministry as an evangelist. As a hypothetical aside, if humans were to encounter aliens and overcome any language or communications barriers, it would certainly be appropriate to share the Gospel message with extraterrestrials. However, we must remember that culture and worldview can differ greatly between species, so finding common ground or using analogies might be necessary to effectively communicate the essential aspects of our faith. There is an article on Scientific American by Clara Moskowitz who interviewed astrophysicist David Weintraub that touches on this hypothetical.
Societal Relevance​	In today's modern world, Christians can preach the Gospel in various ways without offending anyone. They might engage in conversations about their faith, share personal testimonies of God's work in their lives, or participate in service projects that demonstrate Christ's love to others. It is important for believers to remember 1 Peter 3:15-16 and approach these opportunities with gentleness and respect while keeping a clear conscience. Finally, when preaching the word of God, believers should avoid contentious topics unrelated to the teachings of Christ such as politics, personal preferences (e.g., hobbies, diets), and sensationalism. Instead, they should focus on sharing Jesus' message of love, forgiveness, salvation, and discipleship with others in a manner that is relevant to their lives. As a Christian, it can be hard for me to determine the boundaries to preach the Gospel. At the end of every service, the priest says “The Mass has ended. Go forth and preach the good news”. I am not cut out to be an evangelist, so instead, living out a Christian life is what my mission here on Earth is. For myself, it can be easy to judge others, and to call people out for their actions. As an example, I am not a fan of where the world is going as a moderate and a pacifist, with all the wars going on, and the left and the right both going off the deep end. However, I should not use the state of the world to say we are in the “End Times”. We very might as well be in the last days, but scaremongering will only turn people away from the Christian message. As Christians, we must speak the truth, but try not to offend others, as that would mean our religion gets a bad reputation.