The Evangelism Arena; Insights From 2nd Corinthians 4Sample

Day Seven: The Role of God

"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 Cor. 4:6, ESV).

The Bible begins with God creating. “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. "And God said, 'Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:2-3, NIV). Thousands of years later, the Spirit inspired Paul to record an exciting comparison.

Just as darkness was over the earth, so was the Spirit of God. And when God spoke, light broke into that darkness. Similarly, darkness is over the souls of those without Jesus, but when God speaks, light penetrates with the knowledge of God’s glory in Christ. In Genesis, God’s Word led to light and the beginning of all life forms. In advancing the gospel, God’s Word brings new life into spiritual darkness as it spreads through His followers (2 Cor. 5:20).

Recently, a pastor and mentor of mine shared something his mother learned about prayer. That prayer was her job, and answering prayer was God’s job. This principle also applies to the gospel. “Sharing the gospel is our job, and awakening souls to Christ is God’s job.” That’s not an endorsement to be lackluster or unprepared in being a witness. Nor is it a suggestion to avoid asking people if they’re ready to trust in Christ for eternal life. It’s simply a reminder that our role is to share the gospel, and God’s role is to bring about a conversion.

When you and I received Christ as Lord and Savior, there were people who spoke to us, or gave us literature, or in some way brought the good news of Jesus into our life. Yet on the day we finally “believed” someone may have been there speaking to us, but it was God who shined the light of his glory into our hearts enabling us to cross over from death to life (John 5:24). As a result, we were given a “treasure” to enjoy and a treasure to share with others.

Reflection: How does recognizing the difference between our role and God’s role provide additional help to not “lose heart"?

Further Study

1 Cor. 1:18-25
2 Cor. 2:12-17
2 Tim. 1:8-10