Compelled -- A Bible Study on Evangelism

In Romans 1:16, this same man wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes.” In 1 Corinthians 2:2 he explained, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” And in 1 Corinthians 9:16 Paul noted, “When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

What compelled Paul to discipline himself to this heavy commitment to evangelism? What beliefs fostered these statements? If we could believe what Paul believed, and see what God sees, then to us evangelism would be everything, and everything would be evangelism! So let’s look at what Paul knew.

• He understood the enormity of eternity. Paul believed in an actual heaven, an actual hell, and an actual salvation.
• He understood that all men need a Savior. This is Christianity’s fundamental teaching. We all are sinful people who need a Savior.
• He understood that Jesus is the only Savior. In John 14:6, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the exclusive way. Paul knew this, believing that salvation was not a result of personal good behavior, but of repentance and faith in Jesus.

That was why Paul was so committed to evangelism. He believed life’s greatest privilege is to be chosen by God to receive salvation. And the second greatest privilege is to help someone else to experience that same salvation.

Patrick Morley, A Man’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines: 12 Habits to Strengthen Your Walk with Christ (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008).