In his Letter from A Birmingham Jail Doctor Martin Luther King states that
“In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action.”
Recently, I have committed myself to the campaign of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that is most effective to the modern American. I identify as an American liberal and therefore can, from a paradigm of natural ability, discuss Christ easily with this audience. I am obliged by the Spirit to clarify that by no means are we limited to evangelize only those in our political alliance and this is simply an exercise in preparation for further service to Him. Beyond evangelism, I desire to serve my community in tangible ways and help others meet their needs. Yet, effective altruism is only effective if it stems from a desire to share the gospel as well to meet people’s needs.
Such a sensitive campaign deserves to be approached in light of Doctor King’s four steps in order to establish the value of such an objective and to provide a framework for those willing to speak the Gospel. The audience of this essay is Christians with a desire to boldly share the message of Christ yet the argument itself is meant for non-Christians. I have done my utmost to address common questions I have encountered when sharing the Gospel. We are exhorted in 1 Peter 3:15
15 …in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
To that end the Collection of the facts and Good Faith Negotiation sections of this work seek to answer at a high level the following questions presented by the modern American audience.
- Does pain have meaning?
- Why would humans need God?
- Does evolution disprove the Bible?
- Even if there is a God what is the purpose of Jesus Christ?
In order to ensure the utmost respect to those with whom I speak, I owe it to them at the outset to analyze my motives and perform self-purification to be blameless in my communication of the message and to choose those tangible acts of service that bring real deliverance to those in need. I challenge the Christian reader to consider the argument presented in this essay in light of the following questions.
- “Is there value in deliberately sharing the message of salvation through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection?”
- “Am I brave enough to speak the Name of Jesus to a stranger and share that He is Lord?”
Collection of the facts
Does pain have meaning?
Without applying a religious lens whatsoever we can all agree that our world contains injustice. The thesis of this subsection is that the world not only contains injustice but the universe itself is fundamentally broken and is biased towards evil. We will begin by first principle: Let us assume that pain is universal to all humans and other living things.
The modern mind assumes that pain is only the result of our nervous system expressing an alarm as the result of a need unmet or an injury and is only a tool for survival and reproduction. Pain is a tool built into our nervous systems that signals something is wrong. This is true but does pain point towards some greater truth?
Pain can be a consequence of unfortunate circumstances, careless decision making, or an assault by some malicious other. Often, if someone causes another pain it is because they are in pain as well. For example, a starving huntress who kills an animal to feed her family. In this example it is the huntress’ body expressing a need that is not being met and so she prioritizes the resolution of her family’s pain over the life of her prey. Thankfully, it has been the diligent and worthy work of many laborers throughout the ages to provide food for the population and thus meet this need, removing the pain.
If we extend the concept that through effort our needs can be met we can approximate that peace on earth is possible if enough well-meaning people work hard enough and intelligently enough. Yet, in this modern world of abundance, people who have no material needs practice evil willingly. So, why would someone whose needs are met practice evil?
If evil is a tool that sometimes turn us selfish then why do some people delight in hurting others? Why do the wealthy seldom share their wealth? Why do some criminals take pride in their lawlessness? Our species has been evolving for billions of years yet evolution has yet failed to eliminate from society those who harm others. Even those of us who recognize evil and work against it have only limited success. This observation implies some fundamental flaw in our universe – a certain bias towards pain.
At the level of the individual, pain can be eliminated under the right circumstances. A well-off, healthy, and mentally balanced individual will experience little pain. Yet, many are born every minute with no straightforward opportunity to reach the same lifestyle. The justice system and social services exist to alleviate these problems yet they have yet to succeed. In fact, even USAID, America’s most admirable institute towards peace and provision abroad was dismantled overnight by a few evil men. The cost in dollars of eliminating USAID was well worth the soft power it gave the United States. Any rational actor would have preserved it. But evil still prevailed.
The need for God
It would be difficult enough if good people spent their lives and entire resources battling this. Yet, we do not. Even the most altruistic people seem to have only limited desire to help the poor and needy. As a society, we have decided that economic development and wealth accumulation matter more than lifting up the entirety of humanity. Even the most well-meaning individuals who actively participate in community service work are not entirely good. They have all spoken evil and judged or excluded others, many of them intentionally stolen or otherwise harmed someone who was undeserving of the pain they caused. Indeed, each and every well-meaning person knows that at some point in their past or present they were active in causing others pain or allowing pain through complacency in the face of evil.
This situation is truly dire. We are essentially fighting a war against ourselves. This is obvious when put another way: the pain experienced by humans is most often the direct result of another person’s selfish or evil intentions. Naturally induced pain such as hunger or disease are considerably easier to resolve yet human greed stands in the way of even these. We are all aware of just how bad the world is and still we are incapable of doing any more than a small portion of good because of the intense work of meeting our own needs. Without a hopeful path forward this article would be awful to read and ultimately fruitless.
Up until now, I have argued that pain points us to the fact that human beings are ultimately incapable of overcoming even the evil within our own hearts. We are, by extension, fighting a hopeless battle to eliminate all pain across the world without the help of an extraordinarily powerful God who is overwhelmingly just and good. But if we are evil what right do we have to be able to receive help from God? We will see that if we expect God to perform miracles of healing to repair our self-inflicted pain, we must then have some method of atoning for our sins.
Good faith negotiation
The first section ended with the conclusion that we, as evil individuals seeking to do good, require assistance from a just and perfect God. I will now negotiate with the reader by laying out an argument for Jesus Christ as the only access point to God. To take a step back let’s consider what it means to negotiate in good faith. Any negotiation is the act of two parties assessing one another to decide whether or not a promise should be made between them. Good faith negotiation means that both parties can assume honesty from each other and a frank assessment of the state of the other side. In salary negotiations there is an implicit premise: the company has a problem that is worth hiring someone new to resolve. The company in this metaphor is humanity and in the last article we established that humanity has a problem of evil. I will now negotiate that the company should hire Jesus to fix their evil problem. Let’s compare Jesus to the other candidates.
Evolution as evidence for God
Addressing evolution is, of course, a complex endeavor that in its entirety is outside of the scope of this work. Allow me to breakdown one wall of confusion: the false dichotomy between evolution and creation. The debate between whether or not evolution “made” us or whether God “made” us is a weak paradigm that itself is not implied, supported, or in any way reinforced by the facts of natural history. For example, we know that the big bang was the moment of time at which our observable, measurable, universe began. But, why should there “be” anything at all. The observable fact that things exist is at the very least evidence that the universe tends towards existence. Yet the premise of atheism is that nothing comes from nothing. Is this causal paradox seen anywhere else in nature? Not at all. Animals do not “blip” into existence they are born. In fact, the big bang is the only event without some causation of which physics is aware.
One other point often raised is that the world is highly stochastic (random). Evolution is highly supported by this stochastic truth and so it is concluded that the rise of the human mind must have been a matter of chance guided only by the pressures of survival of the fittest. Yet, there is such overwhelming order and complexity on complexity in nature that most people acknowledge that “something” is out there. It’s rare to find a hardline atheist without any spiritual leaning whatsoever. Many identify as either agnostic, atheistic spiritualists, or otherwise believe in the existence of the divine. Allow me to buttress your curiosity.
We know that the universe is largely random and thus lends itself to be compared to a casino. In a casino, each individual roll of the dice is governed by chance and the house has no control. Yet, at the end of the day the house always win. This is because certain critical parameters are set such that on average and over many games the odds are always in the favor of the house’s desired outcome: realizing profits. In this metaphor God is the “house”. He setup a complex universe that is largely self-regulating but he gave certain commands as well through his word.
I interpret the first chapter of Genesis as a command to the universe after the initial explosion of creation. God “rigged the odds” so to speak. From this viewpoint, we can see verses such as Genesis 1:11 and 12 as taking place not over a single day but over billions of year.
11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
The case for Christ
Religions around the world seek to provide solace and solutions to the problem of evil and each begins by establishing a moral paradigm through which to see the world. To have any interest in religion you must accept the dichotomy of good versus evil. Connection to a god or gods versus absence of connection. Once you are willing to accept a need for the divine, you will appreciate the idea that evil exists and good must be pursued diligently. Each of them agree that this good is not our natural state as humans. In fact, the old testament was a covenant designed by God to make his people aware of their need for a redeemer. Romans 3:20 states
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Even Buddhism and Taoism which teach that the good you seek is already inside of you require that good to be found and accessed. They each agree that we are born selfish. School children bully each other mercilessly and even adults gossip and harbor thoughts of cruel judgement towards each other. So, religions prescribe purification through effort. The idea behind this effort is that moral value can be cultivated in the individual through adherence to daily meditation, repetition of mantras, obedience of commandments, or to study of the scriptures. The common idea throughout is that right-ness can be earned or at least asymptotically approached. Jesus Christ has a different paradigm and it can be summarized in Galatians 2:16.
“Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
The true turning point in understanding Christianity is in this key distinction. Christians become good not through effort but through faith that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins by dying and on the third day rising again. It was this concept within Christianity that converted me from Buddhism. I spent several years genuinely pursuing a better version of myself through Buddhist practices and the study of Buddhist texts. I ultimately found that I was fighting a fruitless battle against myself and found that I still cursed others, I still judged, and I still caused hurt. I desperately wanted to contribute good to the universe but I failed.
Once someone has reached the point of acknowledging sin as a serious problem in their life and those of others they are able to appreciate the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice. Having an awareness of these fundamentals is all you need to preach the gospel of Christ. However, it is imperative that we live in accordance with the scripture or else we are hypocrites. The next section will discuss the work of self-purification needed to be a faithful and honest minister of the gospel.
Self-Purification
In the context of sharing the message of Jesus, self-purification means genuine reflection on my own actions as well as careful consideration of how to share the message. It is crucial that my own actions demonstrate a commitment to obedience of the scripture. For example, if I were to be indulging in sex before marriage while speaking that the Bible is God’s word I would convince no one. Because, if I cannot obey the Bible’s direction when it comes to premarital celibacy why would I even dare to say the Bible is trustworthy to someone else? What self-purification does not mean is self-righteousness. It is important to internalize the truth that righteousness comes from Christ alone and that we do not need to be perfect. Yet, in general, our lives should shine with a light of holiness. The fruit of the Spirit should radiate from us before, during, and after we share the message.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
However, it is important to remember that not only are we called to exhibit fruits of the spirit but in addition we must speak the name of Jesus as Lord and Jesus as the only way to God. It is all too easy to misinterpret John 13:34 – 35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In verse 35 Jesus says people will know we are his disciples if we have love for one another and many Christians use this to excuse their own cowardice. They fool themselves into thinking that they do not need to speak the name of Jesus as the source of the love that they have. But that is not what those verses say. Verse 34 says “just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another”. Jesus loved by pointing to the Father.
John 17:25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Jesus loved by speaking God’s name. So, loving as he loved means speaking the name of Jesus boldly.
Direct Action
After we have cemented in our minds an understanding of the Gospel and have purified our own lives we are now ready for direction action.
There are many wrong ways to speak the Gospel. In fact, just about any way that you can think of is wrong because anything you can think of comes from your flesh and is not from the Holy Spirit. The times which have been most effective for sharing the message of Christ came because I allowed the Spirit to guide me. This presents a difficulty because you have to start somewhere. I will not pretend to know the perfect way to preach the gospel but my approach in general is to look for opportunities to confidently befriend strangers and simply show interest in them.
Often, God will show me how to steer the conversation towards Christ and my walk with God. Even being bold enough to say what Church you go to is better than hiding your faith under a bushel. I hope to grow in this area and to understand the nuances of using my natural ability without relying on my flesh. We must do our utmost to prevent from ever leaving a bad taste in someone’s mouth if we are to speak Christ. Therefore, it is prudent to pray for God’s guidance on this sensitive matter on a regular basis to ensure we are listening to His guidance.
One place to start is through volunteering in a way that you enjoy in your community. By helping meet the material needs of our community members we demonstrate that God has given us a spirit of care for others and selflessness. I pray often for God to bless me financially specifically so that I have to give and I encourage you to do the same. God is the God of not only spiritual provision but also material provision. Remember that while we work in the community, we must not shy away from opportunities to declare that our desire to give comes from the Love God has shown us.
As we navigate the complex landscape of modern American society, we are reminded that effective evangelism requires both bold proclamation and humble service. The Gospel message speaks directly to the deepest human longings for meaning, justice, and reconciliation. Our effectiveness as Christ’s ambassadors depends not on the eloquence of our words but on the authenticity of our lives—lives transformed by the very message we proclaim.
When we approach evangelism with both theological clarity and genuine love, we participate in God’s redemptive work that addresses both spiritual alienation and material suffering. In this sacred endeavor, we discover that the Gospel’s power lies not in cultural relevance or strategic methodology, but in its timeless truth: that in Christ, God has reconciled all things to Himself, offering healing for our brokenness and hope for our shared future. This truth compels us forward in both word and deed, embodying the Kingdom we proclaim.
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