Essentials of Evangelism - Lesson 6

I. Romans 8:1-4

Welcome to session six. We’re calling this “Short Theology of Evangelism.” I have a text—always need to have a text. John Wesley preached more from this chapter than any other chapter in the Bible. He preached more on one verse in this chapter than any other verse in the Bible. It is Romans 8. Let me just give you the first 4 verses:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do, in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. So, he condemns sin and sinful man; in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit.” 

That captures all of what we’ve been saying the first five sessions, starting in the Garden. The fact that sin cannot bear the light. God withdrawing beyond the veil and providing opportunity for a covenant renewal and relationship. God loves us and wants to be in fellowship with God’s creation. Yet we merely survive to perfect our own evil and destroy ourselves. God preserves a remnant with the Flood and with the tower of Babel. Which introduces—that is the last paragraph, by the way, of primeval history. We don’t have an approximate date, which introduces the first paragraph, this is all in Genesis 11, first paragraph of what we call patriarchal history. There was already a religion in place a thousand years before Abraham. Abraham apparently had evolved to the place where he could understand the concept of one God. God is a jealous God. Why? Because God is the only God that is God. If you’re worshiping a god that is less than God, you are worshiping a god that makes horrible demands but gives precious little in return. You worship the God that is God, you worship a God that makes horrible demands, but gives back, pressed down, shaken together, running over. 

Stanley Jones used to say, a great missionary—a Methodist missionary, spent half his life in India, “That which has your attention has you.” What is the most basic common denominator that supplies the ruling force for your life? What do you think about before you go to bed at night? What do you dream about? What do you think about first thing in the morning? What’s the most basic common denominator that supplies the ruling force for your life? That’s your god. Stanley Jones said that if your god is less than God, you need to realize that god makes horrible demands but gives precious little in return. But if your God is the God who is God, you’re worshiping a God who makes horrible demands, but gives back pressed down, shaken together, running over. 

We talked about Jesus coming just at the right time, fulfilling Jeremiah 31:31-34, a New Covenant where, “I will forgive their iniquity”—get this—“and remember their sins no more.” I love that stuff. 

We talked about the early church. Jesus Christ had fulfilled all of those Old Testament prophecies and Peter—a lot of Peter’s preaching is reminding us how Jesus Christ fulfills all of those Old Testament prophecies. The whole book of Matthew is written to remind us that Jesus Christ fulfills all of those Old Testament prophecies—Peter’s preaching. 

Paul takes the Word to the Gentiles; and low and behold, when he gets to the land of the Gentiles, what does he find? The Spirit of God is already there, preparing people for his ministry. 

II. Theology of Evangelism

A. What God has done for you in Jesus Christ

Theology of evangelism simply reminds us what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Theology is not a bad word. Bad theology puts people in bondage, folks, I’m telling you. Good theology can set the captive free. We need to understand. Barth used to say, “Theology is the mind worshiping God.” How do we relate to the living God? Who is God? I have already said God is a God of love, mercy, faithfulness, justice, and long-suffering. 

B. There is no condemnation

Here in Romans 8, I find a key: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” What is condemnation? Condemnation is guilt, unresolved guilt. Guilt’s a good thing, by the way. It’s like pain. When you break your leg, it hurts; so you favor it until you can get it set and repaired. If it doesn’t hurt, you ruin it; you run it into the ground. It is like leprosy. Leprosy is the devil’s masterpiece. I worked for three weeks in Mother Teresa’s leprosarium in Calcutta. I’d been there five minutes. She had us dressing—never met the woman, she was in the next room—we were just too busy. She had us dressing the wounds of the lepers. Leprosy – your nerve endings die, so that you no longer hurt; when you hurt, you no longer have pain when you hurt yourself, and you don’t favor the injury. Gangrene sets in in your body parts. It’s the devil’s masterpiece, brewed in some malevolent cauldron deep within the bowels of hell. 

Guilt is a good thing. You start to die spiritually when you rationalize sin. Guilt prevents us from rationalizing sin. Leprosy, you no longer feel the pain. If you don’t have guilt, you no longer feel the pain of your sin. Your body parts, gangrene sets in. Your body parts drop off, and the last thing to go is usually your eyes. You get to watch it all. That’s what leprosy is all about. Guilt is a good thing. It reminds us that someone has to pay a penalty for sin. Condemnation is a bad thing; it’s unresolved guilt. 

How do you resolve guilt? I frequently—those of you who know me at all know that I use an analogy which is one of my favorites, of high pressure, low pressure. I live in Florida half the year and have for the last 15 years. Don’t talk to me about low pressure, folks. I have had low pressure come across my house 200 miles per hour, three times in one year. Wind moves from high pressure to low pressure, point of least resistance, just like the Spirit moves. By the way, the word for wind is “ruah,” translated in the 70s, Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible with the word “pneuma,” Spirit. Spirit translates “wind,” why? That is no accidental metaphor. Spirit moves from high pressure to low pressure, the point of least resistance. How do you create low pressure so that we no longer have condemnation? It says, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death.” What’s the law of sin and death? It is the law without the Spirit, without the power nor the inclination to measure up. 

I have several times taken—bought a one-way ticket around the world. As long as you keep going in the same direction, you can make as many stops as you like. I have done it a half-dozen times, on sabbatical, usually writing a book, doing research. One of these trips, I was researching transcultural common denominators, concepts and ideologies that communicate with equal effectiveness in every culture. Not just cross-cultural, not just from one culture to another; but transcultural, in every culture. I came back with a book and wrote a book on it. The key that turns the light, listen to this: Everyone the world over has the need to measure up to some form of law. Not the same law, necessarily. But everyone the world over, unless they are psychotic – if the windows are open, but the house is empty. If you’re home at all, you have a need to measure up to some form of law. The law of sin and death is the law without the Spirit, without the power nor the inclination to measure up. It is requiring you to jump tall buildings like Superman in a single bound. 

C. The law of the Spirit & life vs. the law of sin & death

What’s the law of the Spirit of life? It’s the same law, folks. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the Law. Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Holiness, sin has never done anything for you except separate you from God, yourself, and those around you. I defined that in last session. Sin is that which separates us from God, ourselves, and those around us. If it does not separate you from God, yourself, and those around you, stop worrying about it. There is enough real guilt here. Every one of us needs a savior. We don’t need to go making it up. The law of the Spirit of life is the law empowered by the Spirit, so that now by virtue of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, repentance and faith creates low pressure. Swoosh! The power of the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and enables us to measure up. 

I was preaching at a church some years ago. Just before I walked into the pulpit, I was introduced to a man as the most spiritual man in the church. I got to tell you, the man looked pretty spiritual to me. I got up and preached my sermon, gave an invitation, which you understand I assume, for Christian discipleship, to accept Jesus or to be filled with the Holy Spirit or whatever. He and his wife—the most spiritual man in the church—and his wife were the first ones at the communion rail. She leaned across the communion rail and whispered to me, “You’ve got to pray for me. I’m carrying a horrible secret.” Since I did not know what her secret was, I just prayed for her the best I knew how. After she left, I had finished praying for her, she left, went back to her pew. Her husband, the most spiritual man in the church, remained at the communion rail. He leaned across the communion rail and said, “You’ve got to pray for me. I’m her secret. I’m an alcoholic. You’ve got to pray that I get willpower.” You know what I said to him? Like that [snaps fingers], I said to him: “Dear brother, you don’t need willpower, you need the Holy Spirit. You’ve been wallowing under the law of sin and death long enough. You need to get the law of the Spirit of life, the law of the Spirit of life.” I explained to him about repentance and faith. 

In seminary, I have taught students myself that there are two Greek words for repentance, “metanoia” and “epistrepho.” Metanoia means to turn around, as if you can turn your back on sin. You wish you could turn your back on sin. Just try to turn your back on sin by trying to turn your back on sin. It’ll eat your lunch! The split second your mind goes rogue, you’ll have thoughts in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer. I’m the only one that’s like that, I would imagine. Suddenly I’m feeling lonely here. Tell me you understand what I’m saying. Do you understand what I’m saying? Matt, do you understand what I’m saying? Thank you very much. Don’t edit that out, by the way. I want you to know that I’m talking to you, you folks, I’m talking to you. 

Repentance is not turning your back on sin. Repentance is praying this prayer. Listen carefully: 

“Lord God, as far as I know my own heart, I’m willing for you to take this from me. I can’t give it to you, Lord. If I could give it to you, I wouldn’t need you. As far as I know in my own heart, I’m willing for you to take this from me. I want to renew my faith and trust in your Son, Jesus Christ. So swoosh the power of the Holy Spirit comes into my life; so that I can measure up to the gospel. Fulfill the law by virtue of my faith, repentance and faith and trust in Jesus Christ.”

That’s the theology of evangelism. I’ll say it again. Wind moves from high pressure to low pressure. Holy Spirit translates wind – it moves from high pressure to low pressure, point of least resistance. Everyone the world over has the need to measure up to some point of law. The only way. No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for in Christ the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. The law of sin and death is the law without the Spirit, like that poor man wanting to measure up willpower. That’s the law of sin and death. There is no way you can measure up. The law of the Spirit of life is the same law empowered by the Spirit, so that by virtue of our repentance, grieving over the separation our sin has cost. “Lord, I grieve over this.” Read it in the Bible. “I grieve over the separation my sin has caused. So, as far as I know in my own heart—I can’t give it to you—if I could give it to you, I wouldn’t need you; but I’m willing for you to take it from me. I want to renew my faith and trust in your son, Jesus Christ.” What’s up with that? 

Sitting in an airport a couple of years ago, next to a woman who had an inordinate fear of flying. She could not bring herself to get on the airplane. She understood all the dynamics of flight. She knew if she got on the airplane, the plane would take her where she needed to go; but she could not bring herself to get on the airplane. I had to go change my ticket, and so, I carried her, took her by the arm on the airplane; sat next to her. The plane, guess what? Took her exactly where she needed to go. You see, faith is getting on the airplane. It’s a silly analogy; I’m almost embarrassed to speak it to you. But you understand. The devil believes the gospel works. The devil’s just not going to commit to it. The woman knew the plane would take her where she needed to go; she simply could not commit to it. But the minute she got on the plane, the plane took her where she needed to go. Repentance and faith. Repentance grieves over the separation our sin has caused. So that we’re willing to pray this prayer:

“God, as far as I know in my own heart, I’m willing for you to take this from me. God, I can’t give it to you. If I could give it to you, I wouldn’t need you. But as far as I know in my own heart, I’m willing for you to take it from me. I want to renew my faith and trust in your Son, Jesus.” 

Let me close with a story. I said in the first session that I started my teaching career at Fuller Seminary. I loved it. I had colleagues like Geoff Bromiley and Eldon Ladd and Jewett and Martin and Bob Munger and Bill Pennell, wonderful suite mates with Pennell and Munger. I was just a kid, a 28-year-old kid, didn’t know what I was doing. Only had 17 on the faculty, and all 17 interviewed me for the job. It was a wonderful experience. I loved my years at Fuller. I came home one day. (This is her testimony—she won’t mind me telling you.) I found my wife in bed with a woman. She was doing a PhD in clinical psychology at Fuller School of Psychology. She was no more lesbian than I am. She just got confused. She asked me to move out; so my son and I moved out. Two years later she said, “We’ll be reconciled if you move to Tulsa.” She lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

I didn’t want to leave Pasadena. I loved Fuller Seminary. I loved teaching there. I loved it; but I wanted to be reconciled. I said, “Okay, I’ll see if I can get a job in Tulsa.” Called up Oral [Roberts] and a friend named Jim Buskirk; and they said, “Sure, we’ll hire you.” I went there as professor of historical theology or something. I sold my house, packed up my car, drove it across the desert, bought a house in Tulsa. The first hundred days there, 100 consecutive days, over 100-degree temperature. I thought I was going to die. Bought a house; decorated it; went to the airport to greet my wife and my son. He was on the plane, and she wasn’t. She used that as a ruse to get me out of southern California, because I was invading her space. She was all so caught up in the radical feminist movement. I’m a feminist, for crying out loud; I hope you are—but that radical kind of feminism was spouting off some things that just didn’t make much sense. Anyway, 100 consecutive days of over—my wife wasn’t with me. Suddenly I was a single parent again. 100 degree temperature, I can’t stand the heat. My office was so air conditioned, that my books mildewed; and I caught pneumonia.

My students would come up to me and say, “I’m praying for you.” The more they prayed, the worse I felt; because I knew they were praying right, I must be receiving wrong. The more they prayed; the worse I felt. Finally, one night—everyone here will understand this—one night I prayed this prayer: “God, it really wouldn’t take a whole lot of time out of your busy schedule to do a healing number on me. If there is anything standing between me and healing, you show it to me. It is yours. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Fussed at God all night. Guess what happened? Nothing. Hacked, wheezed, and coughed all night long. 

Two nights later, I had a dream, just a 50-minute dream. I know it was 50 minutes because when I woke up, the dryer was still going. In this dream, suddenly on the foot of my bed there was a white light shaped like I think Jesus ought to be shaped. I’m telling you; I’m going after the white light; because I want to get the white light on the outside, on the inside. I’m flailing away with my arms, trying to get the white light on the outside, on the inside. I become so frustrated; I woke up screaming. After I got my son back to bed, God spoke to me and said, “Tuttle, Bob, shut up!” Imagine that sweet as I am. “Shut up! I’m tired of you fussing at me, just so much high pressure. I want you to lie back on your pillow and in the silence that is you, allow my Spirit to plumb some new depth of your experience to reveal some area of life not yet yielded to me.” Get this. “With your willingness for me to take it from you, renew your faith and trust in my son, Jesus. Go to sleep.” That sounds easy enough. I’m telling you, it took me 30 minutes to get the volume on the history tape low enough so I could even hear the voice of God. That’s why I’ve been to therapy. You suspected that, I would imagine. I’ve probably had more therapy than any of you. After 30 minutes, I got the volume on the history tapes low enough so I could hear the voice of God. 

The Spirit of God began to reveal things; began to reveal one area I had given to God and taken it back. Areas of resistance. Some things that might have been sin for me, but not for you. There are absolutes in sin; but there are things which might be sinful for some people, but not for others. The Spirit of God began to reveal things to me, and I prayed this prayer:

“God, as far as I know in my own heart, I’m willing for you to—I grieve over the separation these things have caused. I’m willing for you to take them from me. I can’t give them to you. If I could give them to you, I wouldn’t need you. But I’m willing for you to take them from me. I want to renew my faith and trust in your Son, Jesus Christ.” 

I went to sleep. I mean to tell you, folks, I woke up without a wheeze. I went to bed in black and white; I got up in Technicolor. I have not been the same since. Are you listening? It was better yesterday than it was today, and it was better today than it was yesterday. 

I love being a Christian. I’m telling you. Jesus is a piece of work. If that doesn’t work in your culture, I’m sorry. Most of you understand what I mean by that. The Son of the Living God, who gave his life, that by virtue of our repentance and faith in him we can experience the indwelling swoosh power of the Holy Spirit, so that the law of sin and death becomes the law of the Spirit of life. 

Lord, we’re grateful for what you have done for us in Jesus. We’re grateful that by virtue of our repentance, you can take these sins from us. As we renew our faith and trust in your Son, Jesus, we can be filled by his Spirit. Amen.