Communicating Christ to Contemporary American Culture
by Roger E. Shepherd
The most significant approach to evangelism in the twenty-first century is relational evangelism. Relational evangelism seeks to build a loving relationship with God through Christ and then with one another in the church and community. Does John give us an appropriate purpose statement for 21st century evangelism in 1 John 4:7–12?
What does “knowing God” mean in this text and in the context of twenty-first century evangelism? Those who love others know God (4:7–8), which is, to make an acquaintance with someone (4:2). We have an acquaintance and relationship with God through biblical knowledge from Christ and the Spirit. In 1 John 2:3 believers know God, or “we have known Him” and our knowledge and obedience to his commandments still stands.* Thus, John argues that saints have a personal relationship with God through the knowledge of his word. This is significant to evangelism in the twenty-first century.
The community can see a manifestation of God who is the source of love in our love for him and one another in a relationship with God and one another that manifests the love of God (4:9). Christ becomes “public knowledge” to the world (4:9). God and his gospel become public knowledge through love practiced and expressed by Christians. It is primarily a manifestation of God through a visible example of Christianity (4:9). Love for God and others is an outward manifestation that will draw the lost to Christ.
Love for God and one another are a very significant quality for twenty-first century relational evangelism. It is building relationships with the people of God to maintain faith and with people in the worldly community to bring them to faith in Christ. Evangelism that reaches the un-churched in a postmodern society is built on relationships. Relational is a word that means relationship, a partnership, to share common life, a connection, association, or involvement between people. The connection that people of all nations make with one another is from the example of God and Jesus. It seeks to build a relationship with the never-churched, and then evangelize. It also is a holding power to keep the converted saved. Christians can successfully share their faith in Christ in today’s churches by confronting people with the gospel after a relationship has been established.
The first converts to Christianity were taught that Jesus was the atoning propitiation (their sins were covered by the blood of Jesus; 4:9–10). Jesus is the appeasement of God’s wrath necessitated by sin, because he is our expiation, our sacrifice of atonement, and our sin-offering. John continues his theme concerning how sinners can live through Jesus, and then manifest the love of God to the lost world (4:9). Propitiation is also the standard of love that God revealed in Christ’s death on the cross. It is cross salvation through the love of God! Therefore, God satisfied his wrath for sin in Jesus. This is the message for twenty-first century evangelism.
In summary, this passage makes a statement for twenty-first century relational evangelism. In 1 John 4:11–12 we have an inner motivation for twenty-first century evangelism. First, God loved us and sent his Son as the propitiation or atoning sacrifice and Savior of the world for sinners. Second, we love God and one another, and then we share Jesus with the lost world. This is the heart of evangelism today!
*All biblical translations by the author.
