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Ray Comfort: Why Witnessing "Does" Work

I still regularly open-air preach, and I still share my faith one-to-one with whoever will listen. I do it because I’m still horrified that anyone could go to Hell.

How could I not be? If I didn’t, I would be like a firefighter who let people burn. Our evangelistic zeal will be in direct proportion to the depth of our love. Charles Spurgeon called those who fail to verbally warn of the reality of Hell “murderers.” He said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved, then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.”

In the article, the author who watched the man in the wrinkled suit said, “Evangelism takes time. It has to be lived, demonstrated, proven.” I respectfully disagree. “Evangelism” isn’t getting a decision for Jesus after living out some wonderful plan. It’s simply planting the seed of the gospel. We plant, others water and some reap. 

Jesus spoke to the woman at the well about her adultery. What He said only took a few minutes. It didn’t have to be lived in front of her. It didn’t have to be demonstrated or proven.

He also spoke to the woman caught in adultery, the rich young ruler and many others. Paul spoke using words to the Athens. He used words because it was necessary.

Scripture asks, “How will they hear without a preacher?” The answer is that they won’t hear if we don’t use words. 

My heart breaks when I hear professing Christians demeaning evangelism.

Emergency vehicles demand access because human lives are at stake. Evangelism demands the same priority, for the same reason. Reaching out to the lost isn’t given the priority it should have because the reality of Hell has been forgotten by many, and preachers who talk about everything but the reality of Hell are likeable betrayers of the gospel.

May God help us to bring the church back to biblical evangelism and raise up a generation of faithful men and women who will fear God enough to say with the Apostle Paul, “Wherefore knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”