But if we dig down deep enough, behind the logic of these excuses, we’ll find a horrible emotion is at the root of all these evangelism-choking weeds: FEAR

 
If “he who wins souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30), why are we so good at thinking up excuses for not evangelizing?

• The Calvinism Excuse: ”If God’s going to convert the heathen, he doesn’t need us to do it.”
• The Pragmatism Excuse: ”It hasn’t worked in the past so why should it work this time.”
• The Ecclesiology Excuse: ”Our church is such a mess, there’s no point in asking people to come.”
• The Revivalism Excuse: ”We must wait for the Holy Spirit to bless.”
• The Pluralism Excuse: ”Surely not everyone without Christ is without hope.”
• The Pietism Excuse: ”I’ll pray. Evangelism is for the activists.”
• The Humility Excuse: ”Who am I to tell others what they should or shouldn’t do or believe.”

But if we dig down deep enough, behind the logic of these excuses, we’ll find a horrible emotion is at the root of all these evangelism-choking weeds: FEAR.

• Fear of ridicule
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of failure
• Fear of lost friendships
• Fear of exposure
• Fear of difficult questions

How do get rid of this fear? Well we must recognize it, confess it, and seek forgiveness. That covers the past.

But what about the future? We need another emotion. LOVE.

Perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn. 4:18). Love for Jesus and love for the lost is the only excuse-killing power that can get down to the roots of our excuses and grow deep soul-winning passion.

David Murray is Professor of Old Testament & Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. This article first appeared on his blog and is used with permission.