June 2nd, 2025
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This month and all through the summer, we will spend much of our time discussing evangelism and its significance in the Christian life. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, you have likely heard the word evangelism many times before. Despite its seeming complexity, the meaning of evangelism is quite simple. Evangelism comes from the Greek words euangelion (good message/gospel) and euaggelizo (to announce, preach, or declare the good news). These meanings are why you’ll hear the word evangelism used whenever a Christian references the need for Christians to share their faith with non-believers. Evangelism is an act that all Christians are called to do by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Since evangelism means declaring the Good News, before we go out and tell others about it, it’s likely best first to understand what the Good News is. The verse of this week’s devotion succinctly summarizes the Good News Jesus desires for us to share with the entire world.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
To understand the goodness found in this verse, we must first understand the bad news that makes this good news so good! The bad news and ugly reality for humanity is that humans are sinners.
When the first humans, Adam and Eve, sinned by disobeying God’s commandments (Gen 3), Sin corrupted every bit of the human heart. Sin is like a sickness that corrupts human nature, creating within humans a leaning and desire toward disobedience against God and his commands. This Sin nature overflows into sinful acts like lying, murder and any other action against God’s law. The book of Romans reminds us of the reality that all humans sin and fall short of God’s standards (Rom 3:23) and that in a world with a perfect God, who is good and fully just, the punishment for sin is death (Rom 6:23), separation from God, and eternity in hell. This state is the grave state of the human condition, which is horrible news. But then comes the Good News of Jesus Christ as expressed in John 3:16
God the Father so loved the World, the same humans who disobey him and reject him, that he sent His Son Jesus, coming down in human form. He sent Jesus to live the perfect life and be the perfect sacrifice for humanity by dying on the cross, taking our Sin and giving us his righteousness (2 Cor 5:21) so that no human would have to face the punishment of their sin, death and separation from God, but instead, through faith in God’s loving act and acceptance of his Lordship (Eph 2:8-10), have everlasting life in Christ and the promise of eternity in heaven with God.
It’s no wonder they call this “the Good News”! It is the ultimate exchange—an exchange of death for life, sin for righteousness, punishment for reward, separation from God to eternity with God. When we say to evangelize, this is the message we are challenged to declare: Jesus died and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins, and this free gift of salvation is available for anyone who places their faith in Jesus!
As we explore evangelism this month, get this truth in your heart today. We have Good News to tell the world, so let’s tell the world about it!
Challenge For This Week
Spend the week memorizing John 3:16; it’s a verse worth remembering as you begin sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. Additionally, take the opportunity to watch this video from a preacher about what the Gospel is.