Since God Is Sovereign, Why Should I Share the Gospel with Unbelievers?

NATHAN W. BINGHAM: Dr. Lawson, since God is sovereign, why should we share the gospel with unbelievers?

DR. STEVEN LAWSON: Well, to begin with, we should share the gospel with all unbelievers. If for no other reason, God commands us to. So it is a part of living in submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. But more than that, not only has God appointed the end of all things, which includes the salvation of the elect, but God has also appointed the means to accomplish all those ends. So those means include gospel preaching. It includes personal evangelism. It includes intercessory prayer for the lost. It includes showing love to unbelievers. It includes our living a godly and holy life to substantiate our witness. All of those are means to accomplish the end, which is the salvation of the elect.

So God has always chosen to work through means to accomplish His highest good. And so we are to witness to others also because we can now participate in what God is doing. It is a privilege. God could have given this to the angels. They would be standing in line right now to have this noble opportunity to tell the world about the Son of God and His victory at the cross. But instead, this has been entrusted to us, and angels look in and long for this privilege.

And so, the fulfillment of the Great Commission has been given to us. "Go into all the world and make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20). Those marching orders have never been rescinded. Those marching orders from Christ Himself to us are still in effect. We have to put the "go" back in the gospel. We have to go into all the world. We do this really in humble obedience, out of a heart of love, because our Lord has charged us and commanded us to do so.