What Does It Mean to Be A Responsive Christian

What Does It Mean to Be A “Responsive Christian”?

What Kind of Christian Are You?

Ever had anyone ask you what kind of Christian you are? Most of the time, people who ask this kind of question are really asking about your denominational affiliation; they’re asking if you’re a Lutheran, a Presbyterian, a Methodist, a Non-denominational Christian, etc. Sometimes we answer the question with a broader definition. Many of my friends would simply call themselves “Evangelicals”. But this term is often hard to define, isn’t it? Most people who call themselves “Evangelicals” typically mean that they are from a conservative branch of Protestant Christianity that holds to historic Christian views about the inspiration of the Bible, the triune nature of God, the deity of Jesus, the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, and the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. But in addition to these doctrinal beliefs, most self-identifying “Evangelicals” would add that they believe they have been commissioned with a personal responsibility to share the truth of the Gospel with those who have not yet heard it. The word, “Evangelical” is derived from the Greek word "euangelion" which means "gospel" or "good news." Most “Evangelicals” believe that it is their personal responsibility to share the Gospel with others, “evangelizing” those who are not yet Christians.

Does the Call to Evangelism Really Belong to All of Us?

“Evangelicals” usually point to a specific passage of scripture to make the point that each and every Christian is called to evangelize. This passage is typically referred to as the “Great Commission” and it is located in the Gospel of Matthew:

Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus’ command seems simple and direct enough. Get out there and make disciples, baptize folks, and teach them to obey everything that I’ve ever taught you! But who is the “you” that Jesus is referring to here; what group is supposed to accept this commission? Some would argue that the “you” is everyone who has ever become a Christian, but the most direct reading of the passage supports the notion that Jesus was speaking directly to the eleven disciples (verse 16). Why would we believe that this “great commission” belongs to all of us?

As it turns out, there are a number of other places in the scripture where the “Great Commission” is similarly described. Let’s see if these passages can help us to understand who Jesus was commissioning:

Mark 16:14-18

Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Luke 24:44-49

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

John 20:19-23

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

Acts 1:4-8

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

There are several common truths that are apparent in all of these passages. First, all the passages agree with Matthew in describing the target audience for the commission as the disciples (the eleven). In none of these passages does Jesus say that the commission is extended to every Christian. In addition, it appears from the passages in Mark, John and Acts that the eleven were specially equipped to accomplish the commission in a way that was distinct to them alone (with power from the Holy Spirit unique to the commission). Finally, the passage in John details why the disciples were chosen and what it was they were to do. They were given the commission because they alone were eyewitnesses to the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, and they were told to testify as eyewitnesses to the rest of the world (and this is consistent with the way that each disciple then testified about the Gospel as seen in Acts 2:23-24, 32, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:20, Acts 4:33 and Acts 10:39-42).

Many of us, as Christians, embrace the “Great Commission” because we interpret the scripture to apply to us specifically. As a result, some of us do our best to engage in activities that mimic those of the first century Apostles, even though many of us feel ungifted as evangelists. Many of us even feel guilty that we don’t seem to have the gift of evangelism. But as we read these passages of scripture, it does appear that the “Great Commission” was given to the disciples themselves, not to all of us in the generations that followed. In fact, Mark and Paul seem to imply that the commission given to the disciples was actually fulfilled in their lifetime:

Mark 16:20

And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.

Colossians 1:23

… if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Romans 16:25-27

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

These passages refer to the commission as though it had already been accomplished by the disciples and those who worked with them in the first century. If this is the case, are we, as the Christians who followed the disciples, “off the hook” when it comes to sharing the truth about what we believe? No.

So Can We Ignore It (Since It Wasn’t Ours in the First Place)?

Even if the “Great Commission” was given uniquely to the eleven disciples, there is good reason to believe that you and I, as modern day Christians, still have some role to play in spreading the truth about Jesus. A careful reading of the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew does seem to give us some responsibility here, even if only as an extension of the teaching of the eleven:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore 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.”

The disciples were commanded to teach their followers everything that Jesus taught the disciples, and one of the things that Jesus taught the disciples was to make disciples of all the nations! So, as an extension of what Jesus taught the eleven, you and I may also recognize that we have some role to play in “discipling the nations”. But what is our role? It’s apparent from Scripture that evangelism, as it was practiced by the apostles, is NOT to be part of EVERYONE’S life:

Ephesians 4:11-13

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Not everyone of us is a prophet, not everyone is a teacher, and not everyone is an evangelist; even if all of us call ourselves “Christians”! We may have some role to play in sharing the truth about Jesus, but what is the common obligation and is there anything about our common responsibility that we ought to include when describing ourselves as Christians?

Why Do We Still Call Ourselves “Evangelicals”?

If not all of us are called to be evangelists and the “Great Commission” was directed more for the eleven disciples than it was for us, why do we continue to use the term “Evangelical” when we describe ourselves as Christians? After all, only some of us are called to be evangelists! Well, there is one responsibility related to sharing the truth that is common to all of us; it is clearly described in the Bible:

1 Peter 3:15:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Jude 1:3

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

These passages of scripture are aimed at all of us who call ourselves Christians. Unlike the “Great Commission”, there is a responsibility that is specifically and explicitly directed at those of us who would come to believe and trust Christ as Savior. While not every Christian has the responsibility of being an evangelist, each and every Christian does have the responsibility of being an apologist! While not all of us are called to initiate a conversation about Jesus, we are all called to respond to objections that are offered about Jesus. It’s for this reason that I’ve personally stopped calling myself an “Evangelical Christian” and I’ve started to call myself a “Responsive Christian”. I want to always be ready to respond to those who have questions about what I believe; I want to be ready to contend for the faith. This, by definition is what it means to be a “Responsive Christian”.

Becoming A “Responsive Christian”

When I talk with other Christians about this notion of becoming a “Responsive Christian”, they sometimes worry that I am suggesting a fragile and meek form of Christianity that is timid and tentative; a form of the faith that is patiently waiting to RESPOND, but afraid to make the first move. This is NOT what I am advocating.

I remember years ago watching the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. I was a huge Ali fan at the time. But, like everyone else, I had been watching Foreman come up through the ranks, and I watched Foreman dismantle Joe Frazier on his way to a fight with Ali. Foreman was a scary guy. He was a brutal puncher. He had a bad attitude. I was worried for Ali. And in the first rounds of their fight, Foreman threw everything he had at Muhammad Ali. Hundreds of punches. Ali did something very unusual, however; he simply stayed on the ropes and let Foreman throw his punches. He took everything Foreman could offer for several rounds, until Foreman was exhausted. Ali became the consummate counter puncher through the middle of the fight. In the late rounds of the fight, Ali eventually came off the ropes and became the aggressor, delivering a few concise, targeted punches that dropped an exhausted George Foreman to the canvas. Ali won one of the biggest fights of his life and Foreman was NEVER the same. Ali learned the value of being a “Responsive Boxer”:

Ali was the guy everyone wanted to fight

Ali was willing to enter the ring with Foreman

Ali took Foreman’s best and maneuvered Foreman into position

Ali delivered his best when he had to

As Christians, we could learn something about being “Responsive Christians” from the king of “Responsive Boxers”, Muhammad Ali.

What Does “Responsive Christianity” Look Like?

As Christians, we can be proactive and reactive at the same time, even though this may seem like a contradiction. “Responsive Christianity” requires us to rethink how we have been living as Christians. It requires us to prompt those in our world to ask questions and then and be prepared to answer their questions. Let me show you what might be required to live the life of a “Responsive Christian”:

“Responsive Christians” live a life that causes people to ask questions

Every boxer knew who Muhammad Ali was. Ali placed himself in the center of the boxing world. As Christians, we need to recognize that all of us are being watched; all of us are causing others to ask questions. Think about that for a minute. People are watching us and they are formulating silent questions about what they are seeing. I’m just hoping that they are NOT looking at me and asking questions like, “Why is he such a hypocrite?” or “Why is he so Arrogant?”; “Why is he so Angry?”; “Why is he so unfriendly?” It’s my desire to live a life that causes a different set of questions. Questions like, “How is he able to handle hardship so well?” or “Why does he always seem to be at peace with his situation?”; “How is he able to stay so committed?”; “Why is he willing to sacrifice his time and money?” When we live a life that prompts the RIGHT kind of questions, God allows us the marvelous opportunity to answer these questions with the truth of the Gospel.

“Responsive Christians” go where people already have questions

Ali had to decide to get in the ring with Foreman; he had to decide to take the risk. As Christians, we sometimes need to decide to take a similar risk; we need to take advantage of the opportunities to “get in the ring” and to go where strangers are already waiting with questions. There are places where people are already asking the important questions of life. University campuses, religious centers, libraries, etc. This desire to “get in the ring” is the motivation behind my own personal efforts to talk to people on college campuses and in places like Salt Lake City. People here are already asking questions related to faith: “Is there a God?”; “Can naturalism explain our origin?”; “Why do Christians believe what they believe?”; “Why do Christians act the way they do?”. In these “question rich” environments, thoughtful Christians can help to provide some answers. My own personal desire to reach those with questions is also the motivating force behind PleaseConvinceMe.com. Around the world, thousands of Christians are now “entering the ring” with blogs and websites of their own.

“Responsive Christians” help people ask the right questions

Ali maneuvered Foreman so that Ali had the best chance of making an impact in the fight. As Christians, we’ve also got to learn to direct our conversations in such a way as to have the greatest impact. All of us are constantly involved in daily conversations and interactions with our friends, coworkers and family. These are great opportunities to share those areas of your life that may prompt people to ask, “Why?” We typically engage in conversations about the mundane aspects of our culture; we often avoid religious or political conversations. But by simply sharing the activities of our own lives, our efforts to serve those around us, our struggles that have been assisted by the hope we have in Christ and in the next life, we will certainly create opportunities by ‘teasing’ out the questions that all of us hold about life, death and the purpose of it all. We need to share honestly but strategically, and then be patient to wait for their questions. By doing this, we can actually guide the conversation into the places where we can have the most eternal impact.

“Responsive Christians” are prepared to answer people’s questions

When the opportunity presented itself, Ali made the most of it! As Christians, we will have similar opportunities. This is perhaps the most challenging aspect of our lives as “Responsive Christians”. We need to be prepared. It’s seems odd to me that we have no hesitancy about preparing for school tests, preparing for work assignments, or even preparing for our next vacation! Why don’t we, then, understand the importance of preparing for our next contact with a non-believer? It’s impossible for us to live as “Responsive Christians” if we aren’t even prepared with a response. Most of PleaseConvinceMe.com has been assembled to help you prepare yourself in the one area of Christian evangelism that each and every one of us is called to embrace: apologetics.

Are You Ready to Be a “Responsive Christian”?

The time has come for us to raise the bar on who we are as Christians and to take a Biblical approach to the way we engage the unbelieving world around us. For too many years we have accepted the label of “Evangelical Christian” to our own peril. The term “Evangelical Christian” is misunderstood and redundant. Of course we are evangelical Christians; of course we are Christians that are interested in reaching the world for Christ! This is the equivalent of calling us “Christ following” Christians. Do you see the redundancy? The label says nothing about HOW we are to live and reach others with the truth. Maybe it’s time for a new label, a new description. Maybe it’s time for us to become “Responsive Christians”.