Sometimes when we know what needs to be done, we just seem to sit back and wait for someone to come along and motivate us to get out there and "get at it." So it is with teaching the gospel to those who are lost. The Lord Jesus told us to teach the gospel to all men everywhere (Mark 16:15,16). In view of this plain charge of Jesus, it should not take an emotional appeal from elders or a fire and brimstone sermon from a preacher to get us fired up about teaching others.

If we are able to read and understand the New Testament, then we know that redemption is in and through the Son of God (Romans 3:24). Just what is there that can motivate us to tell others of His great salvation?

First, there is the love of God. His marvelous love is undeniable: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). The parables of Luke 15 (The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, The Lost Son) clearly show God’s love, as well as His willingness to accept those that repent and do His will. "For the love of Christ constraineth ["compels," NKJV] us" (2 Corinthians 5:14). Yes, God’s love for the lost ought to cause us to imitate that love and try to reach those that are outside of Christ.

Second, there is the example of Jesus. Jesus came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Before He went to the cross to lay down His life, Jesus showed Himself to be a preacher with great compassion. Once when Jesus’ disciples told Him that all men sought for Him, He said, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth" (Mark 1:38). Again it is written, "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). Yes, the example of our compassionate, preaching Savior ought to move us to teach the lost.

Third, there is the knowledge that people are lost without Jesus. Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Those that are not in the Christ are without God, without Christ, and without hope (Ephesians 2:12). If people do not obey the gospel, then they "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9). Souls are hanging in the balance! Realizing that all men are either going to go into "everlasting punishment" or "life eternal" (Matthew 25:46), surely we want to do all that we can to teach them how to avoid hell and receive the crown of life.

Besides this, our appreciation for what God has done for us ought to motivate us to teach the gospel to others. Jesus once told a man from whom He had cast out demons, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee" (Mark 5:19). If it was proper to tell the news of such relief from physical suffering, how much more so for us to tell others the fabulous news of how to have their sins washed away! Just what has God done for us? He "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all …" (Romans 8:32). "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57). If we really appreciate what God has done for us, then should we not naturally have a desire for others to "get in on such a good thing?" We think so!

Finally, seeing other saints zealously teach the lost can also be a big encouragement to us. Seeing our brothers and sisters put forth a great effort to teach the gospel can be contagious. We are not surprised to read that in the first century the scattered disciples went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4). Why does this not surprise us? Because they had had the opportunity to observe the apostles preach with boldness (Acts 4:31) on a daily basis in both public and private (Acts 5:42). Yes, that kind of zeal tends to "rub off" on others.

Most of us do not have to look very far to find people that are not Christians. May God bless each of us as we do our best to reach them with the gospel.

-- Roger D. Campbell