One of the most important passages on evangelism in the New Testament is found in 2 Corinthians 4:1-7.

Here we discover the chief problem faced in evangelism – the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, keeping them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (verse 4). Satan allows unbelievers to see many things, even many true things. What he will not allow them to see is the light of the gospel of God’s glory in Jesus Christ.

If the problem is blindness, then a miracle is needed. The miracle needed is nothing short of healing blind eyes. Only God can perform that miracle.

God, who created light in the original creation, opens blind eyes so they can see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (verse 6). So, one parameter for evaluating an evangelism program is its recognition of the sovereign act of God that is needed to open blind eyes – God’s Sovereignty. Recognizing God’s sovereignty leads to an emphasis on prayer and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. It also takes the pressure off of us since we are not responsible for performing this miracle.

But this passage also underscores the importance of human agency in evangelism. In verses 2 and 5, we see the importance of proclaiming a clear message. God calls us to an open statement of the truth, proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. That means a second parameter for evaluating an evangelism program is Gospel Clarity.

But one more element is needed, which is found in verse 5:  serving others for Jesus’ sake. We are to proclaim and to serve.  Serving others leads to an attitude of humility as we proclaim the good news.  It also leads to creativity, as we seek to serve others through presenting the truth of the gospel in an accessible way to the specific unbelievers we are seeking to reach.  So, the third parameter is Our Humility and Creativity. 

Here, then, are three questions that form a scriptural rubric for evaluating any evangelism program:

1. Does it put proper weight on God’s Sovereignty?
2. Does it exhibit Gospel Clarity?
3. Does it foster our Humility and Creativity?

With that in mind, here are some comments by churches that have recently chosen to use one of Christianity Explored’s evangelistic courses, either the Christianity Explored course or Life Explored:

“Biblically faithful yet engaging.”

“The materials put the Word of God in the hands of people and allows them to hear directly from Scripture.”

“Most relevant for reaching today’s unchurched population.”

“Solid theology, well-presented, easy to use.”

As you can see, Christianity Explored passes the test of evaluation and is a great evangelism program for your church. Please let us know how we can help you get started with a CE course today!