Proclamation and Practice

I recently returned from a nation in another part of the world. I had the opportunity to be with a group from that nation for several days. In one conversation with a young man, he asked a question about the situation for Christians in that country. Christians there are allowed to practice their faith, but they are not allowed to speak of their faith to those who are not Christians. They can gather to worship, pray, read their Bibles, and even attend Christian conferences, but they can’t engage in what could be construed as evangelistic conversations. In other words, they can practice their faith but can’t proclaim it.

As I continue to think about our conversation, specifically the situation that the young man expressed for believers in his country, I am struck by thoughts about our Christian faith and how all of this relates to where I live in the United States.

First, as I thought about the statement, “we can practice our faith, but we can’t proclaim our faith,” it came to me that the statement itself is incorrect. For Christians, the proclamation of our faith is a vital part of what it means to practice our faith. While it is certainly true that private prayer and study, corporate worship, and Christian fellowship are central elements of the practice of the Christian faith, so is the sharing of our faith with others, specifically others who are not Christian. The Church exists, in large part, as a missions base to reach the world with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From Pentecost onward, the primary work of the Church has been the proclamation of the Gospel. The day the Church was born, there was a supernatural proclamation of the Gospel, as people from many places heard the glories of God being proclaimed in their own languages. As Peter preached, there was also a natural and anointed proclamation of the Gospel that day, and about 3000 people were converted. The scripture exhorts us over and over to “Preach the Word,” “Preach the Gospel,” “Make disciples,” and “Be My witnesses.”  We simply cannot faithfully practice our faith without proclaiming our faith.

My next thought was what this truth means for the Church in the United States. A recent study showed that only 29% of unchurched people in the U.S. have ever had a Christian share their faith with them. The reality is that the great majority of professing Christians in the U.S. never share their faith with someone who is not a Christian. There is the celebration of the Gospel within the confines of the Christian community, but not the proclamation of the Gospel beyond the walls of the Church. Most Christians are living in practice like believers living in nations in which evangelism is illegal. It is a sad reality that Christians in restricted nations are looking for ways and opportunities to share their faith, even at significant personal risk, while we who have the freedom to do so shirk our responsibility to evangelize. 

Many in the U.S. who claim Christ as their Lord do not faithfully practice our faith since proclamation is an essential component of what it means to practice the Christian faith entirely. May God help our brothers and sisters who live in restricted nations to navigate the dangers they face while faithfully and fully practicing their faith. And may God help others who live in places where we can share our faith, to faithfully and fully practice our faith as well.