The little boy looked fearful as he came my way at the local fair grounds some years ago. He took one of the fistful of gospel tracts and handed it to me. When I took it from him he said, “Your blood is not on my hands.” I’m reasonably sure his Baptist Pastor would be quite please with his robotic “obedience.” But I am absolutely sure that God is not pleased with the abuse of that child or his guilt-driven “obedience.” In fact, that kind of insensitive “witness” is not obedience to God at all. I possess no ill-will toward the child, but I think his parents and pastor need their tables overturned by an angry Jesus.
Guilt is an effective motivator and manipulator. Scriptures like Ezekiel 3 and 33 have been used for years in Baptist circles to turn up the spiritual heat and cause people to engage in evangelistic endeavor. Many a sermon has been preached on the “bloody hands” of the believer that fails to share the gospel with others. Is this a righteous motivation for evangelism, and is the application made from Ezekiel 3 and 33 correct?
Let’s start with the context. Ezekiel was God’s prophet serving the exiled Jewish people in the land of Babylon. God called and commissioned him to receive the Word of God and deliver it to the people. This warning to communicate God’s Word to the people in its totality was made Ezekiel’s responsibility. He could not make them listen, but he had to tell them whatever God told him or else he would personally share in the burden of their sinful rejection of God. If Ezekiel told the truth, the whole truth, then he would be personally clear before God, even if the people rejected the Word shared.
Likewise, the Apostle Paul was duly commissioned of the Lord in the New Testament era. Twice in Acts, Paul references Ezekiel’s commission in relationship to his own (Acts 18:6 and 20:26). Paul too was given direct revelation from God and was responsible to share the whole counsel of God.
Observations:
- Both Ezekiel and Paul were faithful channels of the Word of the Lord. Ezekiel knew first hand the heartache of sharing the truth only to have it rejected. Paul knew both the heartache of rejection and the joy of reception.
- This severe warning was given to these men based upon their offices of prophet and apostle. If they had been unfaithful to their calling we would not have the Scriptures in-hand. Paul declared to the pastors from Ephesus that he had not shrunk back in any way to tell the whole counsel of God’s will to them and others.
In application to those that are not prophets or apostles, we can confidently say that we are all responsible to talk and walk according to the whole canon of Scripture. Those that hold office or position over others, like a parent in the home or a pastor of a local church, have a special responsibility to teach the whole counsel of God. Every believer is surely responsible to learn and grow as well as help and teach others. But nowhere in the New Testament Scriptures does it say that failure to share Christ with someone is an unforgivable sin for which you will answer before the Throne of God with bloody hands. If you fail to speak as you should when given opportunity, confess the sin, be forgiven, and look for the next opportunity to be faithful to the Lord and His glorious good news!
Let’s not be motivated by HUMAN COMPULSION, but by the CONVICTION of the HOLY SPIRIT. Let’s take our pattern for sharing Christ from Christ. Our task is clear, but like Jesus Christ we ought to be motivated by the glory of God, not some missed opportunity that will forever scar us. Our focus in evangelism and missionary endeavor MUST be driven by the constraining love of Christ, not the thought of an awful future, whether that future is thought to be ours or someone else’s.
People are often guilt-ridden and guilt-driven. In light of our position “in Christ,” it is imperative that we not be ridden or driven by guilt.
Lewis Sperry Chafer said: “True decision (for Christ) must depend upon the action of the will of the individual as he is moved by his own clear vision of his place in the saving work of Christ, and that vision must be created by the Spirit.”
We must become biblically convinced of the “true forces” in evangelistic effort.
In Christ our guilt is G…O…N…E — GONE!
