For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

                                                                                                         1 Corinthians 9:19 

It’s a concept that seems to escape some but Paul understood it well. The way in which we engage and treat others will affect our efforts to win them to faith in Jesus. Make no mistake about it, Paul’s life mission was to see the church flourish and the lost come to Christ. This gospel-minded attitude is apparent in today’s passage. Although Paul was free from the legalistic restrictions that he once lived under as a Pharisee, he would do everything necessary to establish relationships with others for the purpose of seeing them come to saving faith in Jesus.

Paul elaborates on this attitude in the previous passage. Consider his line of thinking:

…yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 

                                                                                                            1 Corinthians 8:6 

Christians live with the understanding that there is only one God. It is God who created all things and life is all about living for Him. As Christians, we also understand that there is one Lord and Savior and we exist through Him. Legalism and the ceremonial ritual of dead religion is no longer what we serve. We have a living Lord and Savior in whom we can communicate, trust, and with whom we can enjoy a relationship. Paul understood these spiritual realties yet he was focused on the spiritual well being of others. He continues: 

However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

                                                                                                         1 Corinthians 8:7-9 

He knew that there were some who were not living with this knowledge and understanding. For these people, restrictions and attitudes regarding food became a spiritual priority. Paul understood that food had absolutely no bearing on his relationship with God. But for these people it was a stumbling block to faith. So Paul would yield to the preferences of others as a way of respecting attitudes that differed from his. He makes this declaration in no uncertain terms: 

Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

                                                                                                            1 Corinthians 8:13 

Paul wanted to make sure that he approached others with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15) in order to establish a relationship with them, the goal being their salvation. What a contrast this is from what often passes for sharing the gospel today. It is not uncommon to see some believers today (especially on social media) using harsh, accusatory, and condescending language in an attempt to defend their faith. Gentleness and respect are abandoned while militant, offensive tactics are embraced. Tragically, the way in which we engage people does have a tremendous impact on whether or not they come to saving faith in Christ. So let’s consider some of the obstacles that lead us away from Paul’s understanding of evangelism:

1. Faulty Thinking

The way we think about God, Jesus, and salvation will have a tremendous impact on the way we view others. When our thinking is faulty, we come to misguided conclusions. These conclusions can then lead us to destructive speech and damaging actions, which serve to work against the gospel rather than promote it. We must guard against drawing the wrong conclusions based on faulty thinking.

2. Bad Attitudes

Our attitude will most likely be the greatest factor in guiding our ability to relate to others. When we take the attitude of apathy toward the salvation of others, we violate the gospel itself. As people who claim to operate in the love of Christ, we must also be prepared to share that same concern and love toward others. Bad attitudes can keep us from loving others and when this happens, we should not become upset when the world fails to see Christ in us (1 John 4:7-8).

3. Impure Motives

Sometimes we do things that appear productive, genuine, and sincere but if the motive is impure, then our efforts are all for naught. Paul tells us that no matter what we say, believe, or do, without love as the root, we are really wasting our time (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). We need to make sure that our actions come from a sincere heart and pure motives.

4. Doctrine

Finally, there is doctrine. What we believe about God and His desire to see others saved will alter our attitude about evangelism. When we understand that God does not take any pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23,32) and that He desires for all people to come to faith (1 Timothy 2:4), we will mirror that attitude. Failure to acknowledge these spiritual realities will likewise alter our perceptions and affect the way we approach others.

Paul knew that the way he approached people would greatly affect their response to the good news. So what about us? Do we share Paul’s attitude of doing everything necessary so that we might win more to Christ? May we be a people in whom others see the love of Jesus!