Neighbour Evangelism - 4

Whenever we are witnessing, a fundamental question is this: How do we look at our neighbour?

How should I look at the folks on my street? How should you look at the senior citizen across the road from you, or at the young woman who is bagging your groceries?

There are many reactions that we have to other people. Sometimes our neighbours irritate us with their strange behaviour. Sometimes they make us shake our heads, because they seem so shallow.

But remember the Samaritan’s love for someone who should have been his enemy. “Who was a neighbour to the one who fell into the hands of robbers?” The one who had mercy. That’s the disposition that God seeks from us as we live where we are: compassion.

For think for a moment about your neighbour’s life if he doesn’t come to a right relationship with God. He’s lost. She is confused. Even if it doesn’t seem that way, this is how Scripture teaches us to look at all people: they are fallen short of the glory of their Creator, now subject his wrath; blind and alone. They are without God and without hope in the world.

This is what John Calvin said, “The whole life of man until he is converted to Christ is a ruinous labyrinth of wanderings, harassed and helpless.”

Life is hard for unbelievers.

Paul says it well in Titus 3, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” He reminds us of how we once lived—we would be lost too.

And then he continues with the glorious gospel, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (vv. 3-7).

The right perspective on our neighbour comes through having the right perspective on ourselves, remembering that without Christ we too, would be foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved. But God has told us the answers to life’s biggest questions. He’s given us the hope of knowing Christ.

This is something that we can offer: the light of the gospel. When we look at our neighbour, we should love them. We share our life with them because we love them—we speak of God with them because we love them.

This is still going to be hard. We don’t want to cause awkwardness. We want our neighbour’s respect, and we don’t want to look foolish. But then we look again. The Lord created this stranger, who became separated from him, and now God has brought this person into our life. 

So when we look at our neighbour, we should see them as sinners in need of a Saviour, people in need of the gospel.

See them as faint reflections of God, created in his image. See them as people who are in need of prayer. And so we should pray for them.

Think about your neighbours for a moment, the ones you know by name. Will you pray for them? Will you be a good neighbour to them?

Pray for opportunities to love them and to share Christ with them, and then be sure to pay attention when God gives those opportunities.