Have you ever had the opportunity to talk about Jesus with someone but didn’t take it because you didn’t want to be “that hypocritical judgmental Christian”?  I think I used to be “that guy,” but if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and what He has done for us we can’t help but speak humbly about what He’s done in our lives.

Most college students struggle with not wanting to be “pushy” or “judgmental” and therefore shrink back from sharing the Gospel with their friends.  It’s true, many Christians are “pushy” and “judgmental.”  When they talk about Jesus with their friends they come across as “me and Jesus” vs. you.  I think that’s because they don’t understand the Jesus they are talking about. The only difference between you and your friend is that God has granted you repentance.

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12, “let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.”

It’s very hard to be “pushy” and “judgmental” when we share our faith if we look to Jesus.  If we see Him on the cross dying in agony for our sin, God dying for us!  It must humble us, break us and cause us to see ourselves as the chief of sinners.  How can we be pushy and arrogant if we are so bad that God had to die to forgive our sin?  The sins you committed before you knew Christ and the ones you’ll commit today.  Your humility when speaking about Jesus and the Gospel is a sermon in itself.  It tells your friend, room-mate, co-worker or family member that you are jacked up and need Jesus too.  The Gospel is for you now too and you’re asking your friend to believe it with you presently.

Nonetheless, scripture is clear people will find ways to avoid the Gospel because it exposes their sin.  John 3:19 tells us that “.the light [Jesus] has come into the world, and the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”  Jesus is unique.  Sometimes when you get closer to certain people you feel better about yourself because your life seems more put together than theirs.  Well, the exact opposite happens when you get next to Jesus.  You can’t help but realize that He’s holy and you’re not.  Without the eyes to see that He’s come to forgive your sin and help you, you’ll run and deny that you’re messed up.

Understanding that it’s sometimes awkward to call someone on their sin, call yourself out first, so that whoever you’re sharing the Gospel with sees that they aren’t alone.  It’s not that you used to be a bad person and now you’re a good Christian person; you’re still a jacked up sinner that God is making more like himself.  This is what John calls “walking in the light” in 1 John 1:7.  “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Remember: Jesus is the perfect missionary, preacher and conversationalist.  His perfect evangelism has been accounted to your life and He’s in you through His Holy Spirit empowering you to represent Him well and speak about him with humility and confidence.