Evangelism in a Pagan World

There is a war going on in society—a very real battle. The war is Christianity versus humanism, but we must wake up to the fact that, at the foundational level, it’s really creation versus evolution.

Having agreed on all this, however, we must remember that our enemies are not the humanists and evolutionists themselves, but the powers of darkness that have deceived them. We must demonstrate grace toward humanists and evolutionists and let them see clearly in us the fruits of the Spirit—in all we say, write, and do.

When Christians understand the foundational nature of the battle, it is a key that unlocks for them the reasons for the happenings in society. It is also a key to unlock an approach to society enabling us to combat its increasingly anti-Christian emphasis.

It wasn’t so very long ago that biblical creation was the basis of our society. Creation was taught in the universities and the school system. People automatically sent their children to Sunday school or similar places, so they would learn Christian absolutes. Even people who were not Christians, by and large, respected and obeyed these laws based upon the Bible. Sexual deviancy in all areas was outlawed. Abortion, in most instances, was considered murder. But, what happened? Charles Darwin popularized the theory of evolution. (There have always been evolutionary views opposing the true record of creation. Darwin did not originate the idea of evolution—he just popularized a particular version of it.) Evolution was promoted as science, but it is not science—it is a belief system about the past. The Church was caught off guard because it did not know how to handle the situation. Because they did not understand the true nature of science, many people believed that Darwinian evolution was science. And so this view of origins began to permeate our society.

Atheistic evolution is a belief system that says there is no God. We are a result of chance. No one owns us; we own ourselves. Non-Christians easily accept this view because the Bible tells us that men love darkness rather than light, as they are sinful creatures (John 3:19).

As stated in the previous chapter, the clash we see in our society at present is the clash between the religion of Christianity with its creation basis (and therefore absolutes) and the religion of humanism with its evolutionary basis and its relative morality that says “anything goes.” What can we do about it? We must preach the gospel. This means teaching the whole counsel of God to ensure that Jesus Christ is given the glory due His name. But what is the gospel? Many don’t really understand the full substance of the gospel. This gospel consists of

1. The foundational teachings: Jesus Christ is Creator and He made man; man rebelled against God, and sin therefore entered the world; God placed upon man the curse of death.
2. The power of the gospel and what is central to the gospel: Jesus Christ, the Creator, came and suffered the same curse of death on a cross and was raised from the dead (thus conquering death); all those who came to Him in repentance for their sin (rebellion) can come back to the perfect love relationship with God that was forfeited in the Garden of Eden.
3. The hope of the gospel: the whole of creation is suffering the effects of sin and is slowly running down; all things are to be restored (the consummation of all things) when Jesus Christ comes to complete His work of redemption and reconciliation (Col. 1; 2 Pet. 3).

Many people use 1 Corinthians 15 as a passage that defines the gospel and claim that it only talks about Jesus Christ being crucified and raised from the dead. However, in 1 Corinthians 15:12–14 Paul says: “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ is not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” In other words, Paul is talking about the people who do not believe the Resurrection. But now have a look at the tack Paul takes. In verse 21, he goes back to Genesis and explains the origin of sin. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” He sets the foundational reason as to why Jesus Christ came and died on the cross. It is important to realize that the gospel consists of the foundational aspects as well as the other elements as outlined above. Therefore, to preach the gospel without the message of Christ as Creator and the entrance of sin and death is to preach a gospel without a foundation. To preach a gospel without the message of Christ and His crucifixion and resurrection is to preach a gospel without power. To preach a gospel without the message of the coming kingdom is to preach a gospel without hope. All these aspects constitute the gospel. Therefore, to understand the gospel message properly we must understand all aspects.

Methods of Evangelism

Many Christians feel that it is sufficient to preach concerning the death of Christ for our sin, the need for repentance, and the receiving of Christ as Saviour, leaving the outworking to the Holy Spirit. However, it is quite evident that the Early Church evangelists used different presentations according to the people they found before them. Examples abound in Acts and the Gospels:

John 4—Jesus used the “living water” approach at the well.
Acts 2—Peter used the explanation of the circumstances of the Day of Pentecost as a starting point.
Acts 3—Peter used the healing of the lame man to speak of God’s power.
Acts 7—Stephen gave a history lesson to the Sanhedrin.
Acts 13—Paul preached Jesus as the Christ in the synagogue.
Acts 14 and 17—Paul preached the Creator God to the Gentiles.

The Lord has raised up creation ministries worldwide so that all necessary methods for evangelizing our society will be available. The Lord has provided us with a phenomenally powerful tool that must be used today—creation evangelism. The main reason, we believe, that the Church is so relatively ineffective is a direct result of not evangelizing correctly. The Church is proclaiming the message of the Cross and Christ, but it is not as effective as it used to be. We also read in the New Testament (1 Cor. 1:23) that the preaching of the Cross was foolishness to the Gentiles (Greeks), but only a stumbling block to the Jews. We need to take a lesson from the New Testament. In Acts 14 and 17, we are given two specific approaches to the Greeks. It was a different method from that used for the Jews. When Paul went to the Greeks, he didn’t start preaching about Jesus Christ and the Cross. The Greeks believed in a form of evolution and, in their eyes, there was no one Creator God who had authority over them.

There are only two types of views about origins: evolutionary or creationist. If one does not believe that there is an infinite being who created all, the only alternative is that some form of evolution must apply.

If one does not believe that there is an infinite being who created all, the only alternative is that some form of evolution must apply.

When we think about this very carefully, we can begin to understand why Paul needed to approach the Greeks on the basis of creation. The Greeks, who did not believe in God as Creator but rather a form of evolution, had the wrong basis and, therefore, the wrong framework of thinking about this world. Consequently, to them the preaching of the Cross was utter foolishness. Paul realized that before he could preach about Jesus Christ he had to establish the basis upon which he could build the rest of the gospel. So, he established creation as a foundation and from there preached the message of Jesus Christ.

Whenever the Jews were approached, it was not with the message of creation first, but the teaching of Christ and the Cross. The Jews already had the right foundation because they believed in God as Creator; therefore, they had the right framework of thinking. Even so, many refused to accept who Jesus was.

It’s about time the modern Church came to grips with a society that is more “Greek” than “Jewish” in outlook. In fact, the modern Church itself is largely more “Greek” than “Jewish.” Whereas, in the past, the creation basis was evident in society and people were less ignorant of Christian doctrine, late 20th century man knows little of that. We have to come to grips with the fact that evolution has become one of the biggest barriers to today’s people being receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have many letters from people indicating that they would not listen to the claims of Christianity because they thought evolution had proved it to be wrong.

We must appreciate that there are whole generations of students coming through an educational system who know nothing of the Bible. They have never heard about creation, Noah’s flood, or the message of the Cross. It is hard to believe that there are literally millions of people in Western society who don’t have this background, but it is becoming increasingly obvious.

When I was working at the office of the Creation Science Foundation in Brisbane, Australia, we called a florist to send one of my secretaries a bouquet of flowers to cheer her up. The young girl on the other end of the phone was told three times, in very clear English, what to write on the card to be delivered with the flowers: John 14, verse 27. When the card arrived, the girl had handwritten the following message, “John 14 birth 27.” This young woman had no understanding of the Bible or Christianity and so did not have any idea what that request was all about. My secretary was able to decipher the message easily enough (she knows the verse by heart) and was somewhat cheered by the strange presentation. This is a humorous but sad reflection on what so many young people of today are becoming.

In an increasing number of instances, it is apparent that before we can effectively proclaim the message of Christ we must establish the creation foundation upon which the rest of the gospel can be built.

Let me be emphatic here. The doctrine of the cross, though regarded as absurd and powerless by non-Christians, has more power and wisdom than anything that ever proceeded from man. The preaching of this doctrine is the great means of salvation. To this, all other teachings, however important, are either preparatory or subordinate. The doctrine of Christ crucified produces effects that nothing short of divine power can accomplish. So, in saying that we need to start from the foundational basis of creation, I am not detracting from the message of the Cross. What I am attempting to show is that there is a particular method of approach that is necessary when presenting the gospel message to certain people. The beliefs that they hold can be barriers to their even listening when you preach the message of the Cross.

Perhaps, too, we should rethink the method prevalent in Christian circles of handing unbelievers numerous copies of the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. If they were directed to Genesis 1 through 11, as well as the New Testament, the basis would be provided for the gospel presentation in the same sense as Paul used it in Acts 14 and 17. We believe there would be greater effectiveness in the lives of those who read these Bible portions—a greater preparedness to accept the whole of the Word of God as truthful and inerrant.

Evolution as a barrier can also be seen in Moslem countries. On one occasion, I was speaking to a Christian Egyptian who told me that Islam is a creation-based religion, but the teaching of evolution in schools in Egypt caused many young people to totally reject this religion. It is interesting to see that another creation-based religion has the same problem with evolution. This should make it even more obvious to Christians that evolution is a barrier to people believing in a Creator God.

I have seen this problem in the public school system. Students would often say such things as, “Sir, how can you believe the Bible is true when it says God created Adam and Eve? We know that has been proved wrong by science.” Evolution, I believe, is one of the biggest barriers to people today being receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people (who previously would not consider Christianity) have come to listen to the message of Christianity after these barriers were removed.

For example, a high school student wrote

I thank God for the creation science seminar at our senior high school. The information was up to date, relevant, and created much discussion. After the seminar various students said they believed what was said. Certainly they felt the speaker made more sense about how everything began than much of what they had heard at the school. Without the visit of the Creation Science Foundation many people would still regard the evolution lie as a fact. Many students, who used to believe in evolution, now believe the Genesis account thanks to creation science. Creation science has a great mission field and a great role to play in schools. It’s up to individuals like me to continue to be faithful to the message they bring and extend the great work done.

This student also said that as a result of the visit, students who previously scoffed at him for being a Christian were now interested in finding out more about the Creator. I have heard this testimony many, many times during my years in the creation evangelism ministry.

If God’s people do not take up the tool of creation evangelism and use it, we will suffer the consequences of an ineffective method of proclaiming the truth. This is why creation ministries are so important today. They deal with the foundations upon which Christianity depends—the foundations that have been removed to a great extent from our society.

As this message has been preached throughout Australia, the United States, and other places around the world, we have seen people take the thoughts and publications and challenge others in the area of creation. When confronted on that issue, they have been found to be open to the gospel, whereas previously they would just scoff when the subject of Christ was raised. By the grace of God, creation evangelism works!

When new converts come into a church, they should be led in a Bible study on the Book of Genesis. They will learn exactly what Christianity is all about and will learn the basis for all Christian doctrine. Results do come from simply preaching about Christ and the Cross in our society today because there is still a remnant of the creation basis for that preaching. But this remnant is disappearing very quickly, and thus the response is far less today than in the past. It is time we woke up and used the tools that the Lord has provided to evangelize a society that has become like the ancient Greeks. It is time to restore the foundations of Christianity.

A good example of creation evangelism at work can be summarized in the letter we received from an excited young university student:

I would like to thank you for your ministry as you help people understand that Jesus actually created this world.

I want to share a testimony which I pray will encourage you in your fight against evolution.

My father, for sixty-five years had been an atheist, always had been an atheist, always quick to knock down anyone’s beliefs concerning God in general, but especially if they claimed that God had made the world. Dad thought the Bible was illogical and a book for the simple in mind. “How could it contain any truth?” he questioned. Dad assumed that evolution was the only possible scientific way to explain the formation of the earth. Sensing this spiritual attack, my faithful mother prayed for twenty years for Dad’s mind to open to the truth and for this deception to be broken. Two years ago, when I was eighteen and had been a Christian for three years, I decided to go to a creation science seminar. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with these Bible-believing Christians presenting scientific truth about creation. It made my faith in God’s Word increasingly stronger and I was overjoyed that I could take a scientific stand to explain how God created the world.

At the bookstand at the seminar I bought several books and magazines. One in particular was Bone of Contention. I loved reading this magazine so much that I encouraged Dad to read it. Skeptically, he took it and started reading it. Three days after, I asked him what he thought about it. To my surprise he stated that it really made him think. At this opening, I then proceeded to give him the other books I had bought.

A few weeks later Dad was making statements like “never knew there were so many holes in the evolutionary theory. There must have been an Almighty Being who created the world.” Each new day Jesus began to piece together the puzzle in Dad’s mind concerning creation and the claim of Jesus on his life. A few weeks later an evangelist came to our church. The same night Dad decided to go. The evangelist spoke on creation versus evolution. God’s timing is perfect! That night Dad accepted Jesus Christ into his heart as his personal Saviour! I praise God that He can take a lost soul off the highway to hell and set him on the path to life simply because an understanding of how God created the world was formed in his mind!

Thanks, Creation Science Foundation, for teaching people about creation. I want to encourage you in your fight against Satan. The Lord is doing wonderful things as a result of your effort.

The Lord has not just called us to tear down the barriers of evolution, but to help to restore the foundation of the gospel in our society. If churches took up the tool of creation evangelism in society we would see a stemming of the tide of humanistic philosophy, which is making our nations more pagan with each passing day.

In Australia’s Christian newspaper, New Life, Thursday, April 15, 1982, Josef Ton, who was a pastor of the largest Baptist church in Romania and is now living in exile in the United States, stated: “I came to the conclusion that there were two factors which destroyed Christianity in Western Europe. One was the theory of evolution, and the other, liberal theology… . Liberal theology is just evolution applied to the Bible and our faith.” It is also worth noting the comment in the book By Their Blood: Christian Martyrs of the 20th Century, by James and Marti Helfley:

New philosophies and theologies from the West also helped to erode Chinese confidence in Christianity. A new wave of so-called missionaries from mainline Protestant denominations came teaching evolution and a non-supernatural view of the Bible. Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Northern Baptist schools were especially hard hit. Bertrand Russell came from England preaching atheism and socialism. Destructive books brought by such teachers further undermined orthodox Christianity. The Chinese intelligentsia who had been schooled by orthodox evangelical missionaries were thus softened for the advent of Marxism (emphasis mine). Evolution is destroying the church and society today, and Christians need to be awakened to that fact.1

Sowing and Reaping

Think about the parable of the sower of the seed (Matt. 13:3–23). When the seed fell on rocky and thorny ground, it could not grow. It only grew when it fell on prepared ground. We throw the seed: that represents the gospel. It is falling on the thorny ground and rocky ground of evolutionary philosophy. The gospel needs prepared ground. Creation evangelism enables us to prepare the ground so the good seed can be scattered and a great harvest reaped. Imagine what would happen if our churches really stood up for creation in our society! Creation evangelism is one of the means whereby we could see revival.

We are not suggesting that a true revival can be engineered by simply adopting certain clever human strategies. Revival is essentially the sovereign work of God pouring out His Spirit. But the history of the Church suggests that God’s movement in this area is related to the faithful prayer of His people and to the faithful preaching of the gospel, giving due honor to God and His Word. Note the nature of the “everlasting gospel” preached by the angel in Revelation 14:7: “Fear God, and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Can the body of Christ really expect a great outpouring of God’s Spirit in revival while we tolerate and compromise with a religious system (evolution) that was set up primarily to deny God the glory and worship due to Him as the great Creator, Judge and Redeemer? As a result of the creation science ministry, many people who previously would not listen to the gospel have realized that evolution is not proven scientific fact. They have heard the message of creation and redemption, and they have committed their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. Large numbers of Christians have testified that their faith in the Scriptures has been restored. Instead of coming to the Bible with doubts, they know that it really is the Word of God. They can share the facts of Christianity with their neighbors and friends without wondering whether the Bible can be trusted. Christians have also had their eyes opened to the truth that to comprehend Christianity they have to understand the foundational Book of Genesis.

After hearing me preach on this particular topic, a minister at one church informed his congregation that he had not realized before what he had been doing in his ministry in attempting to combat humanistic philosophy. He was, as it were, “cutting the tops off the weeds.” The weeds kept growing back bigger and better than before. After listening to the message on creation evangelism, he realized this was simply not good enough. He had to remove the pestilence, roots and all. The creation ministry is a plowing ministry: plowing up the ground, getting rid of the barrier of evolution (getting rid of the weeds), and preparing the ground for the seed to be planted.

The following are excerpts from a few of the many thousands of letters that have come across my desk during my involvement with creation ministries. As you read these, notice the way in which people’s lives have been affected by the message that this book details. The letters speak for themselves.

I would like to simply say keep up the good work. I will never be able to thank you enough for bringing the seminar to me. Since that day, I feel like you pulled a huge blind from in front of me.
— Mr. G.

Thanks for your sound advice in encouraging a brother who I mentioned had made a stand after me as a result of the creation science seminar. I am now very pleased to say that I enjoy fellowship with another brother in the Lord as I have watched, in amazement, the consistent accelerating growth he has experienced over the months that have passed since your last visit. Seldom these days do we hear a message of such significance and relevance to the 20th century, where we are confronted with a society where most people haven’t a clue as to where society came from and, as a result, haven’t a clue where society is going. The modern philosophy appears to be ‘let’s live for today.’

The whole problem being we don’t want to learn from the past, the way men have lived and the results of their lifestyle because when we look at the past we see how fragile the whole life is, showing the dependency on a God this generation appears to exclude.
— Mr. P.

I would like you to know how exciting and beneficial it has been to read your material and listen to the tapes. It has so increased my faith in my God, through the understanding of His Bible, especially in the Book of Genesis. I have just led a group of women in my church through a study of creation versus evolution, and have been really encouraged by the interest and response. I must confess I find it hard to be diplomatic, and not shout my new-found knowledge from the rooftops!
— Mrs. L.

You may be encouraged to know that following the Creation Science Men’s Breakfast held at the local church, my elderly neighbor became very interested in Christianity and after a few long chats, church services, and discussions, he became a Christian. He was baptized last year and is now an active, seeking member of the church. His thirst to read the Scriptures puts me to shame, his face seems to glow now. He has been transformed totally!
— Mr. P.

I wish to share with you as part of my testimony. Almost a year ago I trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, partly as a result of the creation science ministry. As a consequence, the Lord had led me from the secular, evolutionary, humanistic state education system to a Christian school. My personal thanks to your ministry.
— Mr. H.

As a former theistic evolutionist I now realize, thanks to the witness of creation science materials supporting the literal, historical accuracy of the Genesis record of creation, that the evolution theory of origins is a false teaching.
— Mr. D.

My son Brendan (eight years old) has made a commitment of his life to our Saviour, Jesus. I realize that he does not fully understand the depth of what he has done, but the experience was very emotional for him, and he was sincere. May God guide me in training him further. I give thanks to your organization for the literature I have been able to purchase. This material from you increased my faith and I am sure it has been the inducement for my son’s spiritual growth. I just can’t thank you people enough.
— Mr. N.

Thank you for sending me your publications. I described many of the discoveries in them and lent the material to my friend who is an electrical engineering student whom I tutor in mathematics. He, too, has found them very fascinating. This made him open to the gospel, and he told me that he desired to read the Bible and other literature. I was only too happy to help. He intends to make his commitment to the Lord Jesus. All this happened through your publications.
— Mr. J.

The time you spoke at the Baptist church on the relevance of creation—the message directed at Christians—there was a hardened atheist in the audience who had been prayed for and witnessed to for years. He came to the Lord that night after you left. God is really using this ministry.
— Mr. W.

As a university lecturer in physiology, I was once an ardent evolutionist. I was in love with the theory and accepted it as fact, but not any more. Special creation is a belief, and likewise the theories of evolution are beliefs. These beliefs are about something that happened in the past; something that cannot be repeated, and therefore cannot be actually proven. As scientists seeking the truth, then, we are obligated to consider the evidence supporting each of the alternatives—to openly consider which model or belief best fits the observable facts.

When I became a ‘born-again’ Christian, a whole wonderful new life opened up for me. It was then that I began to question the theories of evolution, but I was not willing to change from evolutionist to creationist unless I could be convinced that scientific evidence justified that change.

Literature presenting the scientific case for creation, as against evolution, is not widely available because of the general acceptance of evolution in our society. When I found that literature, however, I realized that evidence from all branches of science very clearly supports the Bible account of creation and a catastrophic, worldwide flood, rather than any of the theories of evolution. A growing number of eminently qualified scientists in this and other countries are of this same opinion.
— Dr. M.

In addition to the many letters, I can also provide testimony to many incidents that have occurred as a result of creation speakers conducting programs throughout the world. A few of these incidents are listed below. A young man informed us that he had brought five non-Christians to a seminar that the Creation Science Foundation had conducted. Two weeks later, they all committed their lives to the Lord! He informed us it was the creation science seminar that the Lord used to bring them to himself.

At another church, a lady came and told us that she had bought materials we recommended at that church last year. After she took them home to her husband, who had never attended church, he had read the materials and had been attending church ever since.

In New Zealand a man approached us and said, “I have attended this church for 55 years and never heard a message anything like that.” The message was the relevance of creation to understanding the Bible, the creation ordinances and the whole matter of the good earth, the Fall, and the necessity of the death of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind.

In the United States, similar responses to the creation ministries have been experienced over many years. The Institute for Creation Research also has had thousands of letters from people whose lives have been changed!

Creation evangelism is successful. So successful, in fact, that creation ministries are growing rapidly around the world. Ministries like Institute for Creation Research and Answers in Genesis are not able to keep up with the workload from the ever-increasing demand for their services. Lives are being changed. People are coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. The foundations of creation are being restored little by little. Are you, dear reader, a part of this growing, exciting, and vital ministry in these last days?

We can only exclaim with the Psalmist in his words in Psalm 119:

Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee (verse 11).
Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation (verse 97).
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation (verse 99).
Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way(verse 104).
Thy word is a lantern unto my feet, and a light unto my path (verse 105).
The entrance of Thy words giveth light: it giveth understanding unto the simple (verse 130).
Thy word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it (verse 140).
Thy law is the truth (verse 142).
Thy commandments are my delights (verse 143).
All Thy commandments are truth (verse 151).
Thy word is true from the beginning (verse 160).