Colossians 4:5-6 includes two of the most helpful verses I know for giving Christians teaching about evangelism. It's amazing how much Paul packs into just a few words. Verses 3–4 describe how missionaries and preachers are to declare clearly the mystery of Christ to unbelievers, but evangelism is not just for the 'professionals'. In verses 5–6 he tells his readers how they are to relate to 'outsiders' – non-Christians who know nothing about the gospel.
'Conduct yourselves wisely towards outsiders' (v. 5). Paul literally says, 'Be wise in the way you walk towards outsiders.' Paul uses the word 'walk' 32 times, and almost every time he is describing our normal everyday lifestyle. All Christians evangelise by our day-to-day living. If you're going to be an effective personal evangelist, a godly lifestyle is essential. These outsiders whom Paul has in view had never read the Bible or attended church. The only way they would know what Christianity was like was if they saw it modelled in the lives of these Colossian Christians.
As one writer puts it, 'Our life is to a large extent their Bible. They know a great deal more about Christianity as they see it in us, than as it is revealed in Christ, or recorded in Scripture – and if, as seen in us, it does not strike them as very attractive, small wonder if they still prefer to remain where they are.'
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