In December 1989, Christian evangelist Ray Comfort wrote a book titled “Hell’s Best Kept Secret.” In 1997, I read this book. It powerfully impacted my life. Here is the book description:
Evangelical success is at an all-time low. Why are so many unbelievers turning away from the message of the gospel? Doesn’t the Bible tell us how to bring sinners to true repentance? Using lively anecdotes from his own experiences, evangelist Ray Comfort presents the key that unlocks the door of men’s souls. If you’re experiencing evangelical frustration over lost souls, unrepentant sinners, and backslidden “believers,” then look no further. This radical approach could be the missing dimension needed to win our generation to Christ. Discover the secret to leading others to genuine repentance, and make each moment of your life count for the kingdom of God!
The reason this book so powerfully impacted my life was that I learned that I was not sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was humbling. Actually, I didn’t even know what the “gospel” was. How could I understand how to share it? Furthermore, I learned why my efforts toward evangelism had been so impotent. This book exposed a secret that had been kept from me for many years.
Before I share this secret, I want to tell you about another book. While doing evangelism at University of California at Santa Cruz with two good friends, Joe and Paul, I learned about a book called “The Satanic Bible” by Anton Lavey. My friend Paul was giving a message on how to share the gospel and how not to share the gospel to a group of Christian college students. Paul began his message on evangelism by holding up a copy of “The Satanic Bible” and asking the class, “Does anyone know the main thesis or main premise of this book?” The class was stunned and so was I.
Paul then mentioned that Anton Lavey, who is the founder and current leader of Satanists, lives right down the street in a community called Ben Lomond, California. This made us even more uncomfortable. Everyone was perplexed and really did not know how to answer the question. Yet, he asked us again, “Does anyone know the main thesis that Satan wants you to embrace?” I then thought about how to answer his question. Perhaps, the main point is to hate God. Nope, that would be to overt. Perhaps, it is to lie, steal, and to lust after power, money, and sex. No, too obvious. I learned that the lie is even more clever than I suspected.
The main premise, the main point, the main principle from “The Satanic Bible” is this: do whatever you please.
Do whatever you please. How devious. Within that command is the creation of a god crafted in a person’s own image. Within that command is the embodiment of selfishness. And within that command is the view of self-sufficiency, pride, and reliance upon self as source of truth, discernment, and understanding.
I believe the predominance of Christian missionaries today are “doing whatever they please” in regard to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Number one, it is not working. Number two, the solution for this is to turn to the Scriptures for guidance and to become trained in what the Bible calls the “elementary teachings about Christ” (Heb 6:1).
Let me be clear in saying that I am uncomfortable with anyone saying they have figured out “the formula” for evangelism. I have done many Christian magic shows to entertain kids, draw a crowd, and to teach some Biblical lessons. I am confident that people do not get saved through my clever magic effects or corny jokes; however, God can use these events to get people to consider Biblical truths. The Bible clearly teaches that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). It is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures that brings life, wisdom, and understanding (2 Tim 3:16), not my “pull a rabbit out of a hat” routine that saves people.
The Bible does say in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, “Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all person. But to each one is given the manifestations of the Spirit for the common good.” Over the years, I have been part of basketball ministries, mountain bike ministries, motorcycle ministries and the Lord has blessed the diversity of pursuits with the foundational motivation of bringing God the glory. All of this to say that the Lord works in mysterious ways and I am not against various types of ministries. What I am saying is that I am definitely for sharing a Biblical gospel using the Scriptures in order “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15).
To do this, we need to start with the basics.
Step one, turning toward Scripture for guidance:
Psalm 19:7 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Romans 3:9-12 “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Hebrews 9:27 “And isasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
A quick summary of the aforementioned verses is this: all of mankind has sinned and will be judged by God for their sin. The Bible clearly says, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).
Bad news and good news. I tell people that the bad news in the Bible is very, very bad. Sinners will be thrown into hell unless they repent and ask for God to have mercy on them. While the good news is very, very good. If God grants sinners repentance (2 Tim 2:25) and they repent and ask for mercy and salvation found in Christ Jesus alone, they will be saved from eternal damnation (Rom 10:9-13) and have eternal life in Christ Jesus (1 John 5:12). “It does not, therefore, depend on the man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rom 9:16). The Lord grants repentance, mercy, and knowledge of sin so that those whom He is drawing near (John 6:44) will repent ask to born again (John 3:3, Acts 2:37-38).
When Jesus began his public ministry the very first words He said were, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). In the Gospel of Mark, we read, “Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’”(Mark 1:14-15). Jesus came preaching a gospel of repentance and grace.
While Jesus was teaching the parable of the lost sheep He said, “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).
Within Ray Comfort’s book is the answer to hell’s best kept secret. The secret hell does not want you to share is to tell sinners they need to repent. If people do not understand their sinful condition, they will not see their need for repentance from God’s judgment nor will they comprehend the finished work of Christ dying on the cross. The Bible says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, ; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:4-9).
Step one in sharing the gospel is showing people their sinful condition before a holy God. Hebrews 6:1 instructs us “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” The foundation of repentance from dead works is considered an elementary doctrine; this is where we must begin.
The Bible says, “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30-31). Repentance. This is a very important first step in sharing the gospel.
Hell’s best kept secret is being exposed. All of mankind needs to understand their sinful condition before God and their desperate need for a Savior.
The apostle Paul “did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:20-21).
Step two is to teach people about “faith toward God” (Heb 6:1). More on this later . . .