The heart of evangelism – Our gratitude for Calvary

Written by Daniel Kolenda
Article source: Christ for all Nations

When we think about missions, it is easy to think first about the need. We think of the millions who have never heard the Name of Jesus, the crowds that gather in open fields across Africa, and the urgency of bringing the Gospel to them. All of that is real. The need truly is great. We can see it in plain sight everywhere we look. But hear me out here… I believe the deepest motivation for missions is not actually the need of the lost. Let me explain.

Everything begins at Calvary
The cross stands at the centre of our faith. There, Jesus took our sin, our shame, and our judgement upon Himself. The Son of God willingly laid down His life so we could be forgiven and restored to God. Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Before we ever sought Him, He sought us. Before we ever loved Him, He loved us. When we truly grasp what Jesus accomplished on the cross, gratitude rises in our hearts and keeps on rising. And that gratitude compels us to action. Missionary work is one of the most powerful expressions of that gratitude.

The love of Christ compels us
Paul explained the motivation of his own ministry very clearly. He wrote, “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died” (2 Cor 5:14). Notice what Paul did not say. He did not say that he was compelled by guilt, pressure, or obligation. He did not say he was compelled by other people, by his denomination, or by his family’s expectations. He said he was compelled by the love of Christ. When you understand what Jesus did for you at Calvary, something changes inside you. The cross transforms the way you see everything. You realise that the grace you received was not something you earned. It was a gift, freely given through Jesus’ sacrifice. And once you have received that gift, you naturally want others to experience the same salvation. That is the heart of evangelism. We preach the Gospel because we are overwhelmed by what Jesus has done for us. We preach because our own hearts overflow with love for Him, and we just cannot keep this message to ourselves!

The message of the cross
The message we carry to the nations is simple, but it is powerful. Paul wrote, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). The cross is not just a symbol of Christianity. It’s not a logo, it’s not “branding”, or some kind of badge to wear to show which tribe you belong to. No! It is the heart of the Father, still blazing with His incandescent love today. At the cross, the power of God is revealed in the most profound way possible, for all time. At the cross, the Father’s plan of love and redemption for a broken world comes to fruition. At the cross, Jesus defeats sin and death, once and for all. At the cross, the door of salvation is flung open for the whole world. When we preach the Gospel, we are proclaiming that finished work. We are announcing that forgiveness is available. We are declaring that Jesus is alive and that He still saves today. Wherever that message is preached, lives are transformed.

A response of gratitude
True gratitude always produces a response. If someone rescued you from a burning building, you would never forget it. Your life would forever be marked by gratitude towards the one who saved you. In a far greater way, Jesus rescued us. He did not just save us from temporary danger; He saved us from eternal separation from God. He gave us new life and an eternal future with Him. How do we respond to that kind of grace? One of the most beautiful responses is to participate in bringing the Gospel to others. Some go and preach. Some pray faithfully. Some serve behind the scenes. Others give so that the message can reach places they may never personally visit. All of these are expressions of gratitude for Calvary. When believers invest in evangelism, they are saying, in effect, “Lord, thank You for saving me. I want others to hear this message too.”

The privilege of participation
Jesus once looked at the crowds and said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few” (Matt 9:37). Those words are just as true today as they were when Jesus first spoke them. Across the world, and especially across Africa, millions of people are open to the Gospel. They are ready and waiting to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. One of the most remarkable things about God’s plan is that He invites us to participate in it. He could have sent angels to preach the Gospel. But instead, He entrusted that responsibility to His people. It was us, His children, whom He told to go to the nations. Whether we’re preaching or praying or doing the sending, our participation in His harvest is a privilege!

Never forget the cross
We must never lose sight of the cross. The moment we begin to take our salvation for granted, our passion for the lost will fade. But when we continually remember the price Jesus paid for us, our hearts remain tender and thankful. Because of Calvary, we have hope. Because of Calvary, we have life. And because of Calvary, we carry the Gospel to the nations. May our gratitude for Jesus’ sacrifice never grow cold, and may that gratitude continue to propel us forward until the whole world hears the Good News.

This article is featured in the April 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za

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Date published: 10/04/2026
Feature images sourced from original article

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