By Timothy Marcy
Not long after we arrived on the field, a local elder asked about the ministry my wife, Christiane, and I were aspiring to do. He then said, “Evangelism in Japan is like trying to roll a boulder up a mountain.” In other words, “Don’t expect much success here, however hard you try.”
We all have a tendency to think that if we tried just a little bit harder, we could win our unsaved loved ones and neighbors to Christ. We can easily start thinking that the conversion of others depends on us. This idea can become so deep rooted that when results don’t come, we blame ourselves. We may end up discouraged and disengaged from the work of evangelism, as the believer above had.
The answer is not to get out and try even harder. We must go to Scripture and ask the Lord to refresh our understanding of what it means to be a successful witness.
Three accounts in the book of Acts show that a person’s conversion doesn’t depend on the evangelist’s effort but on God’s power and mercy alone. In each case, the Lord brought about conversion before the human evangelist even had a chance to finish what he was saying.
First, there’s the account of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. Verses 35–36 say, “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture [Isaiah 53], preached Jesus to him. Now, as they went down the road, they came to some water.”
Every indication is that Philip was still speaking as the chariot approached the pool. Unbeknownst to Philip, the Lord had already opened the eunuch’s heart to accept the Gospel. Philip must have mentioned something about baptism, because the eunuch abruptly interjected, “See, here is water! What hinders me from being baptized?” (v. 36)
Next, there’s Cornelius in Acts 10. In verses 34–43, Peter is doing a great job explaining the Gospel to all who had gathered. But verse 44 says, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” Evidently, the Lord had decided that the people had heard enough to believe. So, as they listened, He silently reached in and changed their hearts, and they responded in faith.
And, finally, there’s the conversion of Lydia in Acts 16. Verses 13–14 say, “And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.”
Each of the evangelists involved in these accounts was clearly successful, but none would ever have claimed the power to change another person’s heart. At most, he would have said, “The Lord used me as His instrument to get the message across.” In each case, the work of conversion was the Lord’s from beginning to end. And this is true of every single conversion, whether then or now.
Consequently, just as it is unreasonable for human evangelists to claim the credit for conversion when it does occur, it is equally unreasonable for them to condemn themselves when it does not occur. Whatever the outcome of our evangelism, we will always be successful as long as we faithfully proclaim the Gospel when called upon to do so.
The work of evangelism is decidedly not like rolling a boulder up a mountain. According to Paul, God “always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:14–15)
The next time you’re tempted to lose heart because your best efforts seem fruitless, remember the eunuch, Cornelius, and Lydia. Obey when called. Get the message across. But leave the results to the Lord of the Harvest—He alone has the power to save. n
Timothy Marcy serves in Japan.
Originally published in Missions magazine, June 2025. For more content, sign up for a free subscription (US) to Missions at CMML.us/magazine/subscribe
