Consider J.I. Packer’s words on this most important question: “According to the New Testament, evangelism is just preaching the gospel, the evangel. It is a work of communication in which Christians make themselves mouthpieces for God’s message of mercy to sinners. Anyone who faithfully delivers that message . . . is evangelizing.” In another place he says something that will bring encouragement and life to your soul. “But the way to tell whether in fact you are evangelizing is not to ask whether conversions are known to have resulted from your witness. It is to ask whether you are faithfully making known the gospel message.”
Glory be to God! You are not a salesman (woman) who is sent by the sales manager to “close the deal.” Of course, you yearn for that dear one to come to Christ. You faithfully proclaim the holiness of God, the need for righteousness, the reality of sin, of judgment, of repentance. Then, you faithfully articulate the joyful news of the gospel—that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that He rose from the dead, and that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!” You plead with him/her to repent and do believe. And, you trust the powerful Holy Spirit to use the powerful gospel to transform.