How holy do you have to be to share the gospel?

There’s a popular meme: Noah was a drunk, Jonah ran away, Sarah laughed at God, Thomas doubted – and yet God still used them: and you think he can’t use you?”

Yet many Christians hesitate to share their faith because they feel unworthy. The meme contains truth, but not the whole truth. Scripture not only shows God using sinners; it also calls believers to radical holiness; and how many ministries have been wrecked by scandals? Aware of our own failures, we often feel uncomfortable presenting ourselves as God’s representatives or calling others to be reconciled to Him.

Jesus’ strongest criticism was often directed against religious hypocrites. Calling them “whitewashed tombs”, he condemned outward displays of spirituality that concealed inward corruption. Religious hypocrisy was rotten then and is today.