This title, message and all ideas in this post come from the article, The Christian Has No Right to Evangelize, by Tom White, Director of Voice of the Martyrs, in the May 2007 issue of the magazine. There are many biblical examples in the article. The ministry does not post the magazine online, so contact them and get the magazine and read it if you can.
Tom White is saying that in restricted countries, the issue of the legal right to evangelism is not a consideration; they know no court has the authority to decide this for them. He’s saying in the West we have had laws protecting these ‘freedoms’ and ‘rights’, which is good but we have ended up thinking we must rely on the courts and laws to give us this right. This is looking to secular systems to give spiritual permission.
He says in the New Testament there are many examples of Jesus and His followers demonstrating witness before authorities. “They did not seek permission for this witness; they already had it from a Higher Authority”, Mr. White says.
We don’t ever need to rely on any legal right to witness. Our testimony and Christian witness and evangelism “is not our right, it is our mandate”, says Mr. White. This cannot ever be given or taken away by man.
We don’t need to worry about our ‘rights and freedoms’ since our spiritual freedoms come from the fact that we are captives of Christ and we are obedient cross-bearers for Him. Our motivation and call to evangelistic ministry is not founded on a legal guarantee of rights- it is founded on gratitude to Christ for our salvation.
So our rights do not come from laws but from God’s authority, mandate and Commission to us. Tom White ends the article with a call to courage to let Jesus shine through, whatever the cost.
Go to The Voice of the Martyrs website and sign up for the newsletter which has news from our brothers and sisters around the world, who suffer for following Jesus.
Related: Federal Hate Crimes Laws
Witnessing Encouragement 
While I do not reside in the USA, this issue is quite pretty much the same in most ‘free’ countries. It is one that I observe that a good number of modern-day believers have problems with.
I have had to deliberately raise it again and again. At the moment, there are no laws here in Nigeria barring believers from witnessing or public worship, but who says that may not happen someday. The way to prepare for such eventualities is to have it sorted out in our hearts now. Civil laws or no civil laws, we appeal to a Higher Authority and will preach the Gospel.
Thanks for addressing this.
“The way to prepare for such eventualities is to have it sorted out in our hearts now. Civil laws or no civil laws, we appeal to a Higher Authority and will preach the Gospel.”
Yomi, amen! We must settle it in our hearts now whom we will obey.
Lk. 6:39 He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Matt 23:15
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Ro. 10:15
I believed that with the lack of understanding and knowledge of the will of God, we have no right to preach a different gospel that the apostles are preaching. What really is the gospel? Deceivers are everywhere and the truth of the gospel were replaced by deceptions which are based on human intellect. Too much explanations and arguments makes it more complicated which results confusion. I believe that we should only listen to what the apostles are saying. We have to go back to their teachings, set aside what we heard from anybody else after them up to this moment.
I tell you this so that no-one may deceive you by fine sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. Col. 2
Fine sounding arguments can take us captive to other preachers and lead to different gospel.
He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. (2Th. 2:14-15)
1I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 5But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” 6I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 2 Cor. 11
In the church of Corinth, Paul wrote this letter to them because he is jealous to the other preacher which are not sent by the Lord. For he was sent to preach the gospel to the gentiles. Same as today people are still listening to other preachers and not to them.
Emilio thank you very much!