Have No Fear: Being Salt and Light Even When It's Costly

by John C. Lennox

Christians are under increasing pressure to be silent. We're led to believe that, at best, our beliefs are outdated, and at worst they are dangerous. Silenced by fear, it s all too easy to keep quiet.
But our Christian faith was never meant to be private. Jesus' followers are instructed to be deliberately and willingly different, seeking to share the life-changing good news they've heard with everyone, whatever the cost. We might feel that we fall very short of this confident evangelistic lifestyle, but John Lennox shows us that any one of us can become an effective gospel witness.

Using examples from the Bible and from his own life, John explains practically how we can winsomely share Jesus with our friends, despite our fears. He argues that it is possible to stand up to the pressure society places on us, and in so doing we ll find our Christian life grows in strength and joy.

Genres: Christian, Evangelism, Christianity, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Philosophy

76 pages, Paperback

Published December 4, 2018

About the author

John Carson Lennox is Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science, and Pastoral Advisor at Green Templeton College, Oxford. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University and at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and is a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum. In addition, he teaches for the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the Executive Education Centre, Said Business School, Oxford University.

He studied at the Royal School Armagh, Northern Ireland and was Exhibitioner and Senior Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University from which he took his MA, MMath and PhD. He worked for many years in the Mathematics Institute at the University of Wales in Cardiff which awarded him a DSc for his research. He also holds an MA and DPhil from Oxford University and an MA in Bioethics from the University of Surrey. He was a Senior Alexander Von Humboldt Fellow at the Universities of Würzburg and Freiburg in Germany. He has lectured extensively in North America, Eastern and Western Europe and Australasia on mathematics, the philosophy of science and the intellectual defence of Christianity.

He has written a number of books on the interface between science, philosophy and theology. These include God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (2009), God and Stephen Hawking, a response to The Grand Design (2011), Gunning for God, on the new atheism (2011), and Seven Days that Divide the World, on the early chapters of Genesis (2011). Furthermore, in addition to over seventy published mathematical papers, he is the co-author of two research level texts in algebra in the Oxford Mathematical Monographs series.

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but good. Maybe I should say short and good.
Here's a passage I liked:
"Years ago I met a girl called Sally, fell in love with her and decided to propose to her. I approached her and gave her a gift-wrapped parcel. She asked what it was. I told her to open it and I would explain. She found in it a popular cookery book, expressed her appreciation and asked what it was for. I informed her that the book was full of rules and instructions on how to do excellent cooking. I then explained I really loved her and would like her to be my wife on the following condition: if she kept its rules and instructions, cooking for me to a very high standard for, say for the next forty years! I continued that if she could do this, I would think about accepting her as my wife. If not, she could go home to her mother!
"Of course, that is not how I proposed. It is an absurd scenario. Such a proposal would be insulting to her as a person in the extreme. It would suggest that I am going to wait for years to see how she performs in the kitchen before accepting her.
"We would never dream of treating someone like that, would we? That is not how relationships are formed. Yet the remarkable thing is that this is precisely the attitude many people take towards God. They try to pile up their merit in the hope of one day gaining God's acceptance... Anyone can see this method doesn't work with our fellow men and women. It won't work with God either, since God is the person in whose image we are made. However, often our pride hides this from us. It is remarkable how many people seem to be prepared to work for God to earn their salvation, yet are not prepared to trust him...
" The only way to avoid judgement, as Christ in his love tells us, is to cease trying to gain acceptance by merit and instead trust Jesus for salvation...
"However, like all gifts, salvation has to be received. It is not automatically credited to us."

[Danieltituscom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little booklet can't say all that needs to be said; it's only 70 small pages. But I think it can be a good source of encouragement that will make evangelism seem less scary.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I attended John Lennox’s excellent breakout session “Have No Fear” at the 2019 Sing! Getty Music Worship Conference. Attending that helpful session led me to read this short book of the same title.
Lennox tells us that Jesus said that his followers were the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14). They swim against the stream. But that doesn’t mean that they were never afraid. Peter wrote that we should always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). But we don’t always feel prepared, and we get scared of what people might say. It’s hard to swim against the flow. The purpose of this short book is to demonstrate that we can be a faithful witness to Jesus. We are to be Jesus’ ambassadors by our words and actions, but we are not alone in this. Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to bear the major burden of witness.
Lennox tells us that it is one-to-one conversations that are the key to Christian witness, but it is not us who starts this conversation. We should observe something about the person we are witnessing to and then ask them a question related to it. We should keep asking them questions until they ask us one.
We should begin by asking them ordinary questions so that we can get to know them, and learn how to build bridges with them. We should listen for their questions about our faith and when they arise, we need to take them seriously.
We should share the essence of our Christian hope and the reasons behind our belief. We may get stuck and not be able to answer a particular question. The author gives us a strategy for coping with such occasions.
The author suggests briefly acknowledging the Lord in conversations, reminding me of what Bill Peel and Walt Larimore refer to as “Faith Flags”, in their fine book Workplace Grace: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work. Another helpful suggestion is to invite a few people to your home to watch an interesting video or listen to a podcast, preferably showing both sides of an issue, and then discussing it. The author offers helpful videos on his website for this purpose.
The author tells us that our priority as witnesses should be to bring people into direct contact with Scripture. He suggests using a resource called The Word: One to One, and also carrying a Gideon New Testament with us to give away.
Lennox tells us that our character plays a major role in our witnessing. No one will be interested in what we say unless they can see that our lives back up what we profess to believe. He tells us that we need to “walk the talk”. We also need to show gentleness and respect as we witness (1 Peter 3:15).
The author tells us that a key aspect of our witness is explaining the difference between conventional views of religion and Christianity, including clearly explaining what salvation means.
After someone professes faith in Christ, we should encourage them to grow in their faith by reading Scripture, finding a good church and a Bible study group.
There is much of value in this short book about witnessing without fear.

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book short enough to read in one sitting, but packed full of great advice and plenty of amazing stories. Lennox’s writing in this book is really accessible and easy to follow- he presents the practical advice and spiritual significance of sharing the gospel clearly, logically, and with fervour. Would recommend to any Christian friend!

[Camilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Notat til meg sjølv:
Boka er enkel å forstå, men samtidig veldig nyttig og ikkje minst relevant i dagens samfunn. Det viktigaste Lennox seier i denne boka er at vi gjer og seier det vi har på hjarta, vi sår, men etter det kan vi berre stole på at Gud gjer resten. Viktig! Mange gode tips og tankar rundt det å dele evangeliet med slekt og venner.

[Andrew Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips for evangelism.

[Bradley Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of clear and helpful direction in this book. A great little primer for those who want to understand how we are simply to look for opportunities to share our faith- daily. There is what seems almost like a commercial break in the second last chapter.

[Amy Hampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful little read.

[Stine Braüner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Et opmuntrende puf af en medkristen, der får frygten til at tie og giver nyt mod.
Dygtig forfatter. Den var en fornøjelse at læse!

[Holly Ducarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick little book of inspiration with all the importance of a full length read. Dr Lennox never disappoints with his clear, powerful points and apologetics.

[Chris Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a useful little primer on evangelism, and like many books written in recent years on the subject (at least for a Western audience), it recognises that Western culture has changed to such an extent that we can no longer assume that most people hold a broadly Christian worldview. This has all kinds of implications, but for evangelism, it means that we need to move from relying on larger-scale, event-based evangelism to more one-to-one and relationship-based evangelism. Christianity is no longer inherently plausible to most people in the West, so we need to do more of the hard work of demonstrating its plausibility in our lives and conversations.

It is with this background in view that John Lennox is writing, and he anchors his book in 1 Peter 3:13-17. Beginning with the basics of asking and answering questions in the context of a conversation and of using scripture as we talk about Jesus, he goes on to discuss the importance of our lives mirroring our words (gentleness, respect, having a good conscience and suffering for doing good). He also helpfully starts to unpack two critical topics, the difference between works-based religion and Christianity and how we should understand salvation.

This can easily be read in a single sitting, but has plenty of food for thought if you would like to consider how to best approach evangelism in our day.

[Chelsea Song · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book as I’ve had a growing desire to evangelize and share the good news over the past several months. But truthfully speaking, it’s scary. I’ve heard people say that they don’t evangelize because it’s not their “gift” or for xyz reasons, and I used to echo those thoughts. However, I’m realizing that it’s not about whether or not it’s our gift, it’s our mission and calling as believers.
The Gospel is not for us to keep to ourselves but to make disciples of all nations as Matthew 28:19 calls us to do.

I like that this book places importance on getting to know the person AS A PERSON. I think, if you have the time when evangelizing, it’s important to get to know the person and the reasoning behind their beliefs. People often just want to be heard, and I think it’s vital to know how to have a genuine conversation and be an active listener when sharing the Gospel. The book gives an example of how someone may have had an abusive father and may not respond well when we explain what God being a Father means. It’s followed by the quote “Christ must be central - not us and our experience.”

The book also talks about the risk of trying to shove a message down peoples’ throats due to how passionate we are about the Truth. While passion is great, it’s also important to be sensitive to the experiences of others. An aggressive approach can shut people down before you even get a chance to share. Be interested in them as a person. Be curious and open.

Lennox touches on other important aspects of spreading the Word. He stresses that our part is to plant the seed and water it. We are not God. We can’t make the seed grow. And we often likely won’t even see it grow. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself and see conversations as “failures” if someone doesn’t give their life to Christ right then and there.

A fear of mine has always been that I won’t be able to answer a question someone may have. But the book talks about how no one has all the answers, and it’s also important to be honest with the person about not knowing everything. The good thing is that we can equip ourselves by being in the Word, and we have the Holy Spirit in us to provide us with the words.

Last thing that stood out to me in this book was the part about our character. Our character is important when witnessing to others. If we are sharing the Gospel, but we are living a life that does not reflect that, why should we expect others to want to come to Christ? As believers, we must be gentle, respectful, have a good conscience (I think of Daniel 6:4), and be willing to suffer.

[Reagan Faith Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still hadn't ever picked up a book written by Lennox, and I figured it was time. So, this little book was the first. It won't be the last.

Lennox writes in the same way he speaks: gently, humbly, thoughtfully, carefully. He has genuine faith and a huge heart for the Kingdom. He is pragmatic and brilliant—a scientist, a philosopher, a mathematician—but, above all, he is a believer. His faith shines in each word.

"Indeed, I have found that one of the best ways to proceed in chats with people, especially with those you have not met before, is to keep asking them questions until they ask you one." A principle reflected throughout the book, in his anecdotes here and there, but even more profoundly in his public persona—in the gentleness he gives off to the world.

Echoing through the book, too, the spirit of a simple prayer: “Lord, we pray that you will give us wisdom and help in this conversation to say what you want us to say: no more and no less.” A maxim for life, no doubt. Similar in many respects to the words of Elisabeth Elliot, in another famous prayer that's echoed in my head for years: "Lord, deliver me from the urge to open my mouth when I should shut it. Teach me silence when silence is wise. Remind me that not everything needs to be said, and very little needs to be said by me. . . ." (botched quotation, no doubt, but the idea).

And, along with silence, humility: "By contrast, we will lose face if we pretend to have an answer when we clearly don’t. The word ‘agnostic’ means ‘a person who does not know.’ We are all agnostic about many things." A reminder that it is okay not to know. And the beginning of understanding and growth is honesty confronting the truth.

Above all, though, boldness: to learn the truth, to know the truth, to share the truth. Relying not on reason, but on the Spirit. And yet using reason as a tool in the way God intended. I loved how he explained Paul's ministry in this way: debating reason with the pragmatics of the era, while never losing sight of his true foundation: Christ. Moved by the Spirit, not by the mind alone, but allowing mind, body, heart, spirit, etc. to work for the Kingdom.

[Samantha’s Little Library♡✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just for some preliminary background information, I first discovered Dr. John Lennox a couple of months ago through an Oxford debate that was uploaded to YouTube. My first impression of him was that he appeared to be a genuinely jolly and happy man, but at the same time, I was immensely impressed with his argumentation for the existence of God given the fact that he has a very scientific background in the realm of mathematics. It was a true joy to find yet another Christian who understands the importance of empirical evidence and can still connect that to a belief in God.

I thought that this short booklet, Have No Fear was so well-written and accessible. I am currently in RCIA to become Catholic, however, I love how Dr. John Lennox’s Protestant beliefs emphasize biblical study and having faith in Jesus Christ to obtain salvation. His style of agologetics, definition of Christianity, and view of salvation is very beautiful and refreshing. I hope to better involve Jesus into my life every single day, and I would love to better evangelize to people I care about. Reading his words was confirmation of how to do those things, along with wonderful guidance on the proper steps to take. Matthew 5:13-16 reads, “‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

John C. Lennox’s Have No Fear is a clear and very practical book on sharing the Christian faith. I rated it 4 stars mainly because of how accessible and encouraging it is.

What stood out most to me is the strong focus on real-life situations. Lennox writes in a way that removes much of the fear many people have about witnessing. He gives simple, helpful guidance on how to approach conversations, how to listen well, and what to do when you don’t have answers. I especially appreciated his honesty in saying that it is okay not to know everything, and that learning along the way is part of the process.

The book also keeps a good balance between using reason and trusting God. Lennox shows that faith is not opposed to thinking, while also reminding the reader not to rely only on their own ability. This makes the message both thoughtful and grounded.

Another strength is his emphasis on character and sensitivity. He encourages readers to be natural, to build real relationships, and to know when to step back in conversations. This gives the book a gentle and realistic tone rather than a pressured one.

Overall, this is a very practical and encouraging read, especially for those who feel unsure about sharing their faith or have many “what if” questions. It doesn’t try to say everything, but what it does say is clear, helpful, and easy to apply.

[Naomi Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evangelism will always be a difficult topic for Christians and any book willing to discuss is often helpful to read.

There are some great thoughts and points made in here - how we are supposed to be salt and light, how we need to be prepared to make a defence for our faith but we DON'T need all the answers on hand there and then (it's ok to say 'I don't know - can I come back to you?') and how you need to take time to get to know the person you are talking to. Don't go in guns blazing!

It's definitely a book worth re-reading and thinking on. My only issue was the stories Lennox shared of his own evangelism felt a little like 'success stories.' His methods may not necessarily work for everyone and not everyone is as receptive as the people in his stories.
There is no guaranteed 'instruction manual' (because it's God who saves) but take these points as helpful guidance. However the conversation goes, listen to the Spirit and have no fear. We're tools in the hand of the true Saviour. He will guide us.

[Keidy Sheilyn Reinoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un pequeño libro que muestra como presentar a Jesús, y defensa de nuestra fe de manera correcta en un mundo que nos es hostil. De manera muy sencilla, y por medio de ilustraciones y experiencias Lennox nos invita a conversar acerca de Jesús con otros, sin importar el costo, porque a nuestro salvador le costó mucho mas.
Muestra como presentar defensa, como conversar acerca de Jesús, como usar las Escrituras para testificar, hacer lo que se predica, como diferenciamos la religión del cristianismo y como explicar la salvación.
El aboga porque cada creyente reconozca que puede ser un testigo fiel de Cristo y debemos ser embajadores de el en todo tiempo. Tomando en cuenta las oportunidades y las habilidades para el habla, nos da sugerencias y nos advierte de muchos peligros y errores que solemos cometer al realizar dicha tarea.
Muy interesante y fácil de leer, muy practico para aquellos que luchamos con trazar correctamente una idea para hablar de Jesús, en el momento adecuado.

[Haddon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, you have become a Christian... what's next?
Lennox reminds us of our Christian duty of Evangelism and apologia. If you're thinking about evangelism, or you've been doing it for a while it's a great book to help kickstart your introduction to the world of practical Christian apologetics, or help you continue in your evangelism. It's a great book to help encourage you to get talking about Jesus to friends, relatives, passers-by.
It is a short read, but a profound read nonetheless!
So... What is your hope in life and death?

[Grant Fawcett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great challenges here to engage in gospel conversation in our daily lives. I think it is a necessary challenge for today’s Christian; to be ever engaged in gospel talk - my only thought is that with a booklet like this there can be the risk of making evangelism a program or formula. That was certainly not the thrust of Lennox’s writing, but the use of formulaic prayers and planned programming can lean away from sound gospel transmission.

[David Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike so many things I've read about being a Christian witness this is not one of those in-your-face books that tries to shame you into "doing your duty." Rather, this short, easy to read primer was a delight to read while also being informative, inspiring, and solidly biblically.

I highly recommend it both to the individual and to pastors and Christian Education leaders as a top-quality resource.

[Claudia Mingora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an insightful, helpful, and quick (1.5 hrs!) crash course on evangelizing! I had this 70 page lil gem sitting beside my couch for several months with the hope that seeing it daily would spur me on to actually open it! I eventually tidied and placed it on my bookshelf, but it didn’t stay there for long bc as soon as I put it in its place it was the right time to read it! Fun lil saga there yw!!

[Audrey Hood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was hoping for with the title. I suppose I imagined the book would delve into more scenarios of what the “cost” of being “salt and light” in our cultural context would look or sound like… that might have been lofty expectation for such a short book though.

Overall the book is a helpful, practical tool for evangelism in your everyday life, especially for those newer to the Christian faith.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book(let) as it was narrated by Lennox. His grandfatherly voice encourages Christians on overcoming fear to pursue evangelism in everyday situations. He gives examples from his own life as well as explains how to spread the love of Christ in a genuine, loving way. I am interested to read the "One to One" book he reccomends as a way to read through the book of John with new or unbelievers.

[Frank Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small booklet written by Prof. Lennox. The purpose of the book is to mentor and encourage followers of Jesus to act like it. Given its small size, there are many loose ends and many topics that seem superficial. But that cannot be helped without expanding the book dramatically. For what the book is designed for, it is excellent.

[Tim Goldsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and sharp book on the why and how of evangelism. Lennox, one of the great evangelists himself, wants to be clear that sharing the gospel is something that everyone can do!
This little book would be a wonderful companion for anyone who is using "The Word: One to One" books, as Lennox references them on several occasions.

[Corne Kooyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great and encouraging little book. It reminds us that we are all one step away from a witnessing opportunity and should be prepared for it!

My only issue with this book is that it is about 30pages too short, and felt that he could have expanded on a few things by an extra page just to give each topic some more insight (which I know Lennox is more than capable of doing!)

[Hannah Hernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and understand, concise and practical tips to witness to others as well as challenging our / my 'laziness' and other possible excuses: "You know Jesus because someone bothered. If you are a Christian you should bother, because Christ did!" (In my words)

I highly recommend it! Lennox's style is understandable for everyone despite him being a university Professor.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet but to the point! I loved how Lennox explained and illustrated his points in storytelling, giving examples of moments in his life where he shared and was led to share the gospel with people. By this showing practical and real ways we as believers can step out and be salt and light to a world that so needs it.

[Jacob Ehrenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy to understand way of explaining how to be a witness to others, and how we need to do that gracefully, Lennox goes on to give a few examples that do a good job of explaining the different scenarios where you could do so. 3 stars because it’s short, not that the content wasn’t great, just not a lot of it.

[Emily Granier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a neat short book! I went on a mission trip to the Philippines over the summer and I wish I had read it sooner! It explains well and in detail how to defend the gospel, witness to others, encourage others in the faith, the difference between religion and christianity, and how to explain salvation. So helpful as I am about to go full-time staff with a college ministry!