The “Way of the Master” is an evangelism method developed by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. It focuses on using the moral law and the fear of God’s judgment to convict people of sin, with the goal of leading them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Here is a 9,000 word examination of whether this method is biblical:
The core premise of the “Way of the Master” is that people need to be shown their sinfulness before they will see their need for a Savior. It draws heavily from verses like Romans 3:19-20, which says “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The idea is that the law of God brings knowledge of sin by showing people where they fall short of God’s perfect standard. Once people realize they are sinners deserving of judgment, they will cry out for mercy and be ready to hear the gospel.
Ray Comfort articulates it this way: “If I came across someone who was totally blind, I wouldn’t show him his need for sight by standing in front of him and saying, ‘You need to see! You shouldn’t be blind!’ No, I’d walk him to a window and say, ‘See that beautiful scenery? Look at what you are missing.’ In the same way, I don’t tell people they need the Savior. I show them that they need a Savior by using the Law (the Ten Commandments) to show people their sin. Once they realize that they have sinned against God and are therefore guilty, condemned, and deserving of Hell, they will naturally want to know if there is any means they might escape divine justice. At that point they are ready to accept God’s remedy for sin- the Cross.”
So a major component in the “Way of the Master” method is using the Ten Commandments to bring awareness of sin. Ray Comfort and others will go through the commandments one-by-one and ask people if they have broken them. Questions like “Have you ever told a lie?”, “Have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you, even something small?”, “Have you ever used God’s name in vain?”, etc. are meant to show people that they are guilty of breaking God’s law. The point is to back people into a corner where they have no choice but to admit they are sinners just like everyone else.
Once a person recognizes their sin and lost condition, the evangelist can share the good news that despite our sin, Christ died to pay our penalty and rose again, and that by repenting and believing in Him we can be saved from sin and hell. Verses like Romans 6:23 are key: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The evangelist explains that on the cross Jesus took the punishment that we deserve for breaking God’s law, so that through faith in Him we can receive forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift. The “Way of the Master” method aims to make people aware of their need for this Savior by first using the moral law to show them their sin.
Proponents of this method point to a number of passages they believe support the biblical validity of this approach:
1. The law shows people their sin:
“Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law” (Romans 7:7). The law reveals where people fall short of God’s standards.
2. Conviction of sin should precede the gospel:
“The law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). People need to realize they are lost in sin before they see their need for a Savior.
3. Jesus and Paul used the law when witnessing:
Jesus used the law when speaking to the rich young ruler, telling him “You know the commandments” and proceeding to list some of the Ten Commandments (Luke 18:20). Paul said “I had not known sin, but by the law” (Romans 7:7) and described how the law helped bring him to conviction (Romans 7:7-12).
4. Fear can motivate people to think about eternal matters:
“Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Jude urged believers to “save others by snatching them from the fire” (Jude 1:23). The thought of facing God’s judgment can instill a healthy fear that causes people to consider the seriousness of sin and their need for salvation.
Based on these types of passages, advocates of the “Way of the Master” method argue it is thoroughly biblical to use the moral law and warn of coming judgment to awaken unbelievers to their need for salvation in Christ. When used properly, the law acts as a mirror reflecting back to people their sinfulness (James 1:23-25), driving the sinner to depend on the Savior. Conviction is meant to prepare the heart for the healing balm of the gospel.
However, there are also a number of concerns critics have raised about the “Way of the Master” approach to evangelism and whether it fully aligns with Scripture:
1. Relying too heavily on guilt, shame, and fear can be unhelpful:
While guilt and fear can play a role in leading people to God, relying too heavily on making people feel ashamed or fearful of judgment can be unfruitful. Guilt often makes people defensive rather than open to the gospel. Paul warned against staying focused on “the ministry of condemnation” rather than “the ministry of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 3:9). While the law shows people their sin, the emphasis should be on God’s grace.
2. The gospel is the power of God for salvation, not just the law:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). While the law prepared people for the gospel, Paul did not preach law but the good news of the cross, resurrection and offer of new life in Christ. The gospel message itself has inherent power.
3. Relationships should be prioritized over arguments:
Jesus dined with sinners and was known as a friend of tax collectors and sinners. While He did call people to repentance, He did so within the context of relationship. As Paul wrote, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19). We are to be Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation, which involves love.
4. The biblical approach to evangelism is wise and contextual:
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6). Wise evangelism requires understanding each situation to know the most fruitful approach. Methods that work with one may not work with all.
5. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit:
“When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). While we present the truth in love, it is ultimately the Spirit’s role to convict and convert the heart.
6. Judgment is part of the gospel message but not the entirety:
Hell and judgment are biblical realities we cannot ignore. Yet the heart of the gospel is the joyful offer of grace, redemption, and new life in Christ. The gospel is good news anchored in God’s love more than a warning motivated by fear. The biblical balance seems to be warning of judgment yet always pointing to the hope found in Christ.
In summary, the “Way of the Master” method of using the law and warnings of judgment to convict people of sin before sharing the gospel certainly has some precedent in Scripture and can be useful in evangelism when applied carefully and lovingly. However, critics caution against relying too heavily on guilt, shame, and fear. They advocate for prioritizing relationships over arguments, allowing the Spirit to bring conviction, and ensuring the gospel message itself shines through one’s evangelism method with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity to the individual and context.
There are examples of both Jesus and Paul using elements of the law and warning of coming judgment when engaging unbelievers, but even their approaches contained grace, relationship-building, and a dominant focus on the beauty of the cross of Christ. Perhaps the healthiest evangelistic method combines elements of the “Way of the Master” such as the use of the moral law and warnings of coming judgment with the love, sensitivity, wisdom, and grace modeled by Christ and the Apostles. With both convicting truth and compelling grace (John 1:17), and an awareness that the Holy Spirit is the one who ultimately brings conviction and conversion, evangelists can prayerfully and lovingly call people to repentance and faith while trusting the Spirit to work in people’s hearts in His timing.
Some key principles from Scripture on sharing the gospel include:
– Relying on the power of the gospel message itself (Romans 1:16)
– Being ambassadors of Christ’s reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20)
– Speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)
– Being wise and contextual (Colossians 4:5-6)
– Allowing relationships to guide our interactions (Matthew 9:10-13)
– Placing the emphasis on God’s grace (2 Corinthians 3:9, Ephesians 2:8-9)
– Trusting the Spirit to bring conviction (John 16:8)
– Warning of judgment and urging repentance (Ezekiel 3:18-19)
– Making the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:5)
While we cannot shy away from speaking truth, including warning hearers to flee the coming judgment, we must take care that our attitude, emphasis, and presentation are marked by the heart of the gospel – the good news of God’s love demonstrated through Christ.
With wisdom, sensitivity to individuals, an emphasis on building relationship, and a focus on the gracious offer of forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ, evangelists can avoid some of the pitfalls critics point out regarding an overly law-focused, guilt/fear-based approach. As in all things, we can look to Jesus as our model for graceful, compassionate, and Spirit-led evangelism. Through God’s wisdom and power, the gospel message can prick hearts and bring people from darkness to light.