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Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has urged Christians to adopt a message of love and compassion when evangelising, saying Nigerians battling economic hardship may not respond positively to repeated warnings about hell.
Ibiyeomie made the call during a Sunday sermon titled The Power of Compassion, where he argued that Christians should first demonstrate concern for people struggling with poverty and other difficulties before seeking to win them to Christ.
According to the pastor, the severity of economic hardship facing many Nigerians has made messages centred solely on hell less persuasive.
“You can imagine preaching hell to Nigerians; they are already in hell. There is no way you will preach hell to Nigerians and anybody will be born again,” Ibiyeomie said.
He urged Christians to instead reassure people experiencing hardship that God loves them and can change their circumstances.
“Just tell them God loves you; He can change your story. Come to Jesus. But if you say, ‘You’ll go to hell,’ the man will say, ‘The suffering wey I dey suffer now, na wetin e be?’”
Ibiyeomie said a person struggling to afford basic necessities might find it difficult to relate to warnings about eternal punishment when their immediate concern is survival.
“That kind of message can’t convert one soul. You go there and say, ‘If you don’t convert to Jesus, you are going to hell.’ The man will say he has not even seen food to eat, he has not bought petrol; already, he is in hell,” he said.
The Salvation Ministries pastor described compassion as a powerful means of evangelism, saying Christians should communicate Christ’s love to people regardless of their circumstances.
“Compassion will make you tell them Jesus loves you. In spite of what you’re going through, He will show you His mercy. Compassion is the greatest tool that brings people to Christ. It is from your heart,” he said.
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Ibiyeomie said compassion was also an attribute of God and encouraged Christians to reflect it in their interactions with others.
Citing Psalm 103:8, he said: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.”
He added that God does not define people solely by their past mistakes or failures, stressing that those who have experienced divine compassion should extend the same kindness to others.
Quoting Ephesians 4:32, the pastor said: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ibiyeomie explained that genuine compassion involves more than feeling sympathy for someone in difficulty.
According to him, compassion requires three things: recognising another person’s situation, caring about it and taking action to provide assistance.
He also cautioned Christians against assuming that helping people always requires giving them money.
The pastor said Christians could offer assistance through their faith, encouragement, and other practical means, depending on the individual’s needs.
Citing Acts 3:6, Ibiyeomie said helping someone could sometimes involve exercising faith on their behalf, while acknowledging that financial support could also be necessary in certain circumstances.
He therefore urged Christians to combine evangelism with practical concern for people, saying a compassionate approach would make the message of Christianity more meaningful to Nigerians dealing with difficult economic conditions.
