As born again Christians we are (newly) created to share the Gospel, thus we’re fulfilling our new nature whenever we evangelize. God does not only command us to preach God’s love via Jesus’ atonement in order to save those who haven’t yet put their trust in His Son; He also commands it because it’s good for our soul. An essential part of sanctification for all believers is to exercise faith and courage via sharing the ‘Good’ News of God’s forgiveness. When we do, God is glorified and believers are blessed, not to mention the fact that unbelievers are offered saving grace.
An excerpt from Chapter 4 (Love: The Labor of Christian Hedonism) from John Piper’s book Desiring God complements this post. It is under the subheading entitled Can Disinterested Love Rejoice in the Truth?
Piper writes, “When Paul says we should not seek our own advantage, but that of our neighbors so that they might be saved, he does not mean we should not delight in the salvation of our neighbors. In fact, Paul said of his converts, ‘You are our glory and joy‘ (1 Thessalonians 2:20). In another place he said, ‘My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved’ (Romans 10:1). This is not the voice of disinterested benevolence. The salvation of others was the joy and passion of his life! When he denied himself comforts for this, he was a Christian Hedonist, not a dutiful stoic.” (115)
A random thought: I can’t help but to think what would have happened, correction, what would not have happened in Eastern Europe during the first half of the twentieth century, if Adolph Hitler read Die Bibel (The Bible) through the lens of Christian hedonism vs. Christian altruism.
This hypothetical question/thought experiment also applies to people like Friedrich Nietzsche and Charles Darwin, both who died as atheists, but who started off as Christians raised to believe in a dutiful Gospel.