The 
ight House
Sunday School
Special Project SP0003
Being an Effective Witness for Christ
Course Outline
Introduction
Course Description and Objective
Study Materials
Why Should We Witness to Others?
To Whom Do We Witness?
The Lost
Those Who Know They Are Lost
Misconceptions of the Lost
False Conversions
False Conversions Under Sound Doctrine
False Conversions Under Corrupt Doctrine
Atheist
Agnostics
The Saved
The Baby Christian
The Disheartened Christian
The Christian Out of Fellowship with GodThings Which Blind us from the Truth
Tradition
Pride
Seeking Comfort over Truth
Placing Too Much Emphasis on LogicMethods of Witnessing
Witnessing Verbally
Sharing the Gospel
Sharing Your Testimony
Printed Literature
Other Media
Living a Godly Life
Being an Effective Witness for ChristFreedom Baptist Church
Youth Bible Study Program
Summer 2007
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
Introduction
There are many ways for people to serve the Lord and each is as important as the other. We are all members of the same body,, each serving in a particular way, yet with the common objective; to lead the lost to Christ for salvation. Some people have specific callings such as pastors, preachers, teachers, song leaders, musicians, and deacons. While those holding such positions are more in the spotlight and most often recognized by others for their service, there job is no more important than those who work behind the scenes which make it possible to have a worship service. The one that mows the grass of the church lawn, the one who cleans the church, the one who takes care of the flowers, the one who drops a coin in the offering plate to keep the lights turned on, and even the one who does no more than pray for the preacher or even giving him and encouraging smile when he is struggling to bring out a message, are all contributors to the worship service.
These are just a few ways that we can serve the Lord through our local church. Regardless of what specific job or calling that an individual may have, there is one calling common to all believers and that is to be a witness for Christ. When we think of “witnessing” we mostly think of leading a lost person to Christ for salvation. While this is inarguably the most significant type of witnessing we can be blessed to experience, it is not the only type of witnessing that we are called to do. Counseling the new Christian, rebuke, comforting the broken hearted, and encouraging the discouraged are also types of witnessing.
Regardless of whether its sharing our faith to the lost, or counseling a fellow Christian, witnessing is something that many Christians struggle with, both in having the courage to do it and also in how to do it effectively. Often we get discouraged when we don’t see the results we would like to see from our efforts.
Course Description and Objective
The purpose of this course is to …
1. Encourage the student to witness when opportunity presents itself
2. Arm the student with the knowledge of how to witness effectively
There is much to be learned on this subject. We will be studying on why some people are so resistant to receive the gospel and why some are so confused or deceived and how different techniques and approaches can be used to match different personalities and levels of understanding to yield better results. We will also be looking at some proven techniques that work where others fail and see how these techniques are actually backed up by scripture.
Study Materials
Study Materials for this course will include the following:
1. The Holy Bible (King James 1611 version)
2. This Study Guide
3. Recommended Media as listed in the table below
Recommended Media
Way of the Master Does the Truth Matter Anymore? A Call to the Unbeliever Evolution Vs Creation Christianity Vs Mormonism End of the Harvest Guess Who's Coming to America Note: Due to the structure of this course, it is recommended that the media in the previous table be listened to or viewed in the order listed.
Why Should We Witness to Others?
Obedience to God’s word is one reason we are to witness to others. Sometimes the bible instructs us in a very direct and straight forward fashion. Other times, the bible instructs us through parables and analogies. While parables and analogies are not as direct and plainly spoken at first glance, they actually provide us with a deeper understanding of His commands ands. Consider for example, the verse on the cover page of this document:
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16This analogy of God’s people being “the light of the world” says more than “Tell everyone about me” or “Share the gospel with everyone”. In scripture, there is a connection between light and knowledge and with darkness and ignorance. There is also a connection between light and the children of God (the saved) and a connection between darkness and the unsaved. Therefor there is also a connection between knowledge and salvation and ignorance and the unsaved.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Corinthians 4:6This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Ephesians 4:17-18What does light do?
If you were in a huge indoor football stadium with only one other person who was seated at the far side of the stadium and all the lights were out and you light a lighter, the other person would see it and instantly know where you were and could find you by that tiny light. No amount of darkness can conceal the tiniest light, but the tiniest light can penetrate the heaviest darkness. Light always wins out over darkness. In fact the darker the darkness, the brighter the light seems to shine.
Darkness conceals things. Objects in the dark can not be seen. Light however, illuminates those things so that they can either be seen more clearly or even for the first time.
Before modern technology gave us sophisticated radar, GPS, and other navigational systems, sailors used the stars to guide them. Lights are used as points of reference to show us where we are and which way to go.As children of God, by living a dedicated life in accordance with God’s word, we are all these things to the world. The world in the context that the bible often refers to is all of that which is in spiritual darkness. . The world is that which is not of God, which includes those people that have not been saved. They are in darkness because they have not come to the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That doesn’t mean they have not heard of him. Most lost people have certainly heard of Jesus, yet they are blind to all that he is and all that he has done to give every man a way to salvation.
A person having their life in accordance with the principles of God’s word in the midst of those who have no regard for God or are ignorant of His teachings, stand out just as a light in the dark stands out. When something stands out there are two responses that people usually have,
1. They reject it solely for being different (reference the section on persecution in the lesson on the beatitudes).
2. They have a curiosity about it and want to learn more about it.
For the sake of those in the second group, we endure the persecution of those in the first group. Sometimes those in the first group will even move to the second group when God begins to deal with their heart.
Those people who seek to learn more about what they see different in God’s children, will begin to see things they had not seen before (remember the characteristic of light of exposing things). While they seek, we help them to see and discover things they had not known before, all the while they are already on a journey of coming out of the darkness (remember that light guides). Eventually they come to the knowledge of the truth and someone is able to lead them to Christ and then they move out of the darkness and into the light and become a light themselves for others.
It should be noted that the light people see in us is the light of Jesus shining through us. Here in the 5th chapter of Matthew Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world, but in another scripture, Jesus tells us that HE is the light of the world.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12So how is Jesus the light of the world and we, the born again the light of the world also? Jesus is the light SOURCE. The light people see in us is the light of Jesus. Think of it this way…. The moon does not give any light of it’s own, it simply reflects the light of the sun even though the sun is out of sight. Just like the moon, we are luminaries, reflecting the ling of the SON.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7Some other verses that instruct us to be witnesses are as follows:
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psalm 107:2Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 10:32And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10There are more scriptures that instruct God’s people to witness, but enough has been provided here to make the point. However if we only witness out of an obligation of obedience, there is something missing in our hearts. We should have a desire to witness to people because we love them and therefore desire good for them. We should have real burdens for the lost because we know that unless they come to know Jesus as their savior, Hell will be their eternal fate. We should desire to be a help to new Christians, because we desire for them to grow spiritually so that they can be used of God to be good witnesses themselves. We should desire to witness to the luke warm, ignorant, and backslidden Christian because we want them to have a close walk with God whereby they may have greater peace, joy, and be an effective witness for others.
Love is the motivator for all these conditions. If we are saved and in fellowship with God, we will have such a love for others. If we love God, we will love others. If we love God and we love others, then obedience to God will follow since God’s commandments are based on loving Him and others.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:37-40To Whom Do We Witness?
When we think about witnessing to someone, we have a tendency to automatically think about sharing the gospel with a lost person in hopes that they will see their need for a savior and call upon the Lord to save them. While leading a lost soul to Christ is the most rewarding experience a Christian will ever know outside of his own salvation, it is not the only type of witnessing a Christian can do. Our brothers and sisters in Christ may be in need of counsel, correction, or comfort from time to time. These may all be considered witnessing also.
The Lost
It has been said that there are only two kinds of people; the saved, and the lost. In a very broad sense, this may be true, but within each of these two categories there are different types. This fact is very applicable to this study because how we approach and how we witness to a particular individual may depend largely on which sub-category that person falls in. These different sub-categories result is different attitudes and levels of understanding which may require different methods of witnessing to have the most effective result. It is true there is only one gospel and it is not being suggested here that the gospel be altered in any way depending on the type of person to whom it is being presented. However the method of presenting the gospel to have the greatest impact may be different from one person to the next.
Here we will take a look at several different types of people or conditions that all fit into the category of “lost” and examine how each may benefit from a particular approach of sharing the gospel.
Those Who Know They Are Lost
If a person is lost, this is the best condition to be in. Don’t misunderstand that statement; to be lost is NOT a good condition to be in, but if a person is indeed lost, it is best that they are aware of their condition. This person is two steps closer to salvation than the atheist. This is because the first step toward salvation is to believe the gospel and the second step is to know they are lost and therefore in need of a savior. The person who knows he is lost does have an intellectual belief in God and the bible or else they would not know they are lost.
Since the use of scripture is essential for effective witnessing, there is a foundation already set for sharing the gospel with this person. Basically, it is a matter of converting that intellectual belief into a heart-felt belief. They already believe the bible is true, but there may be many things in the bible that they do not understand. This is where we can be that light that helps them to understand Though they believe on an philosophical level, it has not become “real” to them. They know in there mind that they need to be saved, but not yet believing in there heart, thee is no sense of urgency nor any great fear of what lies ahead for them. The fear they have is more like that of an upcoming dental appointment, than a burning in Hell type of fear. When the gospel becomes real in their heart, when Heaven and Hell become real to them, when the dread of their fate becomes greater than that of a man on death row within hours of his execution; then the reality of the cross will become real to them also and they will be ready to receive Christ.
Although the fact that they know they are lost may seem to imply that they will be easier to win for Christ than those without such knowledge, it certainly does not mean that they will be easy to win. The Holy Spirit must show them they are lost, we are simply a tool or messenger used by God as part of His way of dealing with them and revealing to them the truth.
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9Although it may somewhat beneficial for a person who is lost to understand their condition (both for them and we who witness to them), they are not without their challenges. In fact many who understand that they are lost will leave this life in that condition despite having been aware of their condition. That’s why they call it “rejection”.
Misconceptions of the Lost
Below is a list of twelve common misconceptions that some lost people have, followed by one possible response that corrects that particular misconception. These misconceptions and responses are in the format of dialog between the lost person and a Christian which works well here since this course is about witnessing. For clairity, responses to the misconceptions is printed in blue bold text.
1. Well, if John Doe is going to Heaven, I'll surely go too.
God does not grade on a curve.
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12Whether you go to Heaven or go to Hell, it will depend on whether you accepted or rejected Jesus Christ as your savior and nothing else.
2. If I go to Hell, there will be a lot of people I know that will be there with me and some of them say they are Christians.
First of all, there will be no born again Christians in Hell, but there will no doubt be some there who called themselves Christians in this life; these will be the hypocrites and not true Christians who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. Now considering that there will indeed be many others in Hell besides your self if you should choose to go, let me ask you;
Just exactly how does that help your situation?
There is no real comfort in the knowledge that if you go to Hell that you will not be there alone. If you go there, your torment will be just as unbearable as if you were Hell's only occupant.
(3) Most Christians I know seem to think they are better than me.
If a Christian thinks himself to be better than you, he is either a hypocrite, meaning he has not actually been born again, or he is an ignorant Christian; not well studied in God's word. Most likely he is a hypocrite because even a Christian who is not well studied still has the Holy Spirit in them to lead and guide them. Also when a person is born again, the bible says we become a new creature; old things are passed away and all things become new. Therefore I believe a person who would think himself better than another is most likely not a true Christian at all.
True Christians know, understand and strive to abide in the very fundamental principles of humility, which is revealed in God's word teaching that children of God are NOT to exalt themselves higher than another.Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Proverbs 27:2A real Christian with biblical understanding and living in obedience does not think himself to be better than anyone else including a lost person, but they do know and will not hide the fact that they are "better off" than a lost person.
Perhaps one reason you may have the perception that Christians think they are better than you is that Christians are instructed by God's word to separate themselves from worldly things (meaning activities, environments, trends, and culture, that are associated with the ways of those who have never been born again). Christians can not do the things that the un-redeemed sinners do, nor be in the presence of activities and environments that are contrary to the teachings of the bible. So if a Christian does not laugh at your dirty jokes, will not go out to have a few drinks with you, asks that you not use profane language in their presence, etc.. it is not because they believe themselves to be better than you. They are simply being obedient to God as all Christians should be. Christians are to be a light to the lost and set an example for others to follow. They can not do this if they condone sin by either engaging in it or witnessing it with out standing against it. The bible says that if the blind lead the blind, they both fall in a ditch.And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2
Corinthians 6:14-18
(4) I am as good a person as any Christian I know.
Indeed you are. In fact your statement is supported by the bible.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:9-10God has never saved anyone because they were good enough to be saved.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Isaiah 64:6For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:23
All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:8Nobody is a good enough person to merit their way into Heaven. The ones that are saved are the ones that realize this by receiving God's word and humble themselves before God, confess, repent, and ask God to forgive and save them.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9A Christian is no more than a sinner saved by the grace of God. Knowing you are as good (and as bad) as any Christian doesn't save you however.
It would be a shame to waste that knowledge knowing God WILL save you, but never accepting His wonderful gift of salvation and therefore spend eternity in Hell without hope of escape or mercy.
(5) I don't go to church because the church is full of hypocrites.
I imagine that most every church has it's hypocrites. Why would you want to allow the hypocrites to keep you from receiving the blessings of God's word? Why would you want to allow the hypocrites to keep you from coming to a place where God's word being preached can bring soul saving conviction to you which could then lead to you repenting and your soul being saved from a devil's hell?
When you stand in judgement before God (and you will stand in judgement one day) you will stand alone. You will answer for no one except your self.So what if hypocrites are in church? We are not there to observe or follow after them anyway. The Christian goes to church because first of all God's word commands it. We also go there to be spiritually fed; to learn about what God has to say about how we are to live our lives, to find the strength to bring us through the trials, tribulations, and the dark valleys of this life, to find the inspiration, hope, and comfort which comes from continually being reminded that in spite of all our troubles we experience here in this life, a day of rest, peace, and unspeakable joy lies ahead for us. Christians also go to church to worship God and to lift up His name in praise and prayer. For the lost person, church can be a place where God can reach down through the preaching and reading of His word and touch the heart of that lost soul, showing them the need for a savior which can bring on godly sorrow which works repentance which leads to salvation.
There are no good reasons not to attend church; there are only excuses used because the person in reality, does not like the discomfort which comes from the convicting power of God showing a lost person the terrible state they are in; which detracts from the pleasure they find in the sinful life style they're living. The discomfort a lost person experiences while sitting under the preaching of His word is to help him, not hurt him. The sorrow you may feel while hearing God's word preached would lead to repentance if you allow it and then you can be saved and the same preaching that brings discomfort will then bring joy!
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
2 Corinthians 7:10There is no better place for a hypocrite to be than in church where they can hear the truth that can set them free.
Would you rather go to church with a few hypocrites two or three times a week or go to Hell with many hypocrites for all eternity?
(6) I have plenty of time to be saved; I'm going to have some fun first.
Are you sure you have plenty of time? Are you willing to wager your soul on it? The fact is you can not possibly know with certainty that you have even another day.
All over this world people died today. Many of them got up this morning and went through their every day routine of getting ready for work, had their breakfast, kissed their spouse and children goodbye and headed off to work without a thought that death was at their door step about to ring their bell. Yet death took them before the day was done. I know that is a morbid and an unpleasant thought, but it is reality.And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27The bible teaches that we have no promise of tomorow.
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
James 4:14Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Proverbs 27:1As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Psalm 103:15-16Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Job 14:1-2Basically, this game you're playing is to put off salvation so that you can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a longer period of time and then grab hold of salvation almost at the last minute to avoid going to Hell.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23This game you're playing is a very dangerous one. You're trying to match wits with God. You're trying to take advantage of God's mercy. You're trying to con God. However you should know that God knows every corner of your heart.
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Psalms 139:1-4Do not think that you can live your life as you choose and then come sliding into salvation at your final hour when you don't even know when your final hour will be. This whole way of thinking is a mockery of God. God is in control; not you nor I nor anyone else. Your next heart beat and your next breath comes from Him and if He gives it He can take it at the time of His choosing.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:7This way of thinking also shows a lack of fear of God. God’s will is that you will be saved and he makes known to you his plan of salvation through his word, through his witnesses and through the men he has called to preach and teach the gospel. Here is what God says regarding those who have no regard for the knowledge he has provided nor shows no fear of God, and continues to reject His mercy over and over again…
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Proverbs 1:24-33Your motive for putting off salvation is disturbing and irrational. We are talking about your soul here and we are talking about your soul being cast into Hell and the Lake of Fire for all eternity. We hear the word Hell so much that I believe sometimes we loose perspective of just what Hell is. Imagine your worst nightmares coming to reality. Imagine the most agonizing pain you can. Now multiply that a million times. You're still not captured the awfulness of Hell. Our imaginations are limited by our knowledge and experiences of this world, but Hell is not a place confined by the rules of nature or physics as we know in this world. For instance, in this world, our bodies are such that they will only tolerate so much agony and then we will faint or die. There is a limit to what our bodies can stand. In Hell however, the agony that will be experienced is unlimited and there is no escape even by fainting or death. The torture will be continuous and eternal. A person who has been in Hell for a million years will not be one second closer to its end than the moment he first arrived. Hell's fury is beyond our comprehension. Though we can certainly imagine some terrible things based on our earthly knowledge and experiences, it doesn't compare to Hell's never ending unlimited torment. People in Hell would regard a trip to the most hideous man made torture chamber as an exotic vacation.
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:49-50Are you having such a good time in your sins that you are willing to even chance going to this awful place called Hell? The person who has been in Hell a few billion years will certainly think of his time in sinful pleasure as being very short and very much not worth it's cost. There is yet another flaw to the plan of "fun first, then salvation". We are saved when God's word brings conviction to our hearts and godly sorrow sets in. This godly sorrow then leads to repentance if we will heed God's call.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
2 Corinthians 7:10Godly sorrow is of course sincere. How then can any sorrow be considered sincere if it was premeditated? If a person says, "I will not be sorry today, but will take sinful pleasure instead and then be sorry tomorrow, then his sorrow will not be true sorrow. A person will not be saved until first God shows them they are lost and then fills their heart with convicting godly sorrow and perhaps fear as well. When a person is in that state they can be saved. You can not be saved any time you feel like it. God must first deal with your heart.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44For this reason, you can not trick or con God because He knows and deals with hearts. You may be able to fool men with an outward appearance and deceitful speech, but God is able to see past that right into your heart and know you like no other. I would encourage you to begin right now considering your present state and the uncertainty of tomorrow. Please recognize the danger in putting off God's free gift of salvation. If you were watching your favorite TV show when you felt you might be having a heart attack, would you finish watching your show before seeking medical attention? Your soul is even more important than your life so please give it at least as much urgency in saving it as you would to save your life.
...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
2 Corinthians 6:2
(7) I've already sinned too much. I've went too far for God to save me.
This is one of the biggest lies the Devil has ever told. The truth is that God will save you. Your sins are not more powerful than God's grace. How many Christians have you fed to the lions? If your answer is none, then your sin is not greater than the apostle Paul's sin. Paul himself had many Christians fed to the lions and yet God saved him. Not only did God save him, but He made a great preacher out of him. Paul wrote many books of the New Testament. If God would do all this for the greatest persecutor the church ever had, don't you think he would do no less for you?
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Acts 10:34That verse above means that God loves and cares of one as much as he does another.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:12-13When you read those verses take them to heart exactly as they are written without assuming God ment something a little different than what His word says. Notice He says He is no respecter of persons. That means he does not play favorites when it comes to salvation. God gives equal oppertunity to all people to receive His gift of salvation. Notice His exact words are; "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". God does not list any exceptions. He does not say whosoever except for.... The blood shed at the cross by God's only son is sufficient for the cleansing of all sinners.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Ephesians 1:7Perhaps you require even a more direct statement? How about this one...
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9Adolph Hitler was probably the cruelest man to God's chosen people in recent history, but I tell you by the authority of God's word that IF he had called upon God with a humble and sincere heart asking for forgiveness and to be saved, then God would have saved even him!
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37God will save you if you believe, confess, and repent. God will save you. God wants to save you. The only thing preventing God from saving you is YOU.
(8) God has never answered even one of my prayers.
The first prayer God will answer for a sinner is the prayer of repentance and the crying out to Him to save their soul. When prayed with sincerity, this is one prayer that God will always answer with a Yes! God will always save those who come to Him with humility and sincerity asking to be saved.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13God hears and answers the prayers of His children (the saved) who ask in faith. If you have never been saved then Christ does not abide in you and the bible tells us that answered prayers are for those who abide in Christ and His words abide in them.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7While salvation is not dependent on your works or anything else that you do other than being humble enough to confess, repent, and call upon him to save you; the blessings of God are indeed conditional to how you live your life. God will not bless over sin. A person can not reject the Lord by turning his back on His free gift of salvation and continue in the ways of sin and expect God to bless him just as he does His children who have become so by accepting Jesus as their Lord and savior and are striving to live an upright and righteous life. God is waiting for that first prayer of asking to be saved. This one He will answer unconditionally when the prayer is sincere and comes out of conviction. Then you can by being obedient to Him and living your life in accordance to His will as revealed in His word be in a position where God can open the windows of Heaven and pour out His blessings on you; one of which is the answering of prayers.
...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16
(9) I don't believe a loving God would send a good decent person like myself to Hell.
It is true that God is loving, merciful and long suffering; but He is also a sovereign and just God as well as a God of judgement. Because God is all these things, He will not allow anything corrupt to enter into His kingdom made and set aside for those made pure and righteous by the cleansing of all sin because they cried out to God and asked Him to forgive and save them. God has done everything possible to make a way for every person to avoid Hell. He gave his only son and let him suffer and die for you just so that you can be saved. Salvation cost Heaven the best it had to offer and is given to all who will receive it free of charge. God doesn't cause anyone to go to Hell. He has made a way to avoid that terrible place, but he gives us the choice. If a man goes to Hell, he goes there by choice, because rejecting Jesus is to choose Hell. If you go to Hell, you will go there as an intruder and you will go there knowing that God loved you so much that He let His son who was guiltless and without sin die and pay your sin debt, but you would not accept that gift that cost so much. Is there anything more sad than for a person going to Hell for eternity when salvation is offered to all and it is free? God does not want anyone to go to Hell.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9Suppose you came upon a man who was dying of thirst and you had water to give, so you set it before him. Supposethe man refused to accept the water, saying either he did not need it or that he would wait and drink later and then the man died from his thirst. Would it have been you that killed him? No! Of course not; you tried to save his life. You offered him the only thing that would save him but if he rejected the water and died, then he died by his own choice. So it is with God. God is offering a drink of living water to the lost of this world so that they may have eternal life, but if they refuse to be saved, it is not God that causes them to perish but by their own choice.
When God convicts you, showing you that you are a sinner in need of salvation, you can change your eternal destiny in the time it takes to say, "Save me Lord, the sinner that I am." God does the saving, you must accept the gift before it can be given. To reject the gift is to choose Hell. What a terrible thing it must be for those in Hell suffering agony unimaginable to realize they are there because they chose to be there.
Heaven or Hell; it is the most important choice you will ever make. You would think such a choice would be a no brainer, yet the bible teaches us that more choose Hell than Heaven.Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mathew 7:13-14Every human being from the beginning to the end has a choice to make. God is not to blame for those who choose Hell. He has made a way for avoiding Hell, but has given us the freedom to choose. God has made it so simple that even a child can understand it. The bible says that unless we become as little children, we can not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Think about that... even a child's mind has the wisdom to make the correct decision between Heaven and Hell; it is the adults who often struggle with it.
(10) The bible says that if you believe in Jesus that you are saved, so I guess I'm ok because I believe in Jesus.
A common mistake people make in interpreting scripture is that they will form their own doctrine based on a single scripture. To acquire sound understanding however the Word of God must be taken in context and part of taking scripture in context is to read ALL that is said of a particular subject. It is true that believing is the way to salvation.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:31For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Corinthians 1:21We see from these scriptures that indeed one must believe to be saved. If we study more scripture however, we find that not just any type of belief is the saving kind. If we were to go into the most sinful places we would find people there who profess a belief in Jesus, yet they are not saved. We can find harlots, prostitutes, strippers, drug addicts, alcoholics, thieves, adultors, cursors, and people of many more sinful lifestyles who will tell you that they believe in God and even believe in Jesus. So why are these people not saved then if the scriptures tell us that if we believe, we will be saved? The difference is that to be saved, you must believe in your heart. There is a difference in believing on an intellectual level and believing in your heart. This is something that many people can not grasp. There was a time when I did not understand it either.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10Explaining the difference between believing in the head and believing in the heart is one of the most difficult things I have ever tried to explain. People seem to have a terrible time understanding the difference. It is something that often needs to be experienced to be understood. Some people will want to argue the subject with you, saying, "believing is believing and you're just trying to complicate it. Here is a simple point however which proves there is a distinct difference in believing in the head and believing in the heart: If believing was believing and there was no such thing as a discernment between head belief and heart belief then almost every single person you meet would be saved, but we know by our own experience and by the word of God that is not true. The bible teaches us that many are called but few are chosen. The bible also teaches us that the road to destruction is broad and many are on that broad way, while the road to righteousness is narrow and few are on that road of righteousness.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mathew 7:13-15The best way I know to try explain the difference in believing in your mind and believing in your heart is that heart felt belief is when it becomes it becomes a "reality". Still a person believing in their mind will often say, I DO believe that it is real. In fact however they really don't see it as real as the things of this world that they can see and touch. Imagine this scenario: God allows a person who claims to believe but has not been saved, to peer down into the real physical Hell. They are able to see with their own eyes the torment, the unspeakable and indescribable horror taking place there. Then that person is told that they are headed for this awful place unless they confess, repent, and call out to God to have mercy and save them. Without argument, such a person having witnessed Hell in a real tangible state and knowing this was their eternal destination unless they were saved, they would immediately fall on their face and cry out to God to save them. But wait a minute... What would be different after seeing with their eyes the horror of Hell that would cause them to cry out to God? One might say, "well, just seeing it in tangible form would frighten them into repentance. Well, that's what believing in your heart is. You see, this person claimed to believe before seeing, yet they did not have enough concern about it to call on God. Believing in the heart is believing to the point of absolute realism so vividly that you see yourself hanging over the pits of Hell by a rotten thread without anything to cling to or grab hold of except for the outstretched hand of Jesus. When a person sees himself or herself in this condition and what has just been described here is not a parable but as real a place as Kansas City, then they believe in their heart and then they will cry out to God to be saved. Now this was just an example, but a person really needs to believe the whole gospel. That means believing in Jesus and everything the bible says about him. You can not will yourself to belief in your heart, even if you want to. God must show you these things and speak to your heart for you to have that heart felt belief. This is brought about by God's word whether it be read, preached, or given by a witness and by Holy Ghost conviction.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17Why would a person of even the slightest intelligence not choose Heaven over Hell when given the choice? and why would a person of even the slightest intelligence put of making that easy decision once they know they must make it while they are still living or Hell will be the default choice? Why would they put off choosing Heaven over Hell when they also know that not only must it be made while they are living but also knowing that they do not know when life will end? They only reason any person of the slightest intelligence would not choose Heaven over Hell and not put it off is because they have not yet come to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ to the point of complete realism; in other words, they have not yet believed in their heart. Get in church and read the bible so that God's word can bring you to a place of heart-felt belief and godly sorrow which works repentance. Yes, it sounds like magic that God's word can change your heart in this way and ONLY God's word can change your heart in this fashion, but it is not magic, it is the power of God's word.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
(11) Response when asked if they are saved: That is between me and God.
That is not what God says. God's word is very plain that salvation is not to be kept a secret. Also it is a fact that if a person is truly saved, they WANT to tell others about this wonderful gift of salvation they have. The bible teaches us that we are to be a witness and a light to this lost and dying world. That is our great commission as a Christian. We certainly can not fulfill that commission and be obedient in this regard if we hide our salvation.
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 2:32Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
1 Thessalonians 2:10Another way of saying that we are to be a witness for others is that we are to be a light for others so that they may see Jesus in us and thereby we become examples as followers of Christ as well as spreaders of the gospel which is the good news of Jesus Christ. We can not be a light and fulfill this commission if we keep secret our salvation.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16How is it possible to believe salvation is to be kept a secret after reading those scriptures? If God has saved you, He wants you to shine bright before the world as a believer, a Christian, a redeemed child of God.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psalm 107:2God does not want His children to be ashamed of him.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
2 Timothy 1:8For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Mark 8:38Enough scripture has been presented here to prove that it is not the will of God that His children be silent concerning their salvation. God wants all people to be saved...
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9Knowing then that God's will is that all would be saved, isit not logical that He would want the ones He has already saved to work in this endeavor by witnessing and spreading the gospel?
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Matthew 9:37-38How can we serve God and labor for Him while keeping secret our salvation? There is a song about this subject and the key line reads... "You can't be a beacon if your light don't shine".
(12) I just don't believe I could live the Christian life. It just seems too difficult to me and I don't want to be a hypocrite so I'll wait until I can live that life to be saved.
You will never reach the point of being worthy of salvation. God's standard is perfection and humans are far from being perfect. The Christian life is not a life of perfection, but a life of repentance and accountability to God. When a person is saved, a change takes place in their heart. This is perhaps the key mark of evidence that the person has received "real" salvation as opposed to a counterfeit. Salvation brings on supernatural changes to a person’s attitude, behavior, personality, etc... Salvation is the only thing that can permanently bring these changes to a significant degree. A person can not change themselves on their own, but God can and does make these changes. We are like a heap of clay and God is at the potter's wheel shaping us and molding us constantly into what he wants us to be. Many of these changes will take effect instantly such as a sense of joy and peace never before experienced. With this new peace and joy in a person's heart, it then has an effect on attitude personality, and behavior. Another instantaneous change is a new zeal and passion for serving God and walking in the center of His will. Having a desire to be pleasing to God will also certainly help a person to live the Christian life. Again, these things do not come with a counterfeit salvation. True salvation brings change.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 2:17A lost person that does not believe he could live the Christian life, is making that evaluation based on his current condition and in fact there is truth in that; on his own he would NOT be able to live the Christian life in a way pleasing to God. Understand, we are not saved because we change, but we are changed because we are saved. It's a matter of trusting God to help you in walking that straight and narrow path. He will once you are one of His. Don't fall for that old lie of Satan that you must first clean up your life to be saved. You'll never be clean enough to be God's child until you are cleansed by the blood of Christ which is the essence of salvation. The redeeming blood of Christ can and will cleanse you from all sin. Bring to God all your sin, all your faults, all your sorrows and burdens. Come just the way you are to God and confess, repent and call on him to save you. He will make a new creature out of you. Salvation is the BEGINING of living a Christian life.
False Conversions
These are the people who believe they are saved, but are actually lost. They have a counterfeit salvation. The bible supports the concept of false conversion in the following scripture:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23In the scripture above, it is obvious that Jesus will be speaking to those who thought they were saved, only to find out that they will not be permitted to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. For the purpose of this study, these with false conversions may be divided into two groups; (1) those who have been taught under sound doctrine yet have not followed God’s plan of salvation, and (2) Those who are deceived by the vain teachings of corrupt doctrine.
False Conversions Under Sound Doctrine
In the case of this false convert, there is nothing wrong with the doctrine or teachings to which this person has been exposed. The problem is with the individual. Through ignorance and/or apathy, they have not followed God’s plan of salvation.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a theif and a robber..
John 10:1As previously stated, this is not a case where there is any falt in the doctrine that is being taught and preached, but rather the problem is in how it is received and accepted. Jesus coves this topic very well in the parable of the seed sewer.
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:3-9Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13:18-23
One possible way people receive a counterfeit salvation is that perhaps as a young child in church one day he or she was told or strongly encouraged to go forward during the alter call to be saved. Perhaps the child comes forward because a friend comes forward. In any case they come forward without the drawing power of God, lacking in understanding of salvation or how it is acquired, sincerity, and correct motive. Then someone, perhaps the preacher or a deacon asks them to recite one of those repeat after me type prayers. When the child finishes repeating this prayer, the preacher pats him on head and tells him he is saved. . The child doesn’t have a clue what that means, but he believes the preacher and unless he learns the truth, he may go through life believing he was saved based on this experience.
True salvation comes only when a person is drawn by God and Holy Ghost conviction reveals to them that they are lost and in need of a savior. You can not get saved until you first understand that you are lost. They then humbly come broken with godly sorrow and a repentant heart and contrite spirit.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free
John 8:32For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
2 Corinthians 7:10The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18Once settled in a comfort zone, a person don’t want to get out of it. Sometimes such a person will have a tendency to accept the parts of a message that conform tot heir lifestyle and simply dismiss the truths that are contrary to their lifestyle.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Timothy 3|1-5Most of us have known someone who claims to be a Christian, yet their life does not resonate that claim. Although the bible is plainly in contrast to their lifestyle, they seem oblivious to the contradiction. This person desires to be counted among the redeemed, but they do not want to live for God. That is they do not want to life a dedicated life to God’s ways and separated from the ways of the world. They want God in their life, but they want Him on their own terms, continuing to life as they wish, yet always having God at their beckon call to deliver them out of their troubles. Salvation for them is like a fire insurance policy. Of course it does not work this way.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1Corinthians 6:20I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1-2When a person’s lifestyle does not line up with their claim of being a Christian, it is evidence of a POSIBLE false conversion. We can not know who is truly saved and who is not, only God is able to make that determination. It is save to say however that at the very least they are out of the will of God. Whether they are a false convert or simply out of fellowship with God, they need our prayers and counsel (witness).
This person can be a real challenge in winning for the Lord. Unlike the person who is lost and knows it, they must first come to the realization that they are not truly saved. One difficulty in witnessing to the possible false convert is to witness without appearing assuasive. You certainly can not tell someone they are not saved when they say they are. To even suggest the possibility would most likely be offensive.
Many people have never even considered the concept of having a counterfeit salvation, therefore by simply raising the subject in conversation, you give them a new idea to ponder. You can share with them your burden for those who are in such a condition. You can share with them the scriptures that show the reality of that condition and you can share with them the scripture that instructs the professing Christian to examine himself to see if he is of the faith.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
2 Corinthians 13:5You could talk about God’s true plan of salvation including the drawing by the Father, the condition of having a broken heart and a contrite spirit over sin, and the difference in believing in the heart as opposed to a conceptual belief.
You could also discuss the attributes of a true believer such as the passionate desires for reading God’s word, attending Church services, and sharing their testimony with others, the conviction that comes upon a true believer when they even consider sin in their heart, the love we have for others including our enemies, the peace that passes understanding we have in times of troubles that the lost does not have, the real sincere burdens we have for the lost, and the sincere desire to live in a way that is pleasing to God because of our deep love for him.
As you discuss these things the person may nod with you in agreement while even in that moment he has started to evaluate himself and perhaps realizing that the description of a born again believer living a dedicated life toward God does not match the description of himself.
False Conversions Under Corrupt Doctrines
All false conversions are rooted in a misunderstanding. Previously we discussed false conversions steaming from a misunderstanding solely on the part of the one having the false conversion. Here we will discuss the false convert which is a product of corrupt doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2Timothy 4:3-4There are many corrupt doctrines being taught and followed today. Some, such as Buddhism, Humanism, Islam, Orthodox Jews, Hinduism, and Scientology are not based on any belief of the God of the bible. They do believe in a “higher power” however which puts them into a different category than the Atheists. Actually these people don’t have a false conversion or a counterfeit salvation because salvation is not a part of their religion, at least not in the way that the Christian believes in salvation. They do however have a false sense of security in believing they do not need to be saved, at least not in the way Christians understand salvation.. Their faith is in a false God. These are the most difficult people to win for Christ. If an Atheist is at a level of “0” in believing in the gospel, these would be in the negative numbers. They would have give up their belief in their false religion just be at the same position of an Atheist. Though they are not saved, they are a religious people. Convincing someone to give up their religion is an extremely difficult thing to do. Sadly, many of them are more passionate about their vain religion than some Christians are in their beliefs and service to God.
Most likely these people, especially if very dedicated to their beliefs are not going to listen to anything you have to say to them concerning their need to abandon their beliefs and receiving Christ as their savior. However God can save anyone! People have been saved who have come from every corrupt religious background imaginable. Its not impossible for these people to come to the realization that they need Jesus, its just extremely difficult to lead them to that realization.
Since they are most likely not going to be willing to listen to your evangelistic persuasions to reject their vain beliefs and trust in Jesus for their salvation, the best witness you can be to these people is to simply be your Christian self in their presence and just let the light of Christ shine through you. Your personal testimony of how God saved you and has worked in your life, may be one form of witnessing they will listen to since you only sharing your own experience without lecturing them on their need to make any changes.
By your testimony and by simply living your life as a Christian in their presence, they may begin to see things in you that they don’t have it may cause them to gradually consider reality of the gospel.
Of all the corrupt doctrines, the most dangerous are those which claim to believe in and follow the God of the bible. The reason these doctrines are so dangerous is that while they claim to follow the teachings of the bible and worship the same God as mainstream Christians, they pervert the gospel and the will and nature of God. They take God’s word out of context and apply their own spin to its meaning to the point that their understanding of it is not even close to the truth. The danger is that by claming to be Christian, they misrepresent God, Jesus, His word, and Christianity. This misrepresentation deceives those who have little or no religious training in sound doctrine. One such religion is the Mormon Church. It is not within the scope of this course to go into details regarding exactly what any particular religion believes or practices, but rather to acknowledge they exist and that they do not represent the truth, to point out that they are a source of false converts.
Opportunities to witness to these people may be more plentiful than others since many of them such as Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses will actually approach you in an attempt to convert you to their beliefs. Though the opportunities to share your faith with them may be greater than with people in other groups, these like the previous group discussed are also very difficult people to convince that they are misinformed and need to abandon their beliefs and accept the truth. They have been brain-washed into believing lies.
People in these religions are well trained in witnessing and debating doctrine. Unless you are very well studied in God’s word and well prepared it is probably not a good idea to enter into debate with them. They already know the typical Christian response to the fundamental beliefs they share and therefore are prepared to address those responses with yet another scripture taken out of context. You can however share with them the truth without getting into a futile debate with them. You can also give them your testimony. God can take the truth you give them along with your testimony and do what you can not do. He can speak to their heart.
Atheist
Atheist are those who have absolutely no belief in God, the gospel, nor any aspect of Christianity or any other religion.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14:1Be warned that many Atheists, not simply reject Christians and their beliefs, but even despise them. Some will purposely offend and try to humiliate a Christian who approaches them with an intent to share the gospel. We do not need to be afraid of them, but we do need to be aware of their content toward us. Not all Atheists are purposely offensive toward Christians, but knowing that some are, we need to be on our guard.
Most Atheists are not in the least interested in anything we have to say to them regarding any aspect of the Lord or the Gospel. Therefore this is yet another type of person of which the most effective form of witness we can offer is to simply live our lives before them as Christians standing firm on our beliefs and unashamed of our faith. Our job is simply to be a light, that they may see Christ in us. God will use that light to expose the truth of the Gospel to them. It is then up to them to receive or reject that truth. We are not responsible for what they do with that truth.
And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
Luke 9:5If the rare occasion presents its self in which you encounter an Atheist who is willing to discuss the gospel and their disbelief in God, it may be beneficial to realize that most Atheist rely heavily upon logic and science to understand the things that we know are of God. Therefore many of them are dedicated believers of evolution. What they do not realize is that real science and logic support the fact of Creation rather than the theory of evolution. If you are knowledgeable in the scientific evidence supporting Creation, you may be able to use that knowledge as a witnessing tool. It is a case of using the one thing they have faith in to disprove their own beliefs and prove the reality of Creation. If Creation can be shown to be factual and not a myth, then simple logic dictates their must be a Creator.
Most of us don’t the scientific knowledge to make a convincing argument for how science proves Creation while disproving evolution. Fortunately other Christians do and have put their convincing evidence into the form of written documents, video and audio products. One such video is provided with this course, “Evolution Vs Creation” produced by “Cross TV”. The case for science supporting Creation on this video is so powerful that if someone after watching it, continues to believe that science supports evolution, they simply do not want to know the truth, they just want the truth to be what they want it to be. This may be because if they have to admit that there we and this universe are a product of creation, then they also have to admit that there is a creator, and if there is a creator, then we are held accountable to Him for everything we do. They do not want to be held accountable. This infringes on what they perceive to be their freedom; not realizing that they are already a prisoner of sin with the sentence of eternity in Hell hanging over them. Ironically, the acceptance of the existence of a Creator which they believe would take away their freedom is the only way that they can ever truly be made free.
There is another video series on Evolution Vs Creation which is produced by a man by the name of Kent Hovind. Dr. Hovind is so passionate about Creation Evangelism that the has offered one million dollars to anyone who could prove the theory of evolution through science. This offer has stood for several years and Dr. Hovind’s money is still safe in his own bank account. This series that Dr. Hovind has produced goes into much more detail than the video provided with thic coruse. Dr. Hovind’s series on Creation Evangelism consist of seven DVD’s which is about fifteen hours of hard evidence for scientific support of Creation.
Sometimes being a good witness can simply mean giving someone a video or other documentation which will present the facts better than we ourselves are able to express them.
Agnostics
“Agnostic” means unknowable or without knowledge. Agnostics are similar to Atheist but stop short of believing with all certainty that there is no God. While they are not convinced that God exist, they are not willing to drive the final nail in the coffin by saying that God absolutely does not exist. They believe the existence of God is unknowable. Spiritually speaking they are no better off than the Atheist. Because they fall short of claiming that there is no God, they may not be as much of a challenge as the Atheist in terms of both being willing to listen to a witness for Christ and in terms of convincing them of the reality of the Gospel and their need for a savior.
Just like the Atheist, they tend to rely heavily on science and logic for the basis of their beliefs. Therefore evngelism by way of the Creation Science may be a good method of witnessing to this person. Those who at least have an intellectual belief in God and the truth of the gospel may be persuaded by the gosple itself, but if a person does not believe the bible, the use of scripture alone in the beginning will probably not be very effective. Once they are convinced the bible is true by using science to support what the bible says, then they may be more persuaded by scripture alone.
The Saved
Most of the time when we think of witnessing to someone, we think about witnessing to the lost. However, the redeemed also need a form of witnessing from time to time. When we are grief-stricken we need to be comforted. When we are discoraged, we need to be encouraged. When we are doing things or behaving contrary to the teachings of the gospel, we need to be rebuked. When we are weak, we need to hear words that give us the strength to carry on. These are all a form of witnessing and pertain to the born again Christian.
The Baby Christian
This is a group that is often over-looked in terms of their needs. We pray and we witness to the lost and when we are blessed to see one of them get saved, we tend to stop praying for them and witnessing to them. The baby Christian needs the council and encouragement of seasoned Christians. Temptation is a major issue that the new Christian has to deal with. Of course temptation is an issue for every Christian, but especially so for the new Christian. If the Devil can quickly persuade a new Christian to submit to temptation before he gets rooted and well grounded in the word, he is more likely to stay there longer and perhaps even doubt his salvation. Once in this condition, his testimony is tainted, his light is dimmed, his passion to serve God is weakened and he sets a poor example for both other new Christians and the lost who recall his proclamation to be a Christian, yet see him living contrary to that claim.
If we are ever blessed to lead someone to Christ, we ought to take a special interest in that person’s spiritual growth and continue to counsel, teach and encourage them. There are a lot of lost people in the world and we need all the help we can get in winning them for Christ, so if we win a soul for Christ, we should help them to grow in their Christian walk so that they may soon become a soul winner as well.
The Disheartened Christian
Many of the groups of people discussed in this section of “To Whom Do We Witness” are difficult to witness to. With some there is even a certain dread to even approach them due to the anticipated response we will receive. This group, however should be the easiest group of all to witness to. This is because these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ who are not only in need of some words of comfort and encouragement, but will most likely be very receptive and even desire to hear comforting words of kindness and encouragement from another Christian. As Christians with hearts of love and compassion, we grieve with our brothers and sisters in their time of grief and desire to be a source of comfort to them in their time of heartache.
Since this group are those whom we desire to comfort and they desire our words of comfort, the only thing left to discuss here is just how do we be an effective source of comfort to them. First of all, any words at all that shows that you care will be comforting to them. A simple, “I love you” means so much to someone who is in a grievous or discouraged state. Beyond this simple, yet effective witness, it depends on what they are going through as to what words will be the most comforting or encouraging. For instance, if someone is grieving over the loss of a loved one through death, we can remind them of God’s promises for the believer. The bible tells us very directly how we may comfort one another in this particular situation.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18For the greatest impact it is recommended that scriptures be quoted as written which scriptural reference given. This of course would require memorizing some verses, but once memorized, it may surprise you how well you can retain it and it will be well worth the effort of memorizing them. Of course, if you can not memorize the scripture you can paraphrase it so long as you do not alter the meaning. It will still be a great comfort to anyone who has lost a loved one.
The knowledge that death is not the end for the believer and that there is a glorious reunion day ahead for the children of God is a tremendous comfort. It is true that in ministering these things to another Christian, you are most likely not telling them anything they don’t already know. However, is often great comfort in hearing the things you already know. There are people in our lives that we know love us, yet we like to hear them tell us they love us.
Unfortunately, sometimes a Christian will loose a loved one whom as far as they know was lost, in which case these scriptures of promise of that great reunion day does not apply. How can we possibly be a comfort to someone in this situation? Beyond letting them know that we love them and are praying for them there is very little that we can say or do that will bring comfort to them. We can tell them that only God knows who is truly saved and who is not. God can send peace where it seems impossible to have peace. There is a time for mourning however and it’s something we must endure. It’s part of this life, but praise God there is a day coming when all tears will be wiped from our eyes.
There are many other things which can cause a Christian to be disheartened. It could a battle of faith, family problems, finances, uncertainty about what God wants them to do. It should be noted that in cases such as these it could be that God is purposely allowing the person to go through a trial for a reason that only He knows. God’s word is full of encouragement for those who are going through a valley. As Christians with a responsibility to be a light unto the world and to be a help to one another we ought to make it a point to learn and memorize a few of them. When we carry God’s word in our heart, we will always be ready and prepared to offer God’s words of encouragement to the bereaved. Here are just a few scriptures that provide strength, comfort, and encouragement.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philipians 4:13For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:5Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Psalm 37:25God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Corinthians 2:9And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4Notice that some of these scriptures offer comfort or encouragement in the context of God being our help and a deliverer from our troubles pertaining to this earthly life. Other scriptures however, offer comfort in the context of our troubles in this life being a temporary condition and better life awaits us after this one.
Being a help to our Christian brothers and sisters is primarily reminding them of what God has already said. There is nothing we can add of our own words that could be any more comforting than what is already in the bible.
The Christian Out of Fellowship with God
The condition of being out of fellowship with God would include the backslider, the luke-warm Christian and perhaps other sub categories as well. There is probably as much or more in common with these conditions than there are differences. They surely have a common need. Therefore, for the purpose of this study they are all grouped into this one descriptive category of “The Christian Out of Fellowship with God”.
It may often be difficult or even impossible to distinguish those who are out of fellowship with God from those who have a false conversion. Therefore, it may be appropriate to witness in both capacities. One possible distinguishing factor separating the false converter from the one who is out of fellowship is that “out of fellowship” suggests that a person was once “in” fellowship, but has since moved “out” of fellowship, whereas the false converter has “never” been in fellowship. Of course this distinguishing factor would only apply if you have known a person long enough to have witnessed the transformation from being in fellowship to being out of fellowship. This discerning factor may also not apply to the “luke-warm Christian who although as been saved has simply not experienced any spiritual growth. In any case we can not know for sure the spiritual condition of another person. All we are able to see is that the claim to be a born again child of God is not compatible with their lifestyle. Fortunately that is all we need to know to witness and offer spiritual guidence.
To better understand just what it means to be out of fellowship with God, we can take a look at what it means to be IN fellowship with God. On the next page is a list of some attributes of a Christian in fellowship with God.
There are two main conditions that result in a person being out of fellowship with God, which are:
Ignorance
Ignorance simply means “lack of knowledge”. They simply don’t know any better. This may be a result of poor teaching and evangelism which sadly is common in the modern Christian church today. See the DVD set “Does the Truth Matter Anymore” for greater insight on this issue.
Apathy means “not caring”. This is a much sadder condition than ignorance. Knowledge can fix ignorance, but apathy is of the heart rather than the mind. Apathy has to do with attitude rather than intellect. An apathetic attitude is much more difficult to fix than an ignorant mind. An apathetic church will result in both ignorant and apathetic Christians.Since “fellowship” itself is a heart issue, apathy is most likely to be a contributing factor in any case of a person being out of fellowship, even when ignorance is also a contributing factor. Consider that the attributes of a Christian in fellowship listed on the previous page are changes that occur in the heart of a person when they are saved. These changes are a work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, even if a person is somewhat ignorant due to poor teaching and evangelism, a truly saved individual should still have some level of these attributes, which are identifiable of a Christian in fellowship with God. Considering that these attributes of a Christian are instilled in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit Himself, the question may arise, “How and why do these attributes sometimes fade or vanish away if they are placed there by God?” The answer is that although God will certainly help us to grow spiritually and does indeed work on our hearts, we still have a free will. Remember the parable of the seed sewer. Temptations and sin can blind us and change our focus from the things of God to the things of this world. If you stay there too long, apathy begins to fester in our hearts and we soon move from the condition of being a stumbling Christian to one who has stumbled completely off the path and is no longer in fellowship with God.
How do we witness to such a person? If ignorance is a factor in someone being out of fellowship, they may not even realize that they are out of fellowship unless someone points it out to them. A problem in approaching such a person with the intent to help them see their condition is that they may see you as being judgmental and therefore may even believe that YOU are the one who needs to be counseled (see the next section on “Don’t Judge Me!”). If a person is ignorant of the attributes of a Christian to the point that they don’t see their own true condition, they will probably not have much conviction or understanding on pride and humility either. Therefore will not be very open to any counsel that they perceive to have remnants of criticism.
It is best not to approach them in a way that reveals an intent to counsel them. Having a conversation on the issues at hand may be enough to the person to realize where they stand with God. Sometimes however, people just don’t get it and you may eventually have to let them know that the issue applies to them. There is no guarantee that the person will receive the counsel with humility and appreciation once they see that the discussion is directed to them personally.Let’s take a look at an example of this method of witnessing used in the bible. In 2 Samuel we find David’s friend and advisor Nathan, confronting him regarding his sin of adultery with Bathseba and the murder of her husband Uriah.
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
1 Samuel 12:1-7Notice that Nathan did not directly confront David with his sin at first. He first let him see the sin (the wrong that was done) before making the point that it was HE that was guilty. Due to our prideful nature, we have a tendency to see the falts of others easier than we see our own. If we can get a person to first see the sin prior to letting them see that they are the one to whom it applies, they may see the sin (or lack of fellowship) in its true light. It’s too late then to deny any wrong has been done when they learn they are the guilty party since they have already acknowledged it prior to realizing it applied to them.
As previously stated, you may not have to go as far as to make it clear that the person being witnessed to is one you are concerned about. As you discuss the attributes of a Christian in fellowship, they may begin to see that they do not have the character traits of a Christian in fellowship and perhaps even acknowledge that fact to you. If so there’s no point to press further. Once they realize they are out of fellowship, it is really up to them to come clean with God. Your work is done.
If a person seems to get upset when you try to witness to them about these things, it does not necessarily mean that it was all in vain. Sometimes a person getting upset is just an initial response brought on by pride. Because of your witness they may begin a self evaluation and later by the work of the Holy Spirit using the counsel that you provided they may come to accept the fact that you were right and result in that person repenting and coming back into fellowship with God. Whether they receive your counsel well or not and whether or not they later accept the things you have shown them, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Our job is to be a light which exposes truth. What a person does with that truth is between them and God. This does not mean we should have a care free attitude about however. If we desire the best for Christian brothers and sisters we will desire and pray that they will come to see the truth and return to fellowship with God. In any event, to not argue with them if they become upset. Just leave and let God use what you have given them.
We should also consider that if a person is out of fellowship with God, it could be a sign that there is something troubling them that we do not know about and therefore they may need the counsel of the “disheartened Christian” as presented in the previous section. In fact that may be the best place to begin.
Don’t Judge Me!
If you’re an active witness for Christ, you’re bound to hear those words sooner or later. You are about as likely to hear it coming from a Christian as you are someone who is lost. Judging others is a very misunderstood thing. If you’re attempting to counsel, rebuke or perhaps even when talk to a lost person abut his condition, someone may make the accusation that you are judging them. Casting judgment is a very misunderstood thing among many Christians as well as the lost. The confusion is often in the context of discerning the difference in rebuke or correction and judging. God’s word certainly teaches against judging another person.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Matthew 7:1-4“Judge not” is not a restriction of all judgement. There are different kinds of judgement, some of which we are not only permitted to carry out but even instructed to carry out.
One type of judgement that we are permitted and instructed to perform is judging ourselves in the form of self examination.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1 Corinthians 11:31If we judge ourselves, we see and acknowledge our sins, failures, and faults. We can then repent and seek the Lords forgiveness and He will forgive us. In this context, judging ourselves is no more than seeing our sins, then acknowledging and confession our sins
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9We need to examine ourselves in humility and with honesty periodically to see where we are in relation to God’s will. Sometimes we do things without giving much thought to God’s will and how the things we say or do measure up to God’s instruction. If we take the time to really look at our actions and how they stand when they are put up against God’s word we will often find we have fallen short. Finding these things is good however, because once we see them when the light of God’s word shows them to us, we can repent and have a closer walk with God. We can also learn from them and therefore become a better Christian and also be a help to others. We have to see it first and we usually will not see these things unless we are purposeful in searching for them as in examining ourselves as instructed in the above scripture.
As Christians, we also have the authority to judge things. It should be noted here that people are not things.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1 Corinthians 2:15As Christians, we have the authority and responsibility to rebuke our brothers and sisters when we witness their transgressions.
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
1 Timothy 5:20Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2 Timothy 4:2For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
Titus 1:10-13These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Titus 2:15How can we rebuke someone for their words or actions if we do not first judge those words or actions to be unholy? Rebuke is Not the same as judging another. The judging we do that leads to rebuke is the judgement of behaviors, but not of men. Calling someone’s attention to sinful behaviors (rebuke) is done out of love with the motive that the rebuke will help that person see their sin so that they may repent and turn away from that sin. It is better to endure with humility the rebuke of a brother, than to endure with shame the judgement of God.
Casting judgement on another which is the type of judgement that is condemned in these scriptures is to take authority that we do not have.. For example if we say to someone that God is angry with you, or God will punish you for a certain behavior or sin, then we are taking authority that we do not have. We do not know the mind of God.
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Colossians 2:2Also, the bible tells us that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. God is under no authority to adhere to a standard that man regards as being fair.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Romans 9:15Therefore, it is God’s decision and His only on how He chooses to deal with a sinner on an individual basis. We have no power nor any right to condemn nor say that will do or not do regarding how God will deal with an individual. We do however have the authority to warn people about the consequences of sin by sharing with them the things God says in His word. For example, if we have certain knowledge that an individual is breaking the church covenant by consuming alcohol as a beverage. We have no authority to tell this person that God is going to punish him nor can we condemn him. We can however remind him that he took an oath when he joined the church to abstain from the use of alcohol as a beverage and we can share with him what God’s word says about lying, taking oaths, and consuming strong drink. Then, once he has this knowledge or is reminded of these things, God may use it to deal with this person in whatever way He chooses. Our job in terms of witnessing and rebuke is to point out the teachings of God’s word and then let God deal with them. Our job is not to judge or condemn.
Verses one and two warn us of the consequences of casting judgement on another.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Matthew 7:1-2Take special note of the second verse… “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” This verse tells us that by the same compassion we have toward others, that will be the level of compassion shown toward us by God. This teaching is also found in one of the beatitudes in chapter (5).
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Matthew 5:7In addition to these very direct scriptures, God’s word also provides us with an entire parable to illustrate this principle.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Matthew 18:23-35Look again at versus 3 and 4.
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Matthew 7:3-4Here, Jesus is talking about our unworthiness to judge others due to our own corruptible nature. Can you imagine a judge in a court of law with a long criminal past of committing larceny, sitting in judgement of another for the same crime? He would not be worthy to judge such a person because he himself has committed the same crime for which he would be handing down judgement against another. We would waste no time is concluding that this was not fair, unethical, hypocritical, and a mockery of justice. Yet, when we cast judgement on another for their sins, we are doing that very same thing, while not seeing that we are just like the court judge described above. We are all guilty of sin and therefore are unworthy to point a condemning finger at another for their sin. Only our Lord is worthy to judge because He though faced all the temptations that we face, never sinned.
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
James 4:11-12Verse 5 reads…
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:5As previously stated, there is a difference between rebuke or counseling and judging. Although rebuke and counseling may be appropriate at times, we need to keep our own lives in check before we can be effective counselors or suitable to rebuke another. Otherwise we are only hypocrites when we point out another persons short comings when there is sin in our own lives. We need to live soberly, striving to please God in all our ways in order to be used by God to help another in this way.
Look at verse 6…
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Matthew 7:6There is no rebuke, counsel, or correction to be made to those who have willfully rejected the message of the gospel. They are lost and even if they were to change their behavior while still rejecting the message of the gospel, they would still be condemned. You can not rebuke a lost man for mowing his yard on Sunday. They law has no effect on him. There is no desire in him to be obedient to God and follow His ways. Therefore, rebuke and counsel offer no conviction to this person. A person needs to be saved before obedience to God will have any real meaning. We can still pray for this person and we can even witness to him, but it is pointless to offer corrective counsel to him. If he is lost and he mows his yard on Sunday, he is on his way to Hell, and if he is lost and does not mow his yard on Sunday, he is still on his way to Hell.
Consider verses 7-11…
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:7-11Ask, seek, and knock are things that we as Christians should be purposely doing to have the strength, wisdom, and courage to serve our Lord in accordance to His will. Our pastor has preached many times that we were not saved to simply occupy a pew. We are to SERVE or Lord. That means we are to find things to do in service to him. This scripture tells us that we can have opportunities to serve him IF we will ask, IF we will seek and IF we will knock. God will give the person with the willing heart a job to do in serving him. We need to grow as Christians so that we can continuously grow in our service to Him. Growth comes from study, meditation, prayer, desire, faith, and simply doing. The final verses above promise that when we ask, seek, and knock, we will be given what we need in order to serve Him. These verses leave us with no excuse for not serving the Lord in some capacity. His promises here let us know that he will supply all we need. All we have to do is desire it enough to ask, seek, and knock.
Things Which Blind Us From Seeing the Truth
Certain human tendencies can cause people to be blinded to the truth. Just being aware of them and being conscious of how they can deceive will lessen the chances of being affected by them as a person seeks truth through the study of God’s word.
Let’s take a look at each of these characteristics to see how they may hinder a person from seeing the truth.
Tradition
Some people were surrounded by others through out their childhood who did not believe in eternal security. There is a natural tendency to accept as truth those things that are familiar to us and so many beliefs are then passed on from generation to generation. The truth however is independent of any beliefs. The truth is what it is.
Tradition is a major problem because when a person is exposed to the truth which conflicts with their beliefs derived from tradition, it means that not only were they misguided, but also that the ones passing on this information were also misguided. Misconception begets misconception.
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
Luke 6:39Unfortunately, until someone seeks the truth in God’s word for themselves and is willing to accept the truth over tradition, the misconceptions of tradition will continue to be passed along.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
Psalms 118:8 (center verse of the bible)But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Matthew 15:3…Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Matthew 15:6And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Matthew 7:9Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8Pride
Pride will cause a Christian to stumble in everything he does. The bible teaches that we are to be humble. It is impossible to be humble and have self pride at the same time.. This doesn’t mean you can not be proud of your children or take pride in your work, but when we have the self serving form of pride where we think too highly of ourselves, then it becomes more important to us to be right than to know the truth.. When we are too proud to humble ourselves before God and too proud to yield our own thoughts and opinions to God’s word, we are blinded by our pride and unable to see the truth revealed in His word.
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Psalm 40:4These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying toungue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ….
Proverbs 16:17Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 16:5Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 16:19But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4:6Seeking Comfort Over Truth
Some people believe what they choose to believe because they are more comfortable with their own belief than they would be with the truth.. They will often attempt to justify their beliefs by taking scripture out of context.
Sometimes we find scripture that makes us feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it is because we find the scriptures conflict with our lifestyle or perhaps they are uncomfortable for us because they conflict with old beliefs passed to us through tradition. It is tempting when we come upon such scriptures to read into them what we would rather they say. We will take the scripture out of context or add or delete from them in an attempt to sculpt the scripture into something we can accept a little easier. When we do this, we only deceive ourselves. We have not changed God’s standard nor his will even the slightest bit, but have only hindered ourselves from meeting that standard by changing it in our minds.
Trying to make God’s word conform to our human sense of logic and understanding can only lead to further misunderstanding. We should accept God’s word as true, just as it is, even if it is beyond our understanding. Once accepting God’s word as true, continue studying to acquire understanding. We must not postpone our acceptance until we have understanding. The truth is independent of our understanding.
We should never add nor detract from God’s word. Accept it as it is whether we understand it or not. Accept it as it is whether you are comfortable with it or not. Seek truth before comfort. If the truth makes you uncomfortable, then you need to examine yourself to determine why it makes you feel uncomfortable. God’s word, when read with the willingness to accept all of its hard truths can and will move us out of our comfort zone at times. It is not for our misery, but for our edification. In the end, with a little humility, we learn, grow, and move closer to God in our Christian walk. We first must accept it as truth and just let the power of God’s word work on us.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12Placing Too Much Emphasis on Logic
Some try to lean on their own understanding rather than realizing that we can not always understand God’s ways and that we are to accept God’s word as truth even when it does not seem to be logical to us.
Some things we will never completely understand this side of eternity. God and logic do not mix very well. It is not logical that all of creation could be spoken into existence, or that the red sea could part, or that dead people could rise and live again. Yet it is all true. If you rely on logic or scientific principles to prove or support the events of the bible, you will probably never believe very much of it. This is where faith comes in. Faith is believing in the things that is beyond our ability to explain or understand. The bible defines faith in this way:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1In order to prevent these barriers from being a hindrance to us in our search for the truth, we must be purposeful in seeking truth above satisfaction. As you study God’s word, remember to apply these principles:
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Zechariah 7:11What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears thato they shuld not hear;) unto this day.
Romans 1:7-8No one is as blind as he who will not see.
Debating Doctrine
It has been said that Christians are not to argue over scripture and doctrine. I have not seen it in God's word but that doesn't mean it is not there, and it does seem to be logical. If nothing else God's word teaches against arguing period, and that would include arguing over scripture and doctrine. The scriptures which teach against arguing are usually covered under the category of strife, anger, and the sins of the tongue and can be found in Proverbs. It is covered in many passages of the New Testament as well. Also there is the teaching against judging one another which can be conceived in arguing about doctrine.
Having discussions where opposing views are expressed however, is not the same as arguing. I suppose the discerning factor which separates discussing and arguing would be temperament and motive. When things are discussed with both parties observing humility, patience, and general politeness, and the motive is to both learn, teach and be a help to the other and not to exalt oneself by "winning" the debate; then I believe such discussions can be beneficial.
While God's word may condemn the practice of judging other people and arguing over scripture, Godly discussion of scripture, even in the context of sharing opposing views it is not only void of condemnation but perhaps even sanctified by God's word. When done in this manner, such discussions fall under teaching, counseling, and edifying. The following scriptures seem to substantiate this idea.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
(Proverbs 1:5)The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Proverbs 1:7)Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
(Proverbs 11:14)The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
(Proverbs 12:15)There are many more scriptures in Proverbs that speak on the benefits of counsel as well as in Psalms and actually throughout the bible. I will not list them all here, but enough has been shown to make the point that counsel and instruction when sound is a good thing. Unfortunately many times if a person attempts to provide counsel he is accused of judging. Judging and counsel are not the same thing. That is another topic however. It should also be noted taht when it comes to casting judgment, it is the judging of people that is condemed and not the judging of things such as doctrine. The following scriptures support this statement.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
(1 Corrinthians 2:15)Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
(1 John 4:1)It seems that most of the time whenever two people are in disagreement in the interpretation of scripture, both sides will leave the discussion still clinging to his or her own original belief regardless of what biblically sound points may have been made by the person with the opposing view. I believe this is due mainly because of a little thing called pride. No one likes to be wrong. We all would prefer to be correct in our understanding. It is ironic then that someone who has a flawed or incorrect understanding may have the opportunity to come out of their deceit and step into a true understanding by the counsel of another, yet pride will sometimes cause a person to cling to an untrue interpretation. So then, to benefit from sound counsel a person must first have the humility to receive and accept it even when it is in conflict with an understanding that has been carried around for a very long time.
This is why it is so important that when people are involved in discussions of interpretation of scripture that they conduct themselves in a humble way. It is much easier for the person with the deceitful understanding to yield to the truth when the truth is presented in a humble way. So we must avoid harsh tones, condescending remarks, expressions of frustration such as eye rolling and head shaking when having these discussions. Otherwise, the person on the receiving end of our instruction, may not receive our instruction out of shear prideful defiance. That is a very real and admittedly flawed aspect of human nature and we should always be sensitive to it when having discussions where we are in disagreement.
There is a particular situation however when sharp rebuke is more appropriate than being soft spoken. This situation is when someone is misleading others by teaching and witnessing a corrupt doctrine.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. 12One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Titus 1:10-14It is also important to be open minded and humble enough to realize that we don't always truly know what we think we know and it could be us who should be receiving the truth in the discussion. It could be us who needs to be set free from deceit rather than the other person.
How then do we know whether it is the other person or ourselves who has the flawed understanding? Well the scriptures taken in proper context reveal truth. Some views are based largely on tradition, logic, feelings, etc... with just a dab of truth sprinkled on, but not applied correctly or wholly. When such views are found to be in conflict with God's word, then God's word must prevail.
Sometimes both views may be based on scripture and there seems to be no resolution to the disagreement. In such cases the two parties should depart in peace and commit to further study. There will be times when both parties are very sure that they are the ones with the correct understanding and both parties believe their view is well grounded in God's word and therefore neither party is willing to let go. In such cases, I believe both parties should respect the other person's view and continue in brotherly love and fellowship without negative feelings and each go in peace. Sometimes that is all we can do. God may then at a later time reveal His truth to whomever is in need of it.
Sometimes in these cases, it is a third party who may benefit the most. Someone who is in a neutral position who has not already made up their mind in not subject to the blinding affect of bias and pride. They are like a jury hearing a court case. They are able to hear both sides and objectively analyze the points from both sides, see how it fits in with the word of God and arrive at a well informed conclusion. They may even end up with a more accurate and sound understanding than either of the parties who were discussing the issue because they may see the relevant points of truth on BOTH sides of the issue and therefore come away with a third view which is the most accurate of all.To summarize:
Methods of Witnessing
The most common method of witnessing to someone is simply by verbal communication. It surely must be the oldest method and in many cases is the most effective. There are other methods however that may be as effective or even more effective in certain circumstances. For instance a person that may not be willing to listen to someone in person may be willing to read a piece of literature, watch a video, or listen to an audio recording. Sometimes a combination of methods may be the most effective. If we give someone a piece of media to read, view, or listen to first, then approach them later to witness verbally, they may have questions about what they read, heard, or watched than can be addressed. Giving a person some form of media first, may spark an interest that would not be there otherwise.
This same tactic may also work in reverse, whereas you would witness verbally first, and then leave them with some literature or other media to further minister to them long after you are gone.
Witnessing Verbally
Ironically, the same thing that can make verbal witnessing the most effective method in some circumstances, can make it the least effective in other circumstances. Verbal witnessing is the most personal. The right tone of voice coupled with a friendly smile can allow a person to see that we sincerely care about their condition which is a witness in itself. By contrast the wrong tone of voice, facial expression, and gestures can project a condescending or even arrogant attitude. We should always be aware of the unspoken messages projected by our countenance.
Sharing the Gospel
It is good to tell people what the bible says, but it is better to show them. There is something about seeing God’s word in print with our own eyes that makes it more real and powerful. We MUST use scripture when we witness whether it is quoted, shown, or paraphrased. This way, it is clear that the things we say are not simply our opinion or our philosophy but rather it is the word of Almighty God. For this reason we need to study God’s word. We can not teach what we do not know and we can not share what we do not have. We should carry a bible in our car being always ready to share the gospel. Don’t get ready to witness, STAY ready to witness! Staying ready would also mean that we should learn some key versus that are applicable to common life situations. For example, we should learn a few scriptures that show God’s plan of salvation (many gospel tracts will contain these key versus). We should also learn a few versus that pertain to comforting the disheartened as well as God’s promises for the redeemed. If we can not learn the scriptures well enough to quote them we should at least learn them well enough to describe their meaning and know the chapter and verse where they are found.
Be very careful about mixing in your own opinions and philosophies. Be ready to back up the things you say with scripture (you may be challenged to do just that). If you encounter someone teaching or spreading ideas and theology that you do not believe are in line with God’s word, challenge them to show you in God’s word how it supports what they are saying. If they are not able to show that God’s word supports what they are saying, you have the authority of God’s word given to every believer to rebuke them.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. 12One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Titus 1:10-14This is not to say that we should go around looking for fault, its just saying that we hould stand firm on God’s word being ready and willing to defend the truth of God’s word. Likewise if we should encounter a fellow Christian who is sharing the gospel accurately we should support him. Just a simple “Amen” spoken in support of someone sharing the gospel with others not only strengthens and encourages our brothers and sisters who are witnessing, but when spoken in the presence of those hearing his witness it strengthens the impact it has on those who are listening. It serves to add a bit of credibility to what is being taught.
Sharing Your Testimony
Depending upon the particular need or circumstance, sometimes it may be appropriate to share a portion of your testimony, while other times it may be more appropriate to share your testimony in its entirety. A complete testimony will consist of five parts which are:
1. Your life before salvation
Of course everyone’s life is different, but one thing is common about everyone’s testimony, which is the fact that before we were saved we were lost without hope and on our way to Hell and we did not have God in our lives to help us through life’s hardships, tragedies, and times of grief.2. Your time of conviction
For some this period of conviction may be years, while for others it was minutes. In any case, there was a time when God dealt with their heart. Some struggle and wrestle with it, while others submit to it with little to no resistance. Either way, this is a very important part of our testimony.3. The time of your salvation
This is when intellectual belief becomes heart felt belief. This is when the casual intent to be saved “someday” takes on a sense of absolute urgency when a person realizes what is at stake and realizes that time to accept God’s gift of salvation could run out at any time. This is when being put out of Hells flame becomes more important than the concern of what others may think. This is when pride gives way to humility. It’s the moment when blinded eyes are opened and a person sees their self and their true condition. It’s the moment when a sinner comes broken and full of shame and falls on his knees in a beggar’s position and cries out to God with a confessing and sincere heart of repentance, pleading for God to forgive him and save his soul. It’s the moment when God hears that prayer and responds immediately by applying his son’s blood to a sinner’s soul. It’s the moment when the sinner is transformed into a saint and he comes off his knees a new creature with victory in his soul. It is a moment of simultaneous death and new birth. It’s the moment when a child of Hell becomes a child of God. It’s when tears of sorrow fall from the cheek and become tears of joy before they hit the floor. Or for a less dramatic way of putting all this, it’s the moment that God saved your soul.4. Your life after salvation
This is the part of a testimony which paints a picture of the new creature. It tells how God has worked in our life, changing our desires, convicting us of our sins, giving us peace in the midst of our tribulations and grief and all the other blessing that come with simply being a Child of God.5. God’s promises to you after this life is over
This is every Christian’s testimony. Eternal life filled with unspeakable joy. This part of our testimony is powerful also. Who wouldn’t want eternal life filled with joy?Printed Literature
As previously stated, the same person who may not be willing to hear a verbal witness, may be willing to read some literature. Gospel tracts are good because they are short and to the point. Gospel tracts can be found on many subjects including salvation, sin, alcohol and drugs, grief, peace, and more. Often those tracts that are not dedicated entirely to the topic of salvation such as the ones on alcohol and drugs will have a section covering salvation.
Gospel tracts may be found at most churches and are free. It is a good idea to always have a few gospel tracts on hand to give out when there is an opportunity. It may also be a great idea to carry an extra copy or two of the current church newsletter. When we witness to a person who is lost or perhaps even saved but out of church, it is a great idea to invite them to church before you leave them. As you invite them to church, you can hand them a church newsletter that will tell them something about the church and will usually make them feel welcome.
The internet is a good source for printed articles on may topics of Christianity. Beware that not all articles pertaining to Christianity on the internet or otherwise is sound doctrine. Be selective. Read the articles yourself before you download them for distribution. One recommended source of articles having sound doctrine can be found on the web site www.thelighthouse1.com created by yours truly. There you will find articles on many different subjects pertaining to Christian issues as well as all the Sunday School lessons that are prepared for the Men’s Sunday School class at Freedom Baptist Church (these lessons are applicable to females as well)
Other Media
Video DVD’s, VHS video tapes, audio CD’s, and audio cassette tapes are other ways of sharing the gospel. As previously stated, some people are not willing to hear a verbal witness, but they may not like to read either. Sometimes this person is more willing to hear an audio or view a video recording. Just as with printed literature, we should also beware that not all audio and video recordings are of sound doctrine either and we should therefore be selective in choosing these forms of media as well.
An excellent source for video teachings of the gospel can be found on the web site of “Cross TV” at www.crosstv.com, Cross TV has offers DVD’s and VHS tapes in a series they call “Word Pictures”. The teachings are accurate and of uncompromising sound doctrine.
Recall that a significant difference in verbal witnessing and witnessing by distribution of printed material is that verbal witnessing is more personal which may be a benefit in some situations, but be a hindrance in other situations. A video or audio recording may offer the best of both. A video may have the quality of presenting a “tell it like it is” type of message which may be what some need to hear, yet without the risk of being offensive and conjuring up resentment like a personal encounter might cause.
Many churches including Freedom Baptist routinely record their church services. This is a way of taking real preaching to someone who is not in church either by choice or inability. Some church services stand out in some way. Sometimes it’s the message, other times its testimonies, or just a powerful spirit that is upon the congregation. When we experience one of these exceptional services, we can request a recording of the service to pass on to someone who was not present. Even if you do not have a particular person in mind, you can still request a tape to give away at a later time when a need presents itself. Audio church service are also available at the light house web site: www.thelighthouse1.com. With today’s computer technology, we can even send audio files through e-mail or download them to burn on a CD. The Lord has provided an abundance of technology for spreading the gospel and it is a real shame if we do not use it.
Music has the ability to appeal to our heart while ministering to our soul. People have been saved in church services where the only ministering was done through the lyrics of songs. Even lost people sometimes enjoy some gospel music. Some gospel music contain strong gospel messages. Many gospel singing groups do not mind copies being made of their recordings for the purpose of spreading the gospel. Keeping a CD or two on hand to give to someone who would enjoy it and benefit from the ministry of the music is another good method of spreading the gospel. If it turns out that they like the CD, then they may be willing to attend a service where that particular group will be singing. Once in the service they may be exposed to the testimonies of the singers and congretation and perhaps even hear preaching of the gospel. Gospel music is an excellent witnessing tool.
Living a Godly Life
Living a Godly life dedicated and committed to serving our Lord and living in accordance with the principles revealed in His word is extremely important to our ability to be an effective witness. People are watching our lives more closely than we may realize. There is a lot of talk about hypocrites among the lost. If you think about it, this talk must originate from them watching the lives of Christians and making the determination that their lives do not line up with their claims.
Once a person has been reputed as being a hypocrite, his credibility as a Christian and as a witness for Christ is all but destroyed. How can and why should anyone take us seriously when we witness to them about being saved when they are not able to see Christ living in us? People should not judge, but people do.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:2For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Titus 1:7Not only does living a Godly life enable us to be a credible witness, but living a Godly life is a witness of itself. Living a Godly life allows the lost to see the difference that Christ makes in our lives, especially if they knew us before we were saved. It provides them with a living illustration of the Christian being a new creature which adds reality to the gospel.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17Living a Godly life also provides both the lost and other Christians with living example of how Christians are to live. If another Christian is living contrary to Christian principles in any way and they the difference in our life compared to their own, it can serve to show them the error of their ways and bring conviction. Once convicted, they may be motivated to repentance and return to living a life in fellowship with God, after which they too will be an example for others.
The Proper Order of Things
One of the most common mistakes people make in witnessing, particularly to the lost, is not following the proper order of things. For a person to come to accept Christ as their savior, there is a progressive process that takes place. This is especially true for the person who has had no religious training or prior knowledge of the gospel.
It does not make good sense to try convincing a person to accept Jesus as their savior if they have not first come to realize that they are lost and therefore in need of a savior. It does not make sense to try convincing someone that they need a savior based on biblical teachings if they have not first been convinced that the bible is true.
Many people say that the first step in a person being saved is to realize they are lost. Actually the first step is to believe the bible is indeed the inspired Word of God and is true from front to back and can be trusted without exception. Then and only then will the scriptures have the power to convince a person that they are lost and on their way to Hell without the saving grace of God through their faith in Jesus Christ. Mnay lost people already accept the bible as being true and trustworthy. For this person, the next step is indeed to realize they are lost. In this case the first step is not eliminated, it’s simply already been accomplished. For the lost person who already believes the bible is true and already understands that they are lost, the next step is to understand God’s plan of salvation and the penalty for failing to accept Christ as their savior. Again, the first two steps of the process is not eliminated, but in their case are already accomplished, enabling the witness to begin ministering at a more advanced point of the process. This is why good witnessed which follows the proper order of things will begin with questions to determine what the person’s lever of understanding is. Otherwise it is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who has never learned basic math. Below is a list of the progressive steps required for a person to be saved.
1. Believe the bible is 100% true, accurate, and can be trusted without exception.
This first step is absolutely necessary. Without a person completes this first step, the next steps can not be accomplished. Fortunately it seems that even among most lost people there is already at least an intellectual or partial belief that the bible is true with the exception of Atheist and Agnostics. We must be sure however that this first step has been accomplished prior to further witnessing. Simply ask the question. If it turns out that the person needs some convincing in this area, the techniques of Creation Evangelism as previously discussed and discussed more in the next section is a good starting point. Other proven effective methods of proving the bible’s authenticity is through archeological findings and prophecy. There are some excellent videos available from Cross TV that use scientific evidence along with historical records to prove the bible’s authenticity.2. Knowing and accepting that they are lost and in need of a savior.
Once a person believes the bible is 100% true, this and the subsequent steps may all be accomplished by using God’s word to prove the point. Appicable scriptures to prove this point of being lost without Christ are as follows:But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away
Isaiah 64:6If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us
John 1:8As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:10
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:233. Understanding that God desires to save them
This is important for the sinner to know because as depicted in the section “Misconceptions of the Lost” some people believe they have sinned too much to be saved. They either believe that they have sinned so bad or so much that God will not save them or that because of the abundance and severity of their sin, they are beyond God’s ability to cleanse them. Here are some scripture that shows that God is willing to save them.The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13Be sure to emphasize the point that there is no “but” or “except for” in those scriptures and they can be trusted exactly as they are written and “whosoever” means whosoever
4. Understanding God’s plan of salvation.
Just as important as understanding God’s plan of salvation is understanding that God’s plan of salvation is the one and only plan of salvation.Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
John 10:1Understanding that there is only one way to salvation is important because although they may believe the bible is true and they may know they are lost, they could be deceived by a corrupt doctrine into believing there is an alternative way to be saved. Some people desire to have a relationship with God but they want God on their own terms. They shop for a religion as though they were shopping for a garment, looking for something that fits their lifestyle. They may see the doctrine of true Christianity as being too strict and incompatible with their own desires. Therefore unless they understand that God’s way of salvation is the one and only way to be saved, they may seek for a religion that they perceive as being more tolerant.
A portion of God’s plan of salvation has already been covered in this section such as the need to believe God’s word is true and acknowledgement that we are all sinners. The only thing to add here to those two steps is that the belief must be a HEART felt belief and acknowledgement of sin needs to be put into the form of confession.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10Believe, confess, call upon God to save you. Man often makes it so much more complicated. Some will ask, “Where is the repentance in this plan, it seems to be missing? Others will say “Calling upon God is an unnecessary step since the above scripture says all you have to do is believe and confess. It’s all the same thing however. Think about it, if a person is sincerely asking Jesus to save his soul, is coupled with a heart felt belief is that not something that comes from a repentant heart? When a person calls upon God to save him, does not that indicate that he believes he is lost and needs a savior and that he believes in Christ and the work of the cross; otherwise why would he be calling out to God to save him? Also does it not make sense that when you come to believe the gospel in your heart and know that you need Jesus, that you would indeed call out to him. They all go together.
In review, the proper order of things pertaining to witnessing to and leading a lost soul to Christ is:
1. Confirm that they believe the bible in its entirety.
2. Confirm that they know they are lost.
3. Confirm they know the consequences of ding in a lost condition.
4. Confirm that they know God is faithful in his promises and therefore will save them if they call upon Him with a sincere and believing heart.
5. Confirm that they understand that there is only one true plan of salvation as described in the bible.
6. Confirm that they understand God’s simple yet uncompromising plan of salvation.
A person may not have to witness in all areas, depending on the person’s knowledge and understanding, but it is wise to at least confirm that all these things are in place. A soul is at stake. Its worth the effort.
Once all these things are understood, it is up to that person pray the sinners prayer (the sinner’s prayer is no particular prayer; it will be a little different for everyone. Some witnesses like to lead a person in prayer by one of those “repeat after me” type of prayers. This course does not recommend this practice. That is not to say that everyone who has used this method has not actually led someone to Christ. Salvation is a very personal thing between the person and God. It is believed by this writer therefore that each person pray their own prayer from their heart. It will even be more real to the person praying.
The Psychological Factor
Psychology is a factor in witnessing in that we need to be sensitive about certain things concerning the person to whom we are witnessing, while we are witnessing. We need to be tuned in to the subtle messages of voice tone, facial expressions, and other body language. These things tell us whether or not they are understanding our message as well as whether or not the message is being well received or resentfully received.
If a person is continuously looking at his watch and shuffling his feet while we are talking to him, it is a fairly good sign that they do not want to be engaged in the discussion. Let them go. While its important that they hear what we have to say, the message will not be well received or remembered if they need or desire to leave and they feel we are keeping them hostage. By showing respect by not attempting to “force feed” them the gospel, they may be more willing to listen to us when they have more time or are in a better state of mind to listen. It may not be that a person doesn’t have time to listen to us.
It could be that there are problems in their life pressing in on them preventing them from being able to focusing on any message that is the least bit complex or deep in meaning. If we perceive this may be the case, it may be best to simply let them know that you care, God cares, God can help, and you are ready to talk to them about it whenever they are ready. In so doing, you have left them with a powerful and important message of God’s love and power to deliver and you’ve shown them that you care about them which will make talking further at a later time a greater possibility. If we become the type of person that people dread our approach and will even avoid us, it will be difficult to have any influence on them. We become irritating when we don’t know when to shut up. Small doses of witnessing over time can often be more effective than trying to cover everything contained in the gospel in one encounter.
We also need to be sensitive to signs that we are coming across as offensive or condescending. We need to realize that we don’t necessarily have to truly be offensive or condescending to be perceived that way. If a person is having a bad day for example, they may be more sensitive than normal. Also some people just misinterpret our motives and our actions. Whether we perceive we have irritated the person in some way or offended them, we need to back off and let God use what we have told them thus far and wait until another time before we witness further.
It is equally important to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit may speak to your heart and tell you to shut it off when you assume it is going quiet well. Always follow the lead of the Holy Spirit rather than your own intuition. God can see into the person’s heart where you can not. Following the lead of the Holy Spirit not only consist of allowing Him to show you when you have said enough, but rather to be guided throughout the witnessing process, even in terms of what to say. If you are not seeking to be lead by the Spirit, you may miss His instruction because God often speaks subtly and in a small still voice.
Principles of Effective Witnessing
Be led by the Holy Spirit
Timing can be very important when it comes to witnessing. God’s timing is perfect. If the Lord lays it upon our hearts to go witness to someone, he has most likely already been dealing with their heart through circumstances, trials, etc... He has them is a state of readiness. Therefore it is important to go without delay when the Lord says go. Being led by the Lord also means to lean upon Him for guidance in what to say and how to say it. God knows their heart and therefore knows what they need to hear.Be grounded in God’s Word
The importance of studying God’s word can not be over emphasized. We can not share what we do not know. Attend Sunday School. Educate yourself through the use of videos, audio, and any other sources at your disposal. Be selective however and understand that not all sources available are of sound doctrine.Pray
The importance of prayer is something else that can not be over emphasized. We should pray for the one to whom we are going to witness. We should pray that God will have him prepared and will welcome our witness and will receive it with understanding and humility. We should also pray for ourselves that God will grant us the grace to witness effectively and that he will give us the words to speak.Use scripture
Using scripture in witnessing is essential. Quoting it is good, but showing it to a person is better. There is something about seeing it in print and reading it aloud that makes it more real. Keep in mind that someone without much biblical understanding may need to have the scriptures explained and they may not ask you to do so. By using scripture, the person knows you are not giving them your opinion, but that you are speaking under the authority of God’s word. Providing they believe God’s word is true, knowing that your witness is biblically based eliminates the doubt they may otherwise have if they believed you were simply speaking your own mind.
Be sensitive to the person’s level of understanding of the bible
Age, history of religious training, spiritual status all are all factors which affect a person’s understanding of the bible and spiritual concepts. We don’t explain a spiritual concept to a child in the same way that we would to an adult, nor do we discuss a spiritual matter with someone who has had lots of exposure to such things in the same way we would to someone who has never read the bible or attended church. We need to get on the person’s level of understanding when we witness. This is another reason that our witnessing needs to be a “two-way conversation”. Asking questions and listening to their answers attentively helps us to evaluate their level of understanding. Pay close attention to their answers as well as their voluntary comments. Once we know a person’s level of understanding and in which areas they may have misconceptions, we are able to witness more effectively.Avoid using certain common phrases
Part of being sensitive to a person’s level of understanding is to recognize that common phrases used by Christians may not be understood or misinterpreted by those who have not been exposed to the same training we have had through preaching, teaching, and bible study. For example the phrase “washed in the blood” may sound more like a ritual of witchcraft than anything having to do with Christianity to the person who is not familiar with Christian terms and phrases. It would be difficult to witness to a lost person without using some of these phrases such as “born again”, “Lamb of God”, or “washed in the blood”. If these phrases are used, we need to explain them and not assume that because they are so meaningful to us that everyone else understands them.Observe the proper order of things
Remember that there is an order of things that has to be understood so that it ALL can be understood. In review the order in which things must be understood in leading a lost person to Christ are:1. Believe in God and believe the bible is true
2. Understand that they are lost and why
3. Understand the consequences of dying lost
4. Understanding that God is willing and able to save them
5. Understanding God’s plan of salvationAvoid tones, gestures, and facial expressions that my be offensive
Realize how offensive or hurtful a simple rolling of the eyes or an elevated tone can be. It is easy to loose sight of the negative impact these things can have when we are not on the receiving end of them. Actually we shouldn’t allow ourselves to get in such an emotional state that we would be doing these things in the first place. We are human however and therefore we are emotional creatures, but when the love that should be coming through our witnessing is overshadowed by signs of frustration or other negative emotions, our witness is terribly hindered if not in vain. Be sinsitive to how you come across.Do not argue
This is another issue of controlling our emotions. We can not argue someone to Christ. When and if they come, it must be because they truly desire to be saved. Arguing and an exchange of opposing views done in a respectful manner with a mutual objective on both sides to learn and to teach is not the same as arguing (see the section on “Debating Doctrine”. When people argue they go into offensive and defensive mode with an objective to win the argument and put the other in their place. We simply can not win people to Christ this way. If a discussion begins to manifest itself into an argument, end the discussion and pray for another opportunity when both sides are willing to discuss and listen to one another in a more respectful manner..Be willing to say, “I don’t know”
In the course of witnessing you may be asked questions. Sometimes you may not know the answer to their questions. The worst thing you can do is to attempt to answer a question when you know that you do not have the knowledge to answer it adequately. If you answer a question incorrectly and that person later learns the truth or if they see you obviously talking about something you know nothing about (it shows) we will loose credibility in their eyes. Once we have lost a person’s confidence, we have lost the ability to influence and lead them. If we are asked a question of which we do not know the answer, we should admit that we do not know the answer or do not know enough about the topic in question to proved a very good answer. We should then commit to get them an answer. When you make such a commitment, FOLLOW THROUGH! By showing a little humility in admitting that we do not know the answer to their question, yet committing to get back with them to give them an answer, we retain their respect, our credibility and our ability to influence and lead them.Consider all methods of witnessing
Do not forget there are other methods of witnessing other than speech. Various forms of written literature, DVD’s, and VHS videotapes, as well as audio recordings may be good methods for sharing the gospel message. Even when sharing the gospel verbally, these other methods may be used as supplements. Consider putting together a “witnessing kit”. Start with a soft fabric brief case like the ones college students and businessmen use. These briefcases have many pockets and compartments which make it easy to carry all the resources pertaining to the different methods of witnessing discussed. In this briefcase you can carry a bible, gospel tracts, written articles, the church newsletter, audio media, DVD’s, note pads, pens and more. Keep this well stocked witnessing kit in your vehicle and you will always have it close by and will be ready to witness using any and all of the methods discussed.Use the law to point the lost to Christ
Remember the very important lessons taught on the “Way of the Master” audio CD. The Old Testament Law shows us without question that we have broken God’s law and are therefore in need of a savior. Avoid “seeker friendly” forms of evangelism discussed on the “Way of the Master” CD and on the DVD video series, “Does the Truth Matter Anymore”. A person needs to come to Christ for the right motives. He needs to see himself as a sinner without hope and in need of a savior. He needs to come humble and broken over his sin with real repentance in his heart. Modern forms of evangelism often do not inspire people to see themselves as guilty sinners in need of redemption, but rather attempt to persuade people to accept Jesus into their life as a “life enhancement” program. Avoid these tactics of evangelism.Use biblical prophecy a means to stir interest
Sometimes biblical prophecy is a good place to start when it comes to sharing the gospel. People who may not show much interest in other areas of the gospel may show an interest in biblical prophecy because it appeals to their interest in exciting and mysterious stories. When you begin to talk about God’s judgements to come such as the 100 pound hail stones that will fall, the earth’s water supply turning to blood, strange creatures coming out of the ground to torment the wicked and the many other judgements revealed in the book of revelation, it gets their interest. It sounds like a science fiction novel to them. The twist that really gets their attention is that it is all true and will happen some day. This tactic may work especially well with young people who may be more intrigued by these things than others.Biblical prophecy along with historical records and archeological discoveries may also be used in witnessing to the unbeliever who is not convinced that the bible is true. Certain books of the bible were written centuries before other books of the bible were written and this fact can be supported with historical records. These books often contain prophecies of things to come that did in fact come true as revealed in the books written centuries later. To use this method of evangelism a person must study the prophecies of the bible and the events that came to pass as prophesized. There are also resources available on the internet where these prophecies can not only be studied but printed out to be shared with others. This would be a great item to put in your witnessing kit.
Know when to stop
Learn the value and wisdom of witnessing in small doses over time. This is especially a good technique when the witnessing is unsolicited. Wearing someone out with witnessing every time you see them, may cause them to resent you and even avoid you. It could even cause them to have a bad attitude toward Christians and the gospel itself. Sometimes if you give someone just enough to think on for a whle, they may actually come to you later wanting to know more and have specific questions for you. Of course if they are the ones that approach us, we should do our best to discuss the matters all they want. Remember that this ties in with being aware of the unspoken signs that people project when they begin to tire and grow bored with the discussion.Let your light shine
Live a godly and separated life before all people. This will give you credibility as a Christian. People watch our lives. They notice when our walk doesn’t match our talk and it does not take very much conflict in their eyes for them to peg us as a hypocrite. Sometimes the smallest things we do or don’t do can speak volumes to others about us. Making it a point not to engage in gossip and back biting sends a strong message about who we are and what we represent. This is because this is a very common sin that even many Christians are guilty of. When they see something different in us it gets attention. Never pass up an opportunity to say grace prior to eating a meal, regardless of where you might be. Let them see that you are not ashamed of your faith. We should not pray for the particular purpose of drawing attention to ourselves. Jesus taught against that, but neither should we be ashamed to pray in the presence of others. Jesus taught that principle as well. As our pastor often says, “If you claim to be a Christian, be what you say you are”.
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