Salvation Summaries

I believe many Christians do not witness to non-believers because of anxiety (and complacency).  They don’t know which Bible verses to use, and even if they knew which ones, they’ve not committed these to memory.  Also, they’re afraid they won’t be able to answer potentially difficult questions from a non-believer.

In addition, a number of Christians have probably been told that all they need to do is to tell their own (conversion) story, but I believe some may not have a good story to tell.  Why? Either they became saved at a young age, where there wasn’t a noticeable change in their lifestyle after that, or their salvation seemed to take place slowly over time, so they can’t pinpoint when it happened.  As a result, while using one’s own story is a nice idea, it may not work well for everyone.

So, what does a Christian do?  Let me give you two “do’s” and then a nutshell in how to witness.

Do #1

The first “do” is to have a desire to witness.  You really need to want to tell others the good news. Unfortunately, in my experience, most Christians lack this desire.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”  Paul had a strong desire to save others, and he is a good role model for us.

Do #2

The second “do” is to understand that we, as believers, have a responsibility to witness.

We all have likely heard, but may have forgotten, the “great commission” spoken by Jesus, which says:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Mt 28:19-20). 

Although this command was given by Jesus to His disciples 2,000 years ago, it would appear to apply to His disciples everywhere and in every time period.  As such, if we, as Christians, are to be obedient to the One who saved us, we really are obligated to “make disciples” by telling them the Good News.

There is another command – this one from the Old Testament – that God gave to his prophet Ezekiel, which may also apply to Christians today.  It is found in Ezekiel 3:16-19, which says:

“At the end of the seven days, the LORD gave me a message. He said, 17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately. 18 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs. 19 If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what you were told to do.”

In short, Ezekiel had a responsibility to warn others (in this case the people of Israel) of their fate (death).  If they chose to not heed the warning, they would die in their sins.  But if Ezekiel failed to warn them, he would be held responsible for their death.  Although we are not under the same penalty if we do not witness, I believe this story nonetheless illustrates the responsibility that we believers may have in carrying out the great commission and sharing Paul’s desire to save others.

Fellow Christians…we know the fate of those who do not become saved, right?  Then don’t we, who know the truth, have a responsibility to at least warn them of this? If Christians don’t, who will?

Nutshell

There is a marketing phrase that works well in producing a mental image.  It is “a three-legged stool.”  Now, when someone mentions this phrase, I immediately picture one in my head (as you likely just did).

If this phrase resonates with you, then all we need to do is attach one part of the three-part story in how to witness to each leg.

The three parts are:

1) Problem

2) Remedy to the problem, and

3) Intended result

Now, let me elaborate just a little on each one.

1) The problem is sin. You need to get your hearer to understand that everyone sins (it’s in our genes), we see sin everywhere in our society, and it is a problem. I believe most people would agree that the sin of others is a problem, but it might take some nudging to get them to see that they have at least a minor sin problem too. You might need to share some of your past sins you think they may also have committed so they can relate to these and better understand their own sinfulness.  Or you can be more direct and simply ask them a few questions so they can see for themselves.  Here’s one, “Have you ever said God’s name in vain?”  If yes, that’s a sin. Here’s another, “Have you (if you’re a man) ever looked at a woman lustfully?” That’s a sin.  “Have you lied, worried?” Sin, sin.  Harbored jealousy or hatred in your heart towards someone? Sin.

Some might claim that they they try to live by the golden rule, or that they think they are a good person based upon their deeds.  If they say this, simply bring them back to the issue of sin – the sins they’ve committed even if they had good intentions of helping others or seeking to be a good person.

It’s impossible for us to live without sinning, and unless it’s dealt with God’s way, a person can’t go to heaven according to the Bible.  If a person can’t see how sinful they really are, they’ll never get past this first step of realizing their need for a savior.

2) The remedy to the problem is the forgiveness of sins that is available by God the Father and through God’s Son, Jesus.  Jesus’ name means “the Lord saves.”  God viewed “man’s” sin problem as so serious (it meant spiritual death and eternal separation from Him) that He sent Jesus to earth to take care of it.  But to take care of this problem, Jesus had to step in and take the punishment for our sins; He did this by dying on the cross, and then being raised from death to show his power over sin.

However, the forgiveness of each person’s sins only takes place when they repent (sorrow over their sinfulness and a desire to not sin going forward) and become united with Jesus by faith in Him.  The Bible says that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and it provides examples of where He did, which occurred when a person expressed their faith in Him.

The faith that is required for salvation is much more than a general belief in God or Jesus though, for a general belief does not save anyone (even the demons believe in Jesus).  If a person says that they believe in Jesus, you could respond by saying that that’s a good start, but respond by telling them that there are two types of belief in the Bible – one that saves, and one that does not. Then ask them which one they have (they won’t know of course). The belief that saves is better viewed as “entrust”, where you entrust (give over, surrender) your life to Jesus.   It is similar to true faith in Jesus, which means complete trust in His ability, willingness and commitment to save you from your sins now and when you are judged upon your death.  The best way to demonstrate faith is to make Jesus Lord of your life, which means you surrender your life to Him and allow Him to direct what you say and do.  It’s putting what He wants ahead of what you want (which is not easy to do, but done with God’s help).

3) Once you become “right” with God by placing your faith in Jesus as Lord and receiving forgiveness from your sins, the intended result is to live a new or changed life.  It is the Holy Spirit, living by faith and obedience that help a person change how they live so that their life becomes more pleasing to God.  A changed life results in good works or the bearing of fruit.

I believe this last step of living a new life is too often downplayed or overlooked when Christians witness to others.  The Bible is clear that faith and works go hand-in-hand (faith without works is a dead, or unsaving faith).  A person is not saved by works (for no one is good enough), but they are saved by a faith that works.  A changed life, with a new interest and longing to learn more about God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, is evidence that one has been saved.  If you are living your life the same way you did before you thought you became saved, you likely never were.

So, the main points to remember in how to witness are these:

• Three-legged stool
  • problem (sin),
  • remedy to the problem (forgiveness through faith)
  • intended result (changed life).

May the Lord bless you for your willingness and obedience to tell others about Him!