Share Your Faith

1. God loves you and created you to know Him personally.

God's Love

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

God's Plan

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3, NIV). What prevents us from knowing God personally?

2. Man is sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.

Man is Sinful

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man is Separated

"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23). "...(Those) who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus...will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord..." (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9)

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and establish the personal relationship with Him through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails. The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

3.Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love.

He Died in Our Place

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

He Rose From the Dead

"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

He is the Only Way to God

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these truths...

4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.

We Must Receive Christ

"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)

We Receive Christ Through Faith

"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth (Read John 3:1-8.)

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation

[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

]

Which circle best respresents your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer

(Prayer is talking with God)

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

Admit that you are a sinner.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Believe in Christ.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Confess your faith.

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10)

(Taken from Our Daily Bread, Dec 2006 – Feb 2007 edition.)

Pray that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Col 4:2-6 NIV)

SALTing is a down-to-earth aproach that we can use with our friends or with strangers, anywhere, any time.

S

Say something Nice. Break the ice!

A

Ask a Question. A friendly and non-threatening question that shows they matter to you.

L

Listen. Acknowledge that they matter to God and to you, and that you want to understand them.

T

Turn the conversation into something deeper. Keep the conversation going in the direction that you want. Everyone has felt needs and soft spots that you can discover to minister God’s love.

I

Introduce Jesus. Use any of the ways shown on this website.

N

Note the response.

G

Go for the decision, if they are ready.

(Taken from a Penang Christian Centre tract.)

Romans 3:23

Man’s Need. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23

Sin’s Penalty. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8

God’s Provision. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9-10

Man’s Response. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

(Taken from Our Daily Bread, Dec 2006 – Feb 2007 edition.)

God’s Plan – Peace and Life

God created us, not as robots, but as personal beings made in His own image (Genesis 1:27). He created us with the ability to relate to Him on an intelligent level. He gave us freedom of choice so that we could choose whether or not to love and obey Him. Just as we humans experience our deepest love from other humans, who have the freedom to accept or reject us, so also our Creator wanted a being who could love Him more than the rest of His creation.

When God had finished creating the world, He declared that everything in it – including human beings – was “very good” (Genesis 1:31

Our Problem – Separation from God

Right away, God gave the humans He had created an opportunity to choose whether or not to obey Him. He placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden with just one regulation: They could eat of the fruit of every tree but one: to eat of that tree would mean spiritual death and separation from God (Genesis 2:16 – 17).

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God (Genesis 3:6), and were therefore separated from Him (Genesis 3:22 – 24). This separation exists today for all who are without Christ as Lord and Saviour:

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned …” Romans 5:12

Even though Adam and Eve committed the “original” (first) sin, simple observation shows us that every human who has ever lived has been a sinner as well – as this verse states.

As a result of this universal sin, a chasm or gap has become fixed between God and humans, as shown in the diagram below. (The biblical story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of this “great chasm” – see Luke 16:19 – 26). Through the ages, people have tried to bridge this gap in many different ways, but without success. As the illustration shows, they have tried various religions, good works, morality, and various philosophies of life, to bridge the gap:

As we will see in step 3, there is only one remedy for this separation

God’s Remedy – The Cross

Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of separation between human beings and God. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave, He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between us and God. His death and resurrection make a new life possible for all who believe in Him. The Bible says:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” 1 Timothy 2:5 – 6

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He made it possible for sinful people to be reconciled to God. The apostle Peter said, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Regardless of popular opinion that there are many ways to get to God, Jesus said,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

It is faith in Jesus Christ and not human effort that brings us to God. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is grace all the way:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8 – 9

Yes, God has provided the only way, but we must make the choice. That brings us to step 4, the vital step of faith:

Our Response – Receive Christ

We must all come to the place where we are willing to admit, “I am a sinner.” Then we must be willing to repent, or turn, from our sins. The Bible says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19).

To repent means to change your thinking and to change the direction of your life. It means turning to Jesus Christ, who is the door to eternal life, the door to God and heaven. Jesus said,

“I am the door; if any one enters by me, he [or she] will be saved.” John 10:9

The door to forgiveness and salvation is through the cross of Christ. By faith, we must trust Him and receive Him as our Saviour and Lord. When we do, we become children of God:

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

Eternal life then becomes a present possession:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

By faith we cross the bridge from death to eternal life through the cross.

Now let us look at the four steps as a whole:

God’s Plan – Peace and Life

Our Problem – Separation from God

God’s Remedy – The Cross

Our Response – Receive Christ

Which side are you on?

When you share this gospel presentation, use a blank sheet of paper and draw this diagram as you share.

Step 1: WRITE 'GOD'

God is powerful and personal.

Step 2: WRITE 'MAN'

God created us.

God made man to be close to Him.

Man was made to have fellowship with God forever.

od intended man to have a relationship with Him.

Step 3: DRAW LINE AND WRITE 'LIFE'

God wants to give life, eternal life.

That's God's plan for us.

Step 4: CANCEL 'MAN' ON TOP AND WRITE 'MAN' AT THE BOTTOM

God gave man freedom to choose.

By his own choice, man decided to separate from God.

Man disobeyed God, rejected God.

Step 5: WRITE 'SIN'

Sin is more than wrong actions.

It is wanting to do it our own way, not God's way.

STEP 6: DRAW LINE AND WRITE 'DEATH'

The opposite of life is death.

Death is separation from God. It is a result of sin.

Without God we will be eternally separated from Him.

STEP 7: DRAW 3 ARROWS AND WRITE 'GO TO CHURCH', 'GOOD WORKS' AND 'TRY OTHER RELIGIONS'

Man tries his own ways to get back to God by:

Going to church, doing good works, trying other religions.

But man cannot find his way back to God.

STEP 8: DRAW LINE / ARROW DOWN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

God did what man could not do.

He came to man in the form of Jesus, His Son.

Jesus came to us. Jesus came to save us.

STEP 9: CANCEL 'MAN' AND WRITE YOUR NAME AND THE NAME OF PERSON YOU ARE SHARING

Jesus came not just for man but for me and you.

Cancel man and write your name down.

Write the name of the person you are sharing.

STEP 10: DRAW THE 2 ARROWS

We do have a choice.

We have a way back to God.

We have to decide whether we want to follow God's way or our way.

STEP 11: DRAW LINE / ARROW UP FROM BOTTOM TO TOP

Jesus came to save us.

He died on the cross, dying for your sin.

He took away all our sins.

STEP 12: WRITE 'JOHN 3:16'

I am going to tell you a Scripture that summarizes all we have discussed.

Quote the scripture.

STEP 13: WRITE 'JESUS' OVER 'SIN'

Jesus covered our sin with His death and resurrection.

He also said, if you give your life to Him, He will gladly come in and become Lord over your life.

STEP 14: DRAW THE BRACKET AT THE BOTTOM

This is what you are giving up (leading to death).

STEP 15: DRAW THE BRACKET AT THE TOP

This is the time that you have alreay lost that God intended you to have, so don't wait.

STEP 16: END THE PRESENTATION BY DRAWING THE NET

You could say: Would you like to make a decision to follow Jesus and receive this eternal life?

After that, lead the person in the sinner's prayer. Ensure it is from the heart. You could say: I am going to lead you in a simple prayer, but I want you to say this aloud after me from your heart to Jesus.

SAMPLE OF SINNER'S PRAYER

Dear Jesus,

I am sorry for having sinned against You.

I believe that You died on the cross for me and rose from the dead.

I surrender my life to You.

I now invite You into my life.

I acknowledge You as my Lord and Saviour.

By faith, I receive this gift of eternal life.

Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.

Thank you, Jesus, that I am your child, in Jesus' name.

(Taken from Grace Assembly leaflet.)

INTRODUCTION: This is simply one method of presenting key Bible truths so that a person can become a believer. No method is "inspired" but this is a good, thorough way to present the fundamental truths of the gospel so that a person making a decision to receive Christ will be quite likely to make a genuine decision.

TWO KEY INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS:

A. "IF YOU DIED TODAY, DO YOU KNOW YOU'D GO TO HEAVEN?"

If they answer "No", then go straight to the gospel presentation given below. If they answer "Yes" then you need to ask them a second question:

B. "IF YOU WERE TO DIE TODAY AND STAND BEFORE GOD AND HE WAS TO ASK YOU, 'WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO MY HEAVEN?', WHAT WOULD YOU TELL GOD?"

This question will reveal what the person you are witnessing to is really trusting in. If they say, "I guess I'd tell God, I kept the ten commandments," or "I guess I'd tell God that I had tried to be kind to my neighbor," or "I'd tell God He should let me in because I tried to do good, was baptized & was a member of the church," etc., then you know they are trusting in their own works (i.e. their own efforts), rather than God's grace to get to heaven. Once they answer, it is helpful to rephrase their answer back to them by saying, "So let me make sure I understand correctly. If you were to stand before God and He was to ask you 'Why should I let you into my heaven' you would tell God, that you tried to be kind to your neighbors, correct?"

It's important to get a clear answer to this question, because it shows exactly what a person is really, TRULY trusting in to go to heaven! Once you have gotten a response to this question, you can go on to the presentation of the gospel given below.

1. GRACE - Show them that salvation is an ABSOLUTELY FREE GIFT that cannot be earned! - Rom. 6:23

2. GOD - Ask them to fill in the blank: "God is ___ ?" Many will often answer that God is love. That of course is true. However point out to them that God is also holy & what that means.

1) God is Love - I Jn. 4:8

2) But God is also HOLY & has sworn to punish sin - Num. 14:18; Hab. 1:13a (Illustration: Taking an exam that you must get 100% or you fail!)

3. MAN - Talk about Who man is. The individual you’re witnessing to needs to understand two things:

1) Man is a sinner - Rom. 3:10 & 23 Sin means to "miss the mark" (Illustration: Shooting arrows)

2) He cannot save himself - Isa. 64:6 – i.e. even our "good" deeds are like dirty bandages in God's sight! (Illustration: If you commit just 3 sins/day that equals 1000 sins/year x your age)

4. CHRIST

A) Discuss Who Jesus Christ is. Ask them: "Who is Jesus Christ?" "The Son of God," will often be the response. But you need to explain what that means. Most people don't realize that...

1) He’s God! - Jn. 1:1-3, 14

2) He made the worlds. – Col. 1:16-17

B) Show them: "What Christ has done." i.e. Christ is an "SSS":

1) Satisfactory - i.e. acceptable

2) Substitutionary - i.e. took the place of someone else - II Cor. 5:21 (Illustration: One baseball pitcher taking the place of another one)

3) Sacrifice - Jn. 19:30 – "It is finished" literally means, "PAID IN FULL!"

5. FAITH - Point out that there is more than one kind of faith!

1) Temporal faith - i.e. faith regarding things on earth. (Illustration: An unsaved relative praying for a sick friend)

2) Saving faith - Personally repenting & asking Jesus Christ to come inside, become Lord of your life & wash away your sins under His blood. Lk. 13:3; Jn. 1:12; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9- 10, 13

(Illustration: Do you know the Governor? It’s one thing to know ABOUT someone, but quite another to actually KNOW them!)

(Illustration: Tight-rope walker "Blondin" at Niagara Falls in 1860)

WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED PRESENTING THE ABOVE FIVE POINTS,

ask: "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS NOT CLEAR?" If there are questions, answer the questions and make sure everything is clearly understood.

If they say they have no questions, or if you have answered them, ask a FINAL QUESTION:

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE THE FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE RIGHT NOW BY REPENTING OF YOUR SINS & ASKING JESUS CHRIST TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE AS YOUR LORD & SAVIOUR?"

If they say yes, pray with them, leading them with a few words at a time, allowing time for the individual to repeat them to God. If they say no, encourage them to think about what you've talked about and let them know you will be praying for them.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

After a person has prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour, you should show them Scriptures dealing with assurance of salvation. IMPORTANT NOTE: I believe it is very UNWISE to say to a person who has prayed "Now you're saved & are guaranteed of going to heaven." The reason is, we are not God and we cannot see inside a person's heart. Therefore we cannot know for sure whether or not he or she has truly, genuinely meant it. Only God knows whether or not they are truly "born again." So only He can give assurance of salvation (Rom. 8:16). If a person has truly trusted Christ, the fruits of that decision will just naturally begin to appear in an individual's life. An apple tree does not have to “work” at producing apples! It is a natural product if a tree is truly an apple tree! It’s similar in the life of any person who has truly repented, trusted Christ & been born again!

Some definitive marks of someone who has been "born of God" are listed in the book of I John i.e. 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1; 5:4 & 5:18, and they will begin to be seen. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), will also naturally start to appear (II Cor. 5:17). So instead of you telling someone they are "saved for all eternity," show them Bible verses on assurance, and let the Holy Spirit take the Word of God which He authored and give him or her the assurance! (Rom. 8:16)! A couple of excellent verses to use are I John 5:11-12 & John 6:47. Others include: John 1:12; 3:16; 3:36; 5:24; 6:37; Rom. 10:13 & Acts 16:31.