When was the last time you led someone to Jesus Christ? If someone told you they wanted to become a Christian would you know what to say and the right scriptures to point them to? Many well-meaning, Jesus-loving, church-attending Christians would unfortunately not be able to or would fumble their way through at best. The truth is that one of the most intimidating things for many Christians to do no matter how long or short they have been saved is to share their faith. A man can approach a woman at the mall or a party knowing that he has a high likelihood of getting rejected and still muster up enough courage to do it. However, when it comes to sharing our faith and risk rejection, we get nervous, timid and tend to shy away. Sharing our faith is not an option for the Christian. It is a command. Today I want to share with you three ways to share your faith starting with the easiest to the hardest.
#1 – Lifestyle Evangelism
The simplest way to share your faith is to live such a Christ-like lifestyle that people know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are a Christian. They observe your character, conduct and conversation and can easily see there is something very different about you. The key here is to build relationships with people. Live with such godly integrity that when people go through various difficulties they will naturally seek you out for comfort and advice giving you the opportunity to share your faith with them. This method of evangelism is often slow and takes quite a bit of patience. Paul said,
I planted the seed,Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
1 Cor. 3:6
In other words, God may be simply using you to plant a seed within this person upon which someone else much later will water it. So, never neglect lifestyle evangelism. Be led by God as to when the right time is to even share a Bible verse with the people you are building relationships with.
#2 – Invite Them to Church
One of the most effective and easiest ways for a Christian to share their faith is by simply inviting people to church. The reason why it’s effective is because it takes all of the pressure off of you. You don’t need to know theology. You don’t need to have all the answers before you share your faith. Most churches have cards or tracts you can give someone. Keep them with you or in your car where you can quickly access them. Simply hand someone a card and invite them to your church. In John 4, Jesus has a conversation with a Samaritan woman and changes her life forever. As a result, she goes back to her hometown and says to the people,
Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.
John 4:29
She invited them to hear Jesus. Now, in order to use this method you first have to attend a church you believe will be beneficial to others. This could actually be a good test to see if you are at the right church. If you don’t feel comfortable inviting someone to your church you may be attending the wrong church. This requires intentionality. Your eyes and ears must be sensitive and aware everywhere you go. You must be on the lookout for people God may put in your path. Simply ask them, “Do you have a church that you currently love to attend?” When you ask this question you put them in a position where they have to now consider not just that they attend church but do they love the church they attend. Offer to meet with them and sit with them at church so they feel comfortable and welcomed. Inviting someone to church can be a very powerful, effective and easy way to share your faith.
#3 – Verbally Leading Them to Christ
The final way is perhaps the most difficult way for most Christians and that involves walking someone through the plan of salvation. Here you are not depending on the church or anyone else to help them understand the gospel or the “good news.” God is looking to you to do that. So, it’s important that you understand it yourself. Contrary to what we may think, many Christians do not. Below is what many have entitled, “The Romans Road.” When you lead someone to Christ simply open up your Bible to the book of Romans and walk through down this road in this order.
Stop #1 – Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
GOAL: Here your goal is to get them to acknowledge their sin and understand that everyone including them is a sinner. No matter how good they think they are they must acknowledge that even on their best day they are a sinner and fall short of God’s perfect standard. You could add Rom. 3:10-18 here as well.
Stop #2 – Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.
GOAL: Here the goal is to get them to understand the consequences of sin. It is here that they understand and accept the fact that they deserve death and punishment for a life stained with sin. In addition, they must understand that salvation is a free gift from God in that there is nothing they have done or could do to earn it. It is totally free.
Stop #3 – Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
GOAL: The goal here is to get them to understand the substitute or the solution to their sin problem. Here they must understand that God loves them so much that He was willing to allow His perfect Son to die in their place. Focus on them accepting God’s love for them in spite of the life they have lived.
Stop #4 – Romans 10:9-10
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
GOAL: To get them to verbally confess and believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Remember that confessing is only half of it and it is the part God allows you to see. God only knows whether or not they truly believed in their heart. You do your part by sharing truth and leave the rest up to God.
Additional Stops
Here are a few more scriptures you can add to the Romans road if you so choose to go deeper.
Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom. 5:1
Help them to understand that God is no longer mad at them and that they, for the first time, have true peace with God.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Rom. 8:1
Here you help them understand that they no longer need to feel condemned or ashamed for anything they have done wrong in the past.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom. 8:38-39.
Finally, help them understand that although there are consequences to their sins, they can be assured that their salvation is totally and completely secure and that nothing can separate them from God’s love.
SUMMARY
In summary, the mature believer is ready and able to use all three of these methods of evangelism and does not simply rely on lifestyle evangelism, as many seem to do. Lifestyle evangelism is not a substitute for verbally sharing your faith. Remember to always pray that God would open the right doors for you to share your faith and that the Holy Spirit would give you the courage and the right words to say as you go about your way.