Sharing the gospel is a biblical command.
Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” (Matthew 28:18-19 NIV).
So, you know you should be sharing the gospel but it’s intimidating. If you’re not confident, it’s hard to know what to do. Many don’t know what to say and are fearful.
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What is the gospel?
Do you know what the gospel is? Can you articulate it clearly and accurately?
You need to know what the gospel is in order to share it with others. And you need to do so in a clear and concise manner so the one listening will understand.
The word “gospel” means good news.
So, here’s the good news…
The Good News
Around 2,000 years ago, God came down as a man and humbled himself as a human. This human is Jesus Christ. Why did he do this? Because of his ultimate plan to save us.
But what do we need saving from? Ourselves! We’re all sinners in the eyes of God. God’s standard is higher than our standard.
Have you ever told a lie? Stolen anything? Lusted after someone? Wanted what someone else has? Hated anyone?
These are only a few sins, so if you’ve done any of the things above, you’re guilty. God’s word tells us, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it,” (James 2:10 NIV).
You’re guilty even if you’ve only sinned once. Many of us would proclaim we’re “good people” but that’s simply not true.
Your good deeds don’t outweigh the bad you’ve done. The Bible says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags,” (Isaiah 64:6 NIV).
So, you know you’re a sinner. Can’t God just forgive you? Nope, that would make him unjust. There’s a price to be paid for sin. The price is death.
The Bible tells us, “The wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23 NIV).
But, we don’t have to pay the penalty because someone else did. Jesus died in our place for the sins of the world.
That, my friends, is good news. All you have to do is believe in Jesus and repent of your sins and you will be saved.
You have faith Jesus is real and what he says is true. You believe the gospel and you know what the gospel is, but you need direction on how to share this.
Here are 5 effective ways to share your faith with others.
#1 Invite them to church.
Invite them to church with the motivation of having them hear the gospel. This is a great way to start off if you’re not fully confident with sharing the gospel yet.
As Christians, we’re a family and we all have our strengths. We need to be a team and help each other out. If there’s someone at your church who’s good at explaining the gospel, introduce them to this person.
#2 Invite them to a Bible study.
Much like church, a Bible study could help your friend learn more about what the Bible says. This might be the first time your friend is hearing about what the Bible teaches.
Bible studies tend to be more personal than attending a church is. Leaders tend to open up conversations during the study. This allows for closer relationships to be formed.
Eventually, your friend could form good friends within the group and be surrounded by Christians – Christians who can witness to this friend.
#3 Open up a conversation.
Instead of inviting this person somewhere, start a conversation about beliefs and God. Most people are willing to tell you what they believe in if you’re genuinely curious.
Don’t do this solely with the intention of sharing the gospel. Be invested in this person. People can usually tell if you’re being genuine or not.
Once they share what they believe in, most will ask the same from you unless they already know. If they don’t, challenge their beliefs and push them to think more.
#4 Answer their questions.
My friends sometimes ask questions about my faith.
Some questions are easier to answer than others. That’s why being versed in apologetics is important.
Here are some common questions:
- Why would a good God send people to Hell?
- Why does suffering and evil exist?
- How do we know the Bible is reliable?
Verse yourselves on these topics to be prepared. If you don’t know something a friend asks you, it’s okay to say you don’t know but you’ll get back to them about it.
#5 Have an online presence.
I use my blog as a way to share my faith. I also have an Instagram I’m growing to make Jesus more visible online.
More and more people are online. What’s so amazing about this is that we can reach people we weren’t able to reach before. People who live across the world.
Now, we have access to those people through the internet. Utilize this resource and share your faith with others online.
Final Thoughts
The most important aspect of sharing your faith is to remember to share it with your actions. If you don’t live out the Christian lifestyle, but profess to believe in Jesus, people won’t believe or trust what you have to say.
I like how Brennan Manning put it: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”
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