LESSON 6

EVANGELISM METHODS

 

 

Recall if you will the discipleship circle from Lesson 1 of this course.  As we have progressed in this course, we have worked our way from the inner circle, which represents ourselves, towards the outer circle, which represents discipleship of the world.  In truth, we cannot disciple the world because they are not yet disciples.  However, we can share our faith with them so that they can become disciples.   In fact, if we are making disciples from the inside out – starting with ourselves and working out from the center of the circle, then sharing our faith with non-believers will ultimately become a natural part of our life.  Nevertheless, evangelism – sharing our faith with others – is a Spiritual Discipline, and so we need to be intentional about doing it on a regular basis.

Recently, this author was having a conversation with a missionary from a certain region of the world where illiteracy and a lack of education is very common.  In that conversation, the missionary said that the number one concern of pastors in that area is the fact that they did not know how to effectively share their faith.   It might be a shock to you that there are pastors who do not know how to share their faith - or perhaps it is not a shock to you at all.  Maybe you feel the same way – that you cannot effectively share your faith.  That is the purpose of this lesson.  It would be foolish if we did not at least assume that someone reading this needs to know how to more effectively share the gospel.  As such, the last lesson in this course on making disciples will (appropriately) address this important issue.  We will begin with a discussion on our responsibility to spread the gospel.

 

 

The Responsibility for Spreading the Gospel – Man

 

Stated as plainly as possible, we are all responsible for spreading the gospel.  By his own Sovereign choice, God does not have a Plan B.  This is how he ordained that the gospel would spread to the whole world.  If we do not carry the gospel to the ends of the earth, it will not be carried. Romans 10:13-15 says

 

13 For “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

14 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?

15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

 

This model of evangelism in Romans 10, therefore, is simple and straightforward:

 

·      We send (or we go)

·      We preach the word

·      They hear the word

·      They believe the word

·      They call on Jesus

 

It all starts with us going and preaching the word.  In the context of evangelism, however, preaching the word does not necessarily mean literally standing in the pulpit of a church and preaching.  Nor does it mean standing on a street corner and preaching.  In the context of evangelism, preaching the word means sharing the good news of the gospel – the good news that faith in Christ results in forgiveness of sins and eternal life. 

Every believer, from the pastor down to the newest Christian, shares the responsibility for spreading the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord and salvation comes through faith in his name.  That may be a scary proposition for some, but don’t forget the one promise that Jesus made at the end of the Great Commission – “I will be with you always” (refer to Lesson 1).  When we step out to share our faith, we are not alone.  More importantly, however, it is comforting to know that our responsibility stops at sharing our faith.  It is not our responsibility to save their souls.

 

 

The Responsibility For Saving Souls – God

 

God holds the keys to salvation. It is an act of God, not an act of man.  We participate by sharing the gospel and by receiving the gospel, but the work is his, not ours.  Scripture explains this using the analogy of the farmer.  We are only farmers sowing and watering the seed, not the one who makes the crops grow.  Consider Jesus’ word in the parable of the farmer in Mark 4:26-29.

 

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

 

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

 

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

 

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

 

There is preparatory work and there is harvesting work, both of which are done by man, but the hard work of actually making the plant grow is up to God.  Paul explained it more clearly in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7.

 

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

 

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

 

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

 

So we understand from this that we are only witnesses, not the one who can save.  Indeed, as Jesus so declared in Acts 1:8, we are witnesses.  Our witness creates an opportunity by which the Holy Spirit can open the eyes and hearts of the lost.  Once they then call upon the name of the Lord to be saved, we can then make disciples of them.  Until that time, we can only lead them to the cross.

 

 

Sharing the Gospel with Intentionality

 

There is a harsh truth that we need to admit to ourselves when it comes to evangelism and sharing the gospel.  If we are not intentional about sharing the gospel, we will never share the gospel.  We can (and will later in this lesson) discuss methods of witnessing, plans of salvation, and other tips about sharing our faith.  However, all of that is meaningless if we do not first take action to be intentional about spreading the gospel; and in order to be intentional about sharing the gospel, we must make a plan.  There are five easy steps that you can include in that plan, which are discussed here.

First, make a list of people you know need to be saved.  If you really want to be intentional about winning the lost for Jesus Christ, you need to specifically target those to whom you will take the gospel.  Obviously, there will be times in which the Holy Spirit will send someone into our path and will prompt us to share the gospel.  Clearly we must be alert for such divine interventions and take advantage of those opportunities God places before us.  However, if we assume those are the only opportunities we will have, then we are ignoring a great number of people who need Jesus and will die and go to Hell if we do not share with them.  Every one of us knows somebody – or several somebodies – who are lost in their sin.  These are your primary prospective new converts.  Make a very specific list of the ones that you intend to engage on a regular basis in conversations about Jesus Christ, creating opportunities for the gospel.  In a very real sense, you are targeting them much the same way that a soldier would target the enemy, except that these people are not your enemy, but have been captured and are being held prisoner by your enemy, Satan.  You are targeting them to free them.

On the other hand, if you do not know someone who is lost, then you are living way too sheltered a life.  Just as Jesus was considered a friend of sinners, our lives should be intersecting daily with sinners precisely for the purpose of being a witness to them.  If you do not know any lost people, change your habits and your routines so that you can meet and get to know lost people.  We are not to love the world – that is, the things of the world – but we are to be in the world as a light shining in the darkness.  That means we will know and interact regularly with lost souls.  Take a moment right now to stop and write down at least 5 names of people you wish to see saved.

Once you have made a list of the people you intend to target for the sake of the gospel, begin praying for them diligently.  You should pray daily for them that God would open their eyes and their hearts to the gospel.  You should also pray daily for yourself, that God would increase your burden for their lost souls.  Too often, we are not burdened by the condition of the lost.  Remember this: if any one of the people on your list were to die today, they would be condemned to Hell for eternity.  This should be a great burden on your soul – enough of a burden to cause you to want to share the gospel with them.

In addition to praying that God will open their eyes to the gospel, pray also that the Holy Spirit would create and show you opportunities to share the gospel with those on your list.   It can be very awkward to walk up to someone you know and just begin to share the gospel with them, but there are many opportunities to turn existing conversations towards spiritual matters.  Of course, this assumes that you are having existing conversations with those on your list.   If you are not, then you need to pray that God will help you find ways to have conversation with them so that you can turn the conversation to spiritual matters.

Fourth, be aware of the opportunities that the Holy Spirit places before you.  In truth, these opportunities are always there; but if you pray for the Holy Spirit to create opportunities for you to share the gospel, they will be there.  We are all very busy with the schedule of our lives; and so we will all fail at this from time to time; but the more that we can be aware of these opportunities, the more we will take advantage of them.  This will be true not only for those lost people that you have specifically placed on your list, but also for every lost person that crosses your path.

Finally, plan for and dedicate time to making visits whose ultimate purpose is to share the gospel.  Do not rely solely on opportunities that come to you by chance.  People are often more receptive to the gospel than Satan wants you to believe.  With infrequent exceptions, a short, very brief visit from someone they know will typically be received reasonably well.  Schedule times for you and other members of your church to go into the community.  Ask people how they are doing and how you can pray for them.  Be willing to pray with them right there on the spot.  After praying, ask them if you could just briefly share with them a couple of words about God.  If they consent, they you can proceed into one of several plans of salvation (such as those discussed later in this lesson).  If not, then thank them and go about your business.  Your prayers for them will have been well received and perhaps next time they will not be as resistant.

 

 

The Power of Your Story

 

Perhaps the most powerful way you can share the gospel is to tell your own story.  Each one of us has a story that tells how we came to Jesus Christ.  Take a moment right now, pause from reading this lesson, and just reflect on your story.  Think about the circumstances and how you felt after finally surrendering to Christ.

 

Sometimes, it does us well to just remember how and why we came to Christ.  This is your story.  Never underestimate the power of that story.  No matter how or when you were saved, your story can be used as a bridge to sharing the gospel.  It can be the way in which you turn an ordinary conversation into a conversation about the gospel.  How can that be?

To begin with, your story builds common ground with the lost person.  Depending upon how long you have been saved, it may be that you have made significant progress towards spiritual growth and Christ-likeness.  You may even be a pastor.  Both of these things set you apart from the lost person.  As a result, sometimes they will look at you as not being able to relate to their struggles.  Some may even look at all Christians as self-righteous and hypocritical.  Your story, therefore, reminds them how you were at one point no different than they are now.  When you tell people how you were once hopelessly lost in your sinfulness, living a life that leads to death, it establishes common ground with them.

As such, your story demonstrates the power of the gospel.  Paul says in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation.  Indeed that is true and your story proves it to be true.  The gospel changes lives.  Your story is a testimony of how your life has been dramatically changed by Jesus Christ.  Even if you were saved as a young child, you can still testify to what Jesus Christ has done in your life.  This is because your story – and the story of every Christian – has three important elements.

First, your story tells of your life before Christ.  Each of us can testify to what our lives were like before Jesus Christ.  Some of us will have a more dramatic story to tell here than others.  Some may have been living life on the edge, doing many things that were dangerous or self-destructive.  Others may not have such a terrible or dramatic experience.  Perhaps you were a “good person” – at least from the world’s perspective – and never did many terrible things.  Perhaps you were a child, and so you never really had the opportunity to do many terrible things.  This is all irrelevant, because we were all in the same, miserable, pitiable condition.  We were all lost in our sin, and we were all on our way to Hell. 

At some point, therefore, you came to the realization that you needed Jesus Christ.  This is the second element of your story - how you came to Christ.  This is your salvation experience.  What were you thinking and feeling at the time?  How did you come to the realization that you needed Jesus?  Who told you about Jesus or how did you learn about him?  What caused you to finally surrender and call upon the name of Jesus?

The third element of your story is your life since you received Christ.  This is where you tell what Jesus has done for you.  How did your life change as a result of Jesus?  From what has he set you free?  Perhaps this did not happen all at once?  Maybe there was even a point later in your Christian walk where you realized the difference between “surface” Christianity and “true discipleship.”  This is likely when you really started seeing change in your life.  As such, this is also an important part of your story, so be sure to include it.  Tell of the peace and joy that Christ has brought to your life.  Most importantly, tell of the hope you have as a result of Christ.

At the end of the day, however, our stories all point to one common fact – our lives have been dramatically changed by the gospel.  This is the point of your story.  This is what you want the lost person to see – that Jesus Christ can change their life as well.

 

Think about every time that Paul shared his story in the New Testament.  He always followed this same three-part formula.   He always told about how he followed Judaism and persecuted the Christians.  Even though he was very religious and zealous for God, he was still lost, doing terrible things.   He always told about how he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  How Jesus confronted him with his actions and set him on a different course.  Finally, he told about how Jesus saved him and made him an apostle to the Gentiles.  The rest is history.

 

The following is my story.  Your story may not be as long as my story – or it may be longer.  Your story may be less complex than mine – or it may be more.  We each have our stories.  This is mine.

 

My Story

 

I came to Jesus Christ at a very young age – the age of six years.  My parents took me to church every Sunday.  I was exposed to Biblical teaching from before I could even remember.  As a result, I came to realize at a very young age that I was a sinner that would go to Hell unless I allowed Jesus Christ to forgive me.  So, at six years of age, I received Christ.  I recall was a Sunday night church service.  I do not remember what the pastor preached.  I only remember the strong pull of the Holy Spirit to go forward during the invitation and receive Christ.  I did not fully understand all the aspects of the gospel, just that I needed to ask Jesus Christ to come into my life.  At that young age, I knew very little other than the fact that I needed Jesus to forgive my sins.

At the age of twelve, however, I experienced a confirmation of that salvation experience.  Unlike my original experience, I remember this experience very clearly.  After the pastor of our church had preached an especially powerful “fire and brimstone” message, I had a greater realization of exactly what it meant to be saved. I knew that I needed Jesus to take the punishment of my sins, and so I had a much fuller understanding of the decision that I had made at the age of six.  That night, lying alone in my bed, I confessed Jesus again – not because I thought I was not saved before, but because I wanted to be very clear of my prior decision.  From that moment, I began learning and doing everything I could to learn more about following Jesus.

That, however, was not the end of my struggle.  Several years later at the age of seventeen, I realized that God was calling me into the ministry to be a missionary.  Unfortunately, I was disobedient to that call, which caused my life to take a turn for the worse.  I never turned away from God.  I still attended church every Sunday.  I was even active in church.  Unfortunately, you cannot be disobedient to God’s call on your life without that disobedience having terrible consequences.  Over time, those consequences became evident in my life.

I became angry – about everything and nothing.  I was arrogant and prideful.  I was incredibly selfish.  I had no real understanding of unconditional love. I became discontent with everything in my life.  I became a glutton.  I knew these were all terribly sinful things, and I tried hopelessly to change them in my life.  Nothing I did changed them.  The harder I tried, the worse off I became.  From the outside, you would not have believed me to be a Christian at all.  I knew that my life was not a representation of what I believed in my heart.  I felt that I must be the most miserable person on earth.

It then that I finally realized that my disobedience to God’s call on my life was preventing Christ from being able to work in my life.  At that time, I made a decision.  Some might say I was not truly saved until that moment.  Others would say that I was saved before, but on that day I made a decision to dedicate my life fully to Christ.  All I know is that on that day, I fully surrendered to Christ– and that changed everything.

Jesus took away my anger.  Jesus changed my heart and my attitude towards both myself and towards others.  He taught me how to truly love unconditionally – which I must say as Paul did – it is the more excellent way!   I became content with my life in a way I had never experienced before.  I truly knew and understood the peace of God that passes all understanding.  And when the time was right, Jesus gave me a second chance and called me back into ministry.  This time, I was not disobedient.

There has been so much change in my life – all through the power of the Holy Spirit – not by anything that I have done.  It has been His work, not my work.  There is still much work to be done in my life. The Spirit is still changing me.  I’m still struggling with my weight, but doing better.   I still get angry sometimes, but I am not an angry person like I was before.  Everything is a process but it is a process of the spirit and I have the hope that one day I will be like Christ for I will see him as he is!

 

What is your story?

 

 

Tools For Evangelism

 

Everything thus far has been about how to get you to a point where you can share the gospel.  However, what do you do when you get to that point where the person you are sharing with is open to actually hearing the plan of salvation?  What tools can you have at your disposal to help you share the gospel?  Several are discussed here.

 

The Romans Road to Salvation

 

The beauty of the Romans Road to Salvation is that you need nothing but God’s word to use it to share the gospel – and if you have these verses memorized, you can even do it when a Bible is not available.  As a result, the Romans Road is one of the most widely used methods of spreading the gospel.  If you do not know it or have never used it, you are very strongly encouraged to learn it.  Open your Bible as you read this.  Underline the verses in your Bible.  Memorize them if you have not already. 

 

Begin by explaining that the God of the universe – the one who created the universe - loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with them.  Unfortunately, there is a problem.  God is perfect and holy and can’t be in fellowship with anything unholy.  The problem is that we are unholy.

 

Step 1. Everyone needs salvation because we have all sinned. 

 

Romans 3:10-12, 23

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

 

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

 

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

 

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

 

If you are memorizing, Romans 3:23 is the key verse to memorize.  Be sure the person you are sharing with knows and understand that sin is any disobedience to God’s commands and laws – no matter how small.

 

Step 2. The price (consequence) of sin is death.

 

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Remind them that this verse is not just speaking of physical death, but spiritual death – eternal separation from God in Hell.  Any sin, no matter how great or small, must be punished by a Holy God.  That punishment is an eternity in hell.  If necessary, explain hell.  Remind them that there is nothing we can do to overcome this destiny.  No amount of good that we might do can outweigh the consequences of even one sin.  Our situation is hopeless – that is, it is hopeless without Christ.

 

Step 3. God Made a Way

 

Romans 5:8

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

God loved us enough to make a way out of our hopeless situation.  He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins.  He did this while we were still dead in our sins.  He did this before we even knew we needed him.  As the end of Romans 6:23 says, this salvation results not in death, but in eternal life.  Even though we may physically die, we can have eternal life with Christ in heaven.

 

Step 4. Salvation Comes Through Jesus Christ. God has made a way for salvation, but that salvation does not happen automatically.  We must place our faith in Jesus to receive that salvation.

 

Romans 10:9-10, 13

9 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.

 

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

We can be saved when we call upon the name of Jesus Christ.  That calling, however, requires committing our lives to him and trusting in him by faith.  We must confess him as Lord.  That means we give our lives to him.  We commit ourselves to living for him.  But it must be done in faith.  We must truly believe that he is Lord.  We must truly believe that he has the power to forgive our sins.  We must believe that God raised him from the dead, and as such, that he can give us eternal life.

 

Step 5. Salvation Means Peace With God.

 

Romans 5:1, 8:1, 38-39

5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

If you are memorizing, the key verses here are Romans 5:1 and 8:1. Salvation brings us peace with God and eternal life.  Once we are saved, there is nothing that can separate us from his love.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus.  We are forever in his arms.

 

There are two ways to use the Romans Road.  The first is fairly straightforward.  Simply read or quote the verses and tell the lost person what the verses mean.  The second can be more powerful, but requires a bit more finesse.  When you are sharing with the person, open your Bible allow the person you are sharing with to read the verses themselves (or read it to them if they cannot read).  Ask them first what they think the verses mean. This ensures they stay engaged in the conversation and are actually thinking about what God’s word is saying.  As necessary, correct or explain the meaning.  When you get to the end, they will be ready to make a decision for – or against – Christ.

 

The Color Wheel or Salvation Beads

 

This tool is more visual, but uses many of the same verses as the Roman Road (plus a few others).  There are many different variations of it.  The color wheel is a tool that has small color discs that are used to share the gospel.  The discs are black, red, white, blue, green, and gold, with each color representing a portion of the gospel as explained below.  The Salvation Beads use the same colors, but typically they are beads on a bracelet rather than colored discs.  The problem with this tool is access to either the color wheel or the color beads.  If you do not have either of these tools, though, the concept can still be used, because anything containing these colors can be used, including simple pieces of colored paper.  The idea is to have something visual that the person can focus on while you are sharing the gospel.

 

Like the Romans Road, begin by telling about God’s love and desire to have a relationship with us.  And like the Roman Road, remind them that we have a problem – that problem is sin.

 

Black.  The color black represents sin and death – or if you prefer, the darkness that represents our separation from God.  The verses to use for black are Romans 3:23 and 6:23, which speak both of our sinful state (we have all sinned) and the consequence of that sin (death).  Use the same information as Steps 1 and 2 of the Roman Road, but emphasizing the black stain that sin leaves on our hearts.

 

Red.  The color red represents the blood of Jesus Christ.  The key verse here is Romans 5:8.  Use the same information here as in Step 3.  However, the emphasis here is on the Blood of Christ (thus the color red).

 

White.  The color white represents the fact that forgiveness through the Blood of Christ results in our hearts being washed whiter than snow.  Jesus, unlike any of us, had no sin and so only he is qualified to remove our sins.  There are several verses here to consider.

 

1 John 3:5 - You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin

 

Isaiah 1:18 - though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

 

Psalm 51:7 - Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 

Blue.  The color blue represents both the faith required for salvation and the baptism that results from our salvation.  Focus here on the fact that there is nothing we can do to be saved except place our faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

Focus also on the fact that when we place our faith in Christ, we die to our sins and so are buried with Christ in baptism.  This is why Christians are baptized – to show how they have died and have been reborn in Christ.

 

Romans 6:3 - Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

 

Green.  The color green represents the spiritual growth that comes from being born again in Christ.  When we are saved, we are babies in Christ and like a baby, we need to grow and mature.

 

2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

This is why a new believer needs to attend church, read his Bible, and pray.  These – along with all of the Spiritual Disciplines – help him grow in Christ.

 

Gold.  The color gold represents the color of heaven and eternal life.  Jesus gave his life so that we could have eternal life.  This world is only a temporary dwelling.  Jesus has already ascended into heaven and will one day return to take us to be with him.  Even if we die (physically) before he returns, our destiny as Christians is to be with him forever.  Just as he was resurrected from the dead, we hope in that same resurrection.

 

John 14:2-3

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

 

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 

Because we always want to begin the plan of salvation with the fact that God desires to have fellowship with us, some people will actually begin with this color rather than end with it.  Heaven – and eternal life – represents our ultimate hope.  We begin with that hope – and end with a call to place our faith in that hope.

 

Other Tools

 

There are other tools and other plans for leading someone through the gospel to salvation.  For example, E3 Partners (a mission organization) developed an amazing tool called the EvangeCube.  It is a pictorial representation of the plan of salvation.  Like the color wheel, it allows the listener to focus on a picture while you share the gospel – thus eliminating some of the awkwardness.  It is a very powerful tool if you can get one. 

There is also the F.A.I.T.H. method, developed by Evangelism Explosion International.  It is a very good plan, but may be limited in its effectiveness internationally because it is an English acronym:

 

F – Forgiveness (everyone needs forgiveness)

A – Available (salvation is available to all)

I  – Impossible (salvation is impossible by our own efforts)

T – Turn (to receive salvation, we must turn from our sins, by faith, to Jesus in repentance)

H – Heaven (we can spend eternity with God in heaven when we place our faith in Jesus)

 

Another great method is the A-B-C method.  It is extremely simple and even though it, too, is an English acronym, it is simple enough to apply in any language.

 

A – Admit that you are a sinner

B – Believe in Jesus Christ

C – Confess (or Choose) Christ

 

The point of all of these methods, however, is to bring the lost person to the point of making a decision to follow Jesus Christ.  As such, all of these methods must end with a challenge. 

 

 

Calling a Sinner to Repentance

 

All efforts at evangelism must ultimately end with calling the sinner to repentance.   Every sinner needs to be brought to that point where he or she chooses to either accept salvation by faith in Jesus Christ – or reject it outright.  This means that you must call them to that choice.  In so doing, here are the simple things they need to know with certainty.  If they are willing to receive Christ, ask them these simple questions:

 

·      Do you admit you are a sinner?

·      Do you understand that as a sinner, you deserve death and Hell?

·      Do you believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from sin and death?

·      Do you repent by turning from your old life of sin to a new life in Christ?

·      Do you receive, through faith in Jesus Christ, his free gift of salvation?

 

That’s it.   A truthful answer of “yes” means they have placed their faith in Christ.  Therefore, if they truthfully say yes to all of these things, they are saved. 

 

The Sinner’s Prayer

 

“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner.  I know that I need your forgiveness.  I accept your salvation by faith and ask you to come into my life and save me.  Thank you for eternal life.  Amen.”

 

Some of you may want the sinner to say the Sinner’s Prayer, which is fine so long as you do not give the impression that the Sinner’s Prayer is some magical incantation for salvation.  The point of the Sinner’s Prayer is not to speak some magical prayer, but rather “to confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Romans 10:9).  It is the first time that they get to confess with their mouth – and that confession is directly to God.  It is a beautiful and simple prayer.  You may want to lead them in it by allowing them to repeat it after you.  But keep in mind, it is their faith, not the Sinner’s Prayer, that has saved them.