So far, I've shared what the Gospel is, and I've given a couple of biblical mandates as to why we are to share our faith. Today, I will give some ways to share.
One of the strongest reasons people - OK, I - don't share my faith is because I don't feel adequately equipped to share. What do I say? What is the "right" way? What if I screw up? This post won't be all encompassing, but I'll give you a couple of tools to use.
Before I begin, I want to remind you of the Gospel. One key for sharing one's faith is to be able to share the Gospel in one paragraph. You don't need to be able to share the intricate details of the Gospel, but you need to be able to share the key points succinctly. As a reminder of what the Gospel message is, see my first post here.
You Can't Argue a Testimony
To be clear, a testimony is a powerfully effective tool for sharing your faith, but it's not the Gospel. The Gospel is the redeeming work of Christ. That said, a personal testimony is an effective tool for adding credibility and honesty to your faith.
What is a testimony? A testimony is your story of faith. It's a first-hand account of what Christ has done in your life. It can be His redeeming work of salvation, and it can be His sanctifying work of forming to into His image.
Here is how I choose to construct my testimony. I'll expand on each point in a moment.
When. What was the moment of decision? What were the circumstances? What was said? What were you feeling? Were you being convicted by a behavior or attitude? You are decribing the moment of decision.
After. How has your life changed? Are you being conformed more to the image of Christ? Has the guilt of sin been lifted? You don't have to paint life as wonderful, especially since, many times, with the moment of salvation, we experience separation from friends or family. But, in light of the painful aspects, something has compelled you to continue; be sure to highlight that.
Do You Consider Yourself to be a Good Person?
The Way of the Master method of sharing the Gospel is a method championed by evangelist Ray Comfort and made popular in mainstream evangelical circles by Kirk Cameron. The principle is simple: demonstrate a need for a Savior by illuminating the effects of sin by using the universal truths of the 10 Commandments.
I'll be honest: this is my personal favorite tool for sharing the Gospel. If I picture methods of sharing the Gospel as tools, this one is my favorite pliers.
What I especially like about it is that we now live in a pluralistic society where we can no longer bank on the idea that people know about the Gospel. This method does well is identify the need for a Savior. From there we can share the cure to the curse of sin.
I'm not going to spend much time talking about how this technique works. I've linked to it above. But I'll share a quick way that it works. Basically, the goal is to get people to recognize that, before a Holy and Just God, they are guilty of violating His standards and are deserving of His punishment. Once they recognize that, we can share the amazing redemptive aspect of the Gospel.
This is a controversial method to sharing the Gospel, mainly because it highlights the sin aspect. In our society - where people don't spend much time focusing on eternity or, if they do, probably compare their goodness against another - this tool is effective in identifying what sin is, and it's from the generally accepted 10 commandments.
The Story
A newer, very effective tool for sharing the Gospel is the called The Story. This is a tool that works well in areas where people have little exposure to the Gospel. It lays out God's original plan for salvation, what happened to mess it up, what the answer was, and (my favorite) the story of restoration.
This is a great tool for a "softer" approach to sharing the Gospel. I've found it's especally effective for sharing with those whom I have a longer relationship: relatives, neighbors, friends. It's a good tool because it can be used as a starting point for deeper discussions, and The Story website has many resources for further discussion.
Other Tools
Many other tools also exist. Some are particularly effective when the hearer has a respect for the Bible. Some of these are the 4 Spiritual Laws and Roman's Road. To be honest, I keep these tools in my "witnessing toolbox", but I don't use them very often, as I tend to be in contact with folks who do not hold the Bible in high regard, so these methods tend to fall on deaf ears.
Next time, I'll be sharing a message on how to share with particularly cold hearers. In the meantime, I'd like to hear ways you've shared your faith. Feel free to comment below.
One of the strongest reasons people - OK, I - don't share my faith is because I don't feel adequately equipped to share. What do I say? What is the "right" way? What if I screw up? This post won't be all encompassing, but I'll give you a couple of tools to use.
Before I begin, I want to remind you of the Gospel. One key for sharing one's faith is to be able to share the Gospel in one paragraph. You don't need to be able to share the intricate details of the Gospel, but you need to be able to share the key points succinctly. As a reminder of what the Gospel message is, see my first post here.
You Can't Argue a Testimony
To be clear, a testimony is a powerfully effective tool for sharing your faith, but it's not the Gospel. The Gospel is the redeeming work of Christ. That said, a personal testimony is an effective tool for adding credibility and honesty to your faith.
What is a testimony? A testimony is your story of faith. It's a first-hand account of what Christ has done in your life. It can be His redeeming work of salvation, and it can be His sanctifying work of forming to into His image.
Here is how I choose to construct my testimony. I'll expand on each point in a moment.
- Before
- When
- After
When. What was the moment of decision? What were the circumstances? What was said? What were you feeling? Were you being convicted by a behavior or attitude? You are decribing the moment of decision.
After. How has your life changed? Are you being conformed more to the image of Christ? Has the guilt of sin been lifted? You don't have to paint life as wonderful, especially since, many times, with the moment of salvation, we experience separation from friends or family. But, in light of the painful aspects, something has compelled you to continue; be sure to highlight that.
Do You Consider Yourself to be a Good Person?
The Way of the Master method of sharing the Gospel is a method championed by evangelist Ray Comfort and made popular in mainstream evangelical circles by Kirk Cameron. The principle is simple: demonstrate a need for a Savior by illuminating the effects of sin by using the universal truths of the 10 Commandments.
I'll be honest: this is my personal favorite tool for sharing the Gospel. If I picture methods of sharing the Gospel as tools, this one is my favorite pliers.
What I especially like about it is that we now live in a pluralistic society where we can no longer bank on the idea that people know about the Gospel. This method does well is identify the need for a Savior. From there we can share the cure to the curse of sin.
I'm not going to spend much time talking about how this technique works. I've linked to it above. But I'll share a quick way that it works. Basically, the goal is to get people to recognize that, before a Holy and Just God, they are guilty of violating His standards and are deserving of His punishment. Once they recognize that, we can share the amazing redemptive aspect of the Gospel.
This is a controversial method to sharing the Gospel, mainly because it highlights the sin aspect. In our society - where people don't spend much time focusing on eternity or, if they do, probably compare their goodness against another - this tool is effective in identifying what sin is, and it's from the generally accepted 10 commandments.
The Story
A newer, very effective tool for sharing the Gospel is the called The Story. This is a tool that works well in areas where people have little exposure to the Gospel. It lays out God's original plan for salvation, what happened to mess it up, what the answer was, and (my favorite) the story of restoration.
This is a great tool for a "softer" approach to sharing the Gospel. I've found it's especally effective for sharing with those whom I have a longer relationship: relatives, neighbors, friends. It's a good tool because it can be used as a starting point for deeper discussions, and The Story website has many resources for further discussion.
Other Tools
Many other tools also exist. Some are particularly effective when the hearer has a respect for the Bible. Some of these are the 4 Spiritual Laws and Roman's Road. To be honest, I keep these tools in my "witnessing toolbox", but I don't use them very often, as I tend to be in contact with folks who do not hold the Bible in high regard, so these methods tend to fall on deaf ears.
Next time, I'll be sharing a message on how to share with particularly cold hearers. In the meantime, I'd like to hear ways you've shared your faith. Feel free to comment below.
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