Personal
Evangelism Handbook
CHAPTER V
The Opening and the
Close
If you have contact with a
person by mail, at the store, in a gas station, waiting
for a bus, at church, or in your home, you have an
opportunity to witness for Christ.
We believe it is a very rare
instance when the Lord Himself would actually prefer
that you say nothing at all about Him.
You perhaps will not have the
opportunity to fully explain the plan of salvation to
everyone with whom you have contact, but you should
definitely be in prayer continually as to exactly what
God WOULD have you say.
There could never be
"rules" for conversation openers because each
time you meet someone you will have to judge the
situation. However, there are some guidelines which can
help you as you are beginning to witness. In time you
will discover which ways work best for you in certain
situations, and you will usually be able to sense,
through the leading of the Holy Spirit, the best way to
approach the person with the gospel.
It is very important, as you
begin to witness, to gain "favorable
attention." Be friendly. Be pleasant. Be gracious.
Look for opportunities to give a sincere compliment. Be
alert to notice (from the other person's remarks) what
his interests are, and what his philosophies are, so you
can make use of these clues he has given you as you
present the gospel to him. The wonderful thing about the
gospel is that it meets the needs of every individual,
but we should be careful to explain it properly to
people so that they can SEE it will meet their need.
Sometimes several approaches will be necessary before
you discover what will really open the person up to the
love of Christ. Perhaps this is the key thought-not the
exact words you will say so much as how you can get the
person's mind open to the Lord and the Bible.
If the Lord leads you to start
witnessing "cold, right off the bat" to
someone you have never met-fine. Do it. However, you
will usually find the person more receptive to the
gospel if you can first talk with him about something he
is already interested in. Sometimes you will take as
long as half an hour or more in doing this; other times
you can do it in a very few minutes. Each person and
situation will be different, and the Lord will lead you
as you go about "preparing the way" for a good
presentation of the gospel.
We are not suggesting you
"beat around the bush" when you witness. Not
at all. But you will find that if first you speak to the
person in terms of what interests HIM, he will be more
disposed to listen when you speak about what interests
YOU.
Your interest in this person
should be genuine. You will find that people are
absolutely starving for someone to care about them. This
is so MUCH to your advantage. The time and effort you
spend being kind to the person will really pay off in
souls won to Christ, and in your influence upon him to
serve the Lord after he is saved, as well.
A careful reading of Dale
Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People
should be of great value to you as a soulwinner. This is
not advocating trickery of any sort, nor is it
minimizing the work of the Holy Spirit. But it is well
to have a thorough understanding of what motivates
people and to use this understanding correctly for the
Lord Jesus Christ. The principles in Mr. Carnegie's book
are generally quite Scriptural and are presented in a
clear, interesting manner.
Below is a sample conversation
I might use as I start witnessing to a saleslady. You
can use this approach to people of all walks of life,
asking them how they became interested in whatever line
of work they happen to be in.
WITNESS: "How did you
become interested in selling clothing?"
SALESLADY: "As a teenager
I was interested in fashion, so I was happy to get this
job a few years ago in women's apparel."
WITNESS: "Guess you meet
all kinds of people in selling."
SALESLADY: "Yes, it is
very interesting. What kind of work are you in?"
Note: People invariably ask
what you do after you have spoken to them about what
they do. No matter WHAT your vocation is, your answer
can be used to lead them into the gospel.
WITNESS: "I am a pilot . .
. but my main interest is in people."
Note: Here is where you can
give your personal testimony. As you are reading this
book, take time out and go over your testimony and think
of things that would be of interest to most people. This
doesn't mean to make up things and put them into your
testimony. Some Christians lament that their testimony
isn't "interesting." But you will be amazed,
if you spend time thinking and planning, how many little
things have occurred in your life that you can word in
such a way as to be extremely interesting to others.
Most people will be interested in hearing what has
happened to you. There is a certain curiosity value
here.
As you plan, you should arrange
your testimony into various lengths of presentation. You
should be able to give the plan of salvation through
your testimony in two minutes, five minutes, ten
minutes, half an hour, or hours. When you have this
settled in your mind and ready for use as the situation
indicates, you will find you have more courage to
witness because you will be prepared.
You like to talk about what you
know. A baseball enthusiast loves to talk about baseball
and revels in his knowledge of the players' averages.
I'm sure you know people who think they are experts in
some subjects and can't wait for an opportunity to air
their knowledge.
Fear or hesitancy to witness
usually comes from a lack of confidence in your
knowledge of the subject. Pat yourself on the back for
being interested in studying soul winning enough to read
this book! But, obviously, just reading a book cannot
furnish you with all you need to win souls.
These four things will help
you to overcome your fear of witnessing:
(1) Knowledge of the
Scriptures,
(2) Successful past
experiences,
(3) Being around people who
also witness, and
(4) Prayer.
You will usually find that the
fear you have of witnessing will disappear as soon as
you actually begin to witness to the person. The
important thing is to GET STARTED! Don't allow Satan to
keep you from being an effective witness because of
fear. Claim I John 4:18, "There is no fear in love:
but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath
torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in
love." Remember, it is the "love of Christ
that constrains" us to witness.
To be a great soulwinner, you
must study and practice, study and practice, and study
and practice some more. Another concrete aid in
overcoming fear of witnessing is an "ever
ready" presentation of the gospel through your own
testimony.
If you have a close Christian
friend who is also interested in soulwinning, perhaps
you could get together and "practice" on each
other. Give your testimony to each other as you would to
a lost person. Hearing one another will help you in
recognizing phrases you could word better, etc. Also,
after you have given your testimony a few times, you
will gain more confidence.
A tape recorder can also be
helpful to you. Tape your testimony and see if you like
how you sound. You might discover several things in your
speaking you would like to change . . . perhaps you
speak too fast, use too many "uh's," or repeat
a favorite cliché more than is pleasing to the ear.
No one becomes a perfect
soulwinner overnight. But remember, it isn't your
eloquence, anyway, that God is going to bless, but your
faithful, loving presentation of the gospel. The
important thing is to START witnessing now. Witness to
somebody TODAY. "He that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm
126:6).
USING CURRENT
NEWS AS A CONVERSATION OPENER
If you can relate a current
news item to Scripture as a fulfillment of prophecy, a
conversation is then opened for the gospel.
The cancerous growth of
socialism throughout the world, and this includes
America, can be used to interest people in the Word of
God. It probably is wise to leave "politics"
as such out of the conversation, but at the same time
there is no reason not to mention that government
policies which aid atheism and socialism certainly are
unscriptural.
There is an intricately
involved study of prophetic Scripture on the subject of
the "last world ruling power" which cannot be
entered into in this handbook of personal evangelism,
but we will mention some verses briefly you might want
to use to arouse a person's interest in hearing more of
the Bible-which, we pray, will be verses on salvation.
1. God foretells in Daniel 7:23
that the last world ruling power will "devour the
whole earth." America is not excluded from this
terrible dominion, as much as we wish it were.
2. Daniel 8:23 says the ruler
of the latter time will use "dark sentences"
which, according to the Hebrew, means
"trickery."
3. Daniel 8:24 tells us of his
great satanic power, the increase of his dominion, and
the martyrdom of Christians at his hand.
4. Daniel 8: 25 lets us know
that his policy is to use "craft." The Hebrew
for this is "deceit." His policies shall be
advanced through using deceit. He will think he is very
great, but the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of princes,
shall eventually conquer him.
5. Daniel 11:21 says this ruler
shall say there will be peace (Hebrew, "promise of
peace, false or true") and shall conquer nations
through false platforms.
6. Daniel 11:24 This ruler
shall have had no precedent in his wicked works. No man
shall have done evil like this before. He will
"scatter among them the prey" . . . promise
great economic security to the nations, but not come
through with his false promise except for a short time
to gain their confidence and allegiance.
7. Daniel 11:36-The ruler will
not believe in God. He will prosper until the end of the
Great Tribulation when Christ shall break him in pieces
(Dan. 2:45). Our beloved America is following this
world-wide socialistic trend which we believe is the
system God describes as the last world ruling power. The
Ecumenical Movement also plays its part in this
"one-worldism," which we shall discuss in
Chapter 14.
When a person realizes that
socialism is sweeping the entire world, including his
own country, he is usually quite receptive to the
gospel. Who would want to go through the Great
Tribulation? God promises that His people will not have
to. It is only for the unsaved on the earth at that time
(1Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 3:10; Isa. 26:20).
It is not profitable to go into
myriad detail on prophecy of this sort with a lost
person because its proper understanding could not come
until a person is saved and has studied the Bible quite
thoroughly. But as a conversation opener-used to go from
a general topic INTO THE GOSPEL-it can be very valuable.
USING
PROPHECY OF THE JEWS AS A CONVERSATION OPENER
Hearing about something that
has happened in our own lifetime impresses us more
vividly than hearing of some thing that happened before
we were born. For this reason, the return of the Jew to
the land of Israel in May, 1948, is of particular value
as a conversation opener. This prophecy was fulfilled
within the lifetime of anyone over 46 years of age (as
of this printing in 1994).
Amos 9:14, 15, "And I will
bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and
they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and
they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof;
they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no
more be pulled up out of their land which I have given
them, saith the Lord thy God."
Isaiah 27:12, "And it
shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat
off from the channel of the river unto the stream of
Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye
children of Israel."
Hosea 3:4, 5, "For the
children of Israel shall abide many days without a king,
and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and
without an image, and without an ephod, and without
teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return,
and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and
shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.
"
You might also mention WHY the
Jews were scattered. In the twenty-sixth chapter of
Leviticus God gives the conditions of blessings and
warnings of chastisement for the nation Israel. The
final chastisement after continued disobedience is
DISPERSION.
Leviticus 26:32, 33, "And
I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies
which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I
will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a
sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and
your cities waste."
Deuteronomy 28:63-66 describes
the scope of the final Old Testament dispersion,
"And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord
rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you;
so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to
bring you to naught; and ye shall be plucked from off
the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the Lord
shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of
the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt
serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers
have known, even wood and stone."
In Mark 14:27 Christ quoted
from Zechariah 13:7 which says, ". . . saith the
Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall
be scattered . . . ," indicating that the Jews
would again be scattered, this time because of their
attitude toward the Messiah-for not receiving Him.
If you will have in your mind
what you want to say in regard to the Jews going back to
the Land as a fulfilled prophecy, you will be amazed to
discover how often the Lord will allow conversations of
people around you to make a perfect gateway for your
remarks.
This prophecy will arouse their
interest in the Bible and you should then lead the
conversation into the plan of salvation. Perhaps, if
Jewish people are present, begin with prophecy about the
Messiah. Chapter 12 of this book will give details on
witnessing to Jews.
USING TRACTS
TO OPEN CONVERSATIONS
AM I GOING TO HEAVEN ?
Check What's Required:
1. Obeying God's law and
commandments.
2. Gifts to charity.
3. Doing your best.
4. Living a good life.
5. Good works.
6. Trying to obey the Golden
Rule.
7. Tithing, or giving money to
the church.
8. Church membership.
9. Regular church attendance.
10. Prayers.
11. Fasting.
12. Water baptism.
13. Holy communion.
14. Born of Christian parents.
15. Confirmation.
16. Penances.
17. Extreme unction.
EXPLANATION:
No. 1 - It is impossible to get
to heaven this way. The Bible says: (see Romans
3:19-28).
"Therefore we conclude
that a man is justified (vindicated) by faith without
the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:28)
No. 2,3, or 4 - These things
could never save you. The Bible says:
"Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His
mercy He saved us..." (Titus 3:5)
No. 5,6, or 7 - Good works can
not save anyone. The Bible states:
"For by grace are you
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)
No. 8,9,10 or 11 - We can not
be saved by works, regardless of how good or well
intended. God saves us by His grace (mercy). The Bible
says: "And if by grace, then it is no more of
works: otherwise grace is no more grace. but if it be of
works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no
more work." (Romans 11:6)
No. 12 or 13 - Water baptism
and communion are for those who are already saved. It is
not our work that saves us, but faith in Christ. The
Bible says:
'"But to him that works
not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)
No. 14 - This can not save you.
The Bible says:
"They which are the
children of the flesh these are not the children of
God..." (Romans 9:8)
"But as many as received
Him (Christ), to them gave He power to become the Sons
of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12,13)
"Not of blood" means
"not of one's parentage." You must be born of
God to be saved.
No. 15,16 or 17 - These are
man-made doctrines and are not taught in the Bible. God
says:
"But in vain they do
worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men." (Matthew 15:9)
No! None of these things can
save you. You can do nothing to earn eternal life. It is
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone that can save you.
"And by Him (Christ) all
that believe are justified from all things, from which
you could not be justified by the law of Moses."
(Acts 13:39)
The way to have eternal life is
not found in what we do ourselves, but by having a
perfect righteousness given to us. We receive this when
we believe the Lord Jesus Christ took our sins on
Himself and paid for them by His death on the cross.
"For He (God) has made Him
(Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (II
Corinthians 5:21)
You do not receive eternal life
by working for it or by trying to make yourself behave.
You receive eternal life by believing the record God
gave of His son. Remember, if you disagree with these
statements you are calling God a liar.
"...He that believes not
God has made Him a liar; because he believes not the
record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record,
that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son." (I John 5:10,11)
God, in His Sovereignty,
permits man's destiny to depend on man's choice.
"He that believes on Him
is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the Name of the
only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
AFTER you are saved, obedience
to God brings love, joy, peace and happiness into your
life (see Galatians 5:22,23).
When we disobey God, He will
punish us, but our punishment will never be hell. God
deals with us as a father deals with his son. (See I
Corinthians 3:15; 5:5; 11:32).
God will never cast us out or
lose us.
"...Him that comes to Me I
will in no wise cast out...all which He has given Me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the
last day." (John 6:37,39)
Doesn't it make sense to
believe on the One who came back from the dead and trust
Him for the payment of your sin? Why not do it now and
you can be sure of going to heaven when you die. He
loves you. Right now, why not accept the payment He has
made for your sins and you can KNOW you have eternal
life.
"These things I have
written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of
God; that you may KNOW that you have eternal
life..." (I John 5:13)
Christ Died...That's History
Christ Died For Me...That's
Salvation!
"For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that______________________________________whosoever
(your name) believes in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Friend, if you can sincerely
put your name in the blank space above, on the authority
of God's Word, you can KNOW you have eternal life.
"Verily, verily
(Truthfully, truthfully) I say unto you, he that
believes on ME HAS (possesses now) everlasting
life." (John 6:47)
If you have received Christ as
your savior, please let us know.
Having something in your hand
to give to someone will usually gain favorable
attention. Most people willingly accept a tract.
While undoubtedly any clear
salvation tract can be used in your witnessing, we have
pictured in this chapter the "Heaven" tract,
which has proven exceptionally effective as a
conversation opener, because of its probing title,
"Am I Going to Heaven?"
If you have only a few moments,
you can simple give this pamphlet to someone with a
remark such as, "I'd like to give this to you to
read. I think you will find it very interesting."
When people receive this tract,
they almost invariably ask a question or make a comment
about it-and this is your direct lead into the plan of
salvation. Often they will say something like, "Not
me, I'll never make it to heaven." This is fine,
because then you know they already realize THEIR works
are unable to make them fit for heaven.
If you have the time, it is
well to go over the tract with them first, explaining
that while the list contains many wonderful things to
do, the Bible says good works cannot save a person, and
that they need to trust Christ as the One who has made
complete payment for their sins. Show them John 3:16 on
the back page and how they can put their name in the
blank space when they believe in Christ as their Saviour.
This tract is not copyrighted.
The original author has given his permission for the
tract to be used by others. It has been revised twice
from the original form. We know of over two million
copies of this tract that have been given out. Because
of its unusual clarity in presenting the plan of
salvation, and because of its tremendously fruitful
results, we encourage you to use it also. Your group can
have these tracts printed by an offset press. If you
would like a few sample copies, you may write to Pastor
Wally Morillo, P.O. Box 775, Pharr, TX 78577.
We think you will be pleased
with the way it will increase your ministry.
Note: May we suggest that if
you are leaving a tract with a tip for a waiter or
waitress, that you leave a generous tip. They will
probably be more inclined to read it because of your
kindness to them.
THE
"GOOD NEWS" CARD-UNIQUE CONVERSATION OPENER
Everybody likes to hear good
news, and this idea has been incorporated into a
telephone ministry called TEL-EVANGELISM, using short
recordings of the plan of salvation.
USING
TEL-EVANGELISM AS A CONVERSATION OPENER
Miami, Florida, was the
experimental city for a new kind of ministry,
TEL-EVANGELISM, which, as the name implies, is
evangelism by telephone and is an excellent conversation
opener with the "good news" card to be handed
out. For information on how your group can have this
unique, inexpensive ministry write: TEL-EVANGELISM,
Inc., Rev. Herbert Paynter, 3313 Fowler Blvd.,
Lawrenceville, GA 30244 (404) 921-5078.
Printed below is a sample
"TEL-ADULT" message:
"Thank you for calling.
This is a recording of the best news you could hear.
First, ask yourself this question: 'Where are you going
when you die?' Have you ever wondered if some of the
things you have done would keep you from going to
heaven? You can know right now whether or not you are
going to heaven or hell. The reason you can know now is
because your destination of heaven or hell does not
depend on what you do. It depends upon your acceptance
of what God has already done for you.
"The good news is that God
tells us He saves us by paying for our sins and giving
us eternal life. Look up and study carefully Ephesians
2:8, 9, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast.'
"Amazing, isn't it? But
God said that He would save us through faith, not what
we do ourselves. It is the gift of God. This means that
it is free to us, because God has paid the price.
"Why not take God at His
Word and believe that 'God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' This
would make you God's child-this believing in Him-and
then, when you disobey Him you would certainly receive
punishment, but He would never lose you or cast you out.
God guarantees this to us in John 6:37 and 39. If you
trust Christ as your Saviour, God will deal with you as
His son, and while the punishment for what you do wrong
will never be hell, because you are now His child, He
will chasten you because He loves you.
"To have eternal life you
do not have to join a church or pay money; in fact, you
can do nothing to earn eternal life. You simply accept
the payment for your sins that God has already made for
you. Believe the record God gave of His Son.
"You can trust Him. Why
not, right now, silently, tell God you believe that He
paid for your sins on the cross, just like He said He
did. Right now, receive Christ as your Saviour. God
bless you."
You can see that the message is
a non-denominational, clear, gospel presentation with an
invitation to receive Christ as Saviour at the end. The
person is then invited to call your church or your
appointed counselor to receive further information or to
have any questions he might have answered from the
Bible. This "call back" number has proven very
valuable because the caller then receives Scriptural
counsel from a qualified soulwinner. This soulwinner
could be some one confined to bed, a housewife, or
anyone who wants an opportunity to witness to those
actively seeking the Lord Jesus Christ.
The soulwinners using
TEL-EVANGELISM report that over 90% of those who call
this "call back" number indicate they are
accepting Christ as their Saviour.
Using this "good
news" card as a conversation opener is really
unusually effective, for while some people will refuse a
tract, almost everyone is pleased to receive this
"good news" card. People want to hear good
news! This card seems to cause an instant rapport, as
well as to arouse an interest and desire in the person
to hear more about this "good news."
Very often the person will ask
questions that you can answer directly with the plan of
salvation . . . and from the conversations opened many
have received Christ as their Saviour even before they
had the opportunity to call the TEL-EVANGELISM number!
THE CLOSE-THE
INVITATION TIME
It is extremely important not
to try to close before the person understands the plan
of salvation. When you feel sure he understands the
gospel and you are ready to ask him to trust Christ as
his Saviour, then do so. Don't wait.
Here is a sample conversation:
THE WITNESS: "Does what I
have been saying make sense to you?"
THE LOST: "Yes, it
does."
THE WITNESS: "Since it
makes sense to you, wouldn't you like to receive Christ
as your Saviour right now?"
THE LOST: "Yes, I would
like to do that."
THE WITNESS: "All right,
the best you know how, do you really believe Jesus was
the Lord and that He paid for all your sin?"
THE LOST: "Yes, I
do."
THE WITNESS: "I am so
glad, because when you believe this God says you can
KNOW you have eternal life. Look at this verse: I John
5:13, 'These things have I written unto you that believe
on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may KNOW that ye
have eternal life....'"
Each of these questions that
you have been asking this person should receive a
"yes" response. This is because by this time
he should understand the gospel, or you wouldn't be
asking him to receive Christ as his Saviour yet. If at
any point in your "close" the person should
say "no," it doesn't make sense, or
"no" he doesn't want to receive Christ as his
Saviour, you should ask him why he feels that way and
answer his objections with Scripture. Then when you
again feel he understands, invite him to receive Christ
as his Saviour.
If for some reason the lost
persistently refuses to trust the Lord, or if he seems
really set against pursuing the subject of salvation, it
may be best to let the subject "drop" for the
time being. But I would certainly caution such a person
with a remark such as, "You know, you are in a very
precarious position, rejecting the Lord who loves you so
much. If I were you, I would certainly give this much
thought and not waste any time coming to a decision,
because if you were to die now, in your present
condition, you would go to hell." This must be done
in love, though firmly. You could use a verse like John
3:18, showing him he is condemned because of his
unbelief.
An effective way to get the
person to see the error of NOT accepting Christ as his
Saviour is to use I John 5:10, "He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that
believeth not God HATH MADE HIM A LIAR: because he
believeth not the record that GOD gave of His Son."
Most people will readily admit
they wouldn't call God a liar. And yet, if they don't
believe what the Bible says about Christ and salvation,
that is exactly what they are doing.
Use I John 5:9 which says
"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of
God is GREATER...." Every time we go into the
grocery store and buy something in a can, we
"receive the witness of men" when we believe
that the label on the can TELLS THE TRUTH about what is
in the can. When we buy tomato soup we never stop to
worry if maybe it will turn out to be onion soup. We
take the company at its word. We are receiving the
witness of men.
When a boy tells a girl he is
going to marry her, the girl accepts his word, and they
become "engaged." She believes her young man
is telling the truth. She isn't calling him a liar. She
receives the "witness" of this man. Sometimes
people make mistakes. Sometimes they will be wrong.
Sometimes they will even lie. But the Bible says if we
receive the witness of men, who are fallible, HOW MUCH
MORE we should receive the witness of God who is
infallible-who never makes a mistake-who never lies
(Titus 1:2; Psalm 18:30).
Occasionally a person is so
obstinate, and even blasphemous toward the Lord that a
statement like, "If you died in your present
condition and didn't go to hell, it would be the first
time the Bible ever made a mistake," is necessary
for him to realize the gravity of the situation that he
is in.
It amazes me how seemingly
totally indifferent some people are to the gospel.
Romans, chapter one, verses 18-32 give us a picture, a
horrible picture, of unsaved mankind. You could call it
"evolution in reverse." When man was created,
he had fellowship with God. But mankind has gone
downward, not upward. Atheism and idolatry don't come
from ignorance (Rom. 1:19, 20, 28) but from WILLFUL
refusal of the truth.
When you are asking a person to
receive Christ as his Saviour, do not ask him to join
your church. Don't confuse church membership with
salvation. AFTER he is saved you might recommend a good
church to him.
During the invitation to
receive the Lord, don't ask him to change his life or to
make any promises to God. This has nothing to do with
his salvation and will only confuse the issue in his
mind.
The invitation time is one of
the most CRUCIAL times in your witnessing. You can
either drive the person from Christ or lead him to
Christ as a result of what you say, the way you say it,
and how you word it.
Many people, having a sincere
desire to see the person come to have the joys of
serving the Lord, speak of salvation and service in the
"same breath," and we have heard many, many
testimonies of those who had heard this kind of
invitation, who testify they were never saved under that
preaching, but were only confused, made bitter, and
caused to think they could never be saved because they
didn't think they could change the way they were living.
Preach the gospel of salvation
by grace through faith . . . God the Holy Spirit will
save the person, indwell his life, and give him the
power then to live a life pleasing to the Lord.
"For it is God which worketh in you, both to will
and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).
ONE CAUTION:
You will do harm to the new Christian to TELL him he
will go to heaven, without having him see it for himself
in the Bible. His assurance shouldn't come from the word
of any person, but from the Word of the Lord.
