6. At this point, the witness may share his or her own experiences with Christ—how Christ came into his or her life and what His presence means.
7. This sharing should lead into the precise moment for the witness to explain God's plan of salvation (see "Steps to Peace with God," page 11). The facts of the Gospel must be applied in such a way that they converge at the point of the individual's need. Sin will have to be squarely faced, Christ's atoning death for sin accepted as the only way to God, and repentance and faith expressed for a person to be born again.
8. Advise the inquirer always to be aiming for a decision—one that is comprehensive, intelligent, and definite. The witness should invite the person, lovingly but firmly, to make a decision based on the presented facts. The greatest service a Christian may render to another human being is to help the person understand the all-important step of surrendering his or her life to Christ.
9. Encourage the inquirer to seal the decision with prayer. If the prospect is sufficiently knowledgeable, suggest offering his or her own prayer of commitment. If not, the witness could guide him or her in a prayer.
10. Following this, the witness should review with the prospect what has actually transpired in order to confirm the decision (see page 13).
10. Following this, the witness should review with the prospect what has actually transpired in order to confirm the decision (see page 13).
11. The ultimate goal in witnessing and winning people to faith in Christ is that they, themselves, may also become effective, reproducing witnesses. In order for this to develop, it will be necessary to continue to dedicate time to the new believer, instructing on the importance of Bible reading and study, explaining the value and practice of prayer, and introducing him or her to committed Christians for fellowship, challenge, and encouragement.
11. The ultimate goal in witnessing and winning people to faith in Christ is that they, themselves, may also become effective, reproducing witnesses. In order for this to develop, it will be necessary to continue to dedicate time to the new believer, instructing on the importance of Bible reading and study, explaining the value and practice of prayer, and introducing him or her to committed Christians for fellowship, challenge, and encouragement.
Additional Suggestions for Those Desiring to Witness for Christ
1. Identify with a church where the Bible is preached and taught and where emphasis is placed on personal witness and soul winning.
2. Try to cultivate friendships with other witnessing Christians in order to learn from them: Observe, then do. Evangelism Explosion teaches in its seminars that evangelism is better caught than taught.
3. Enroll in any courses on personal evangelism that are available through your own or another church.
4. Read and study books on Scripture memory, personal evangelism, and witnessing. A few that are available are:
How to Give Away Your Faith by Paul Little (InterVarsity Press)
The Art of Personal Witnessing by Lorne Sanny (The Navigators)
"My Commitment" and "Steps to Peace with God" (Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association)
Topical Memory System (The Navigators)
"Victory Scripture Memory" (Word Publications)
Personal Prayer Notebook (Tyndale House)
Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe by Paul Little
(Scripture Press)
Becoming a Christian by John Stott (InterVarsity Press)
(These books are available at your local Christian bookstore or you may write to Grason, P.O. Box 1240, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1240.)
Scripture
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).
"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself . . . and has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19).
"Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).
WORLDLINESS
Background
The Christian who is "worldly" is the one who is devoted to or engrossed in worldly interests rather than in things relating to Christ and His kingdom. The King James Version of the Bible refers to the worldly person as being "carnal," a word which literally means "fleshly." More recent translations use terms such as "unspiritual," "sinful," or "of the world."
The worldly Christian is not concerned about those things "that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). Rather, he or she is characterized by spiritual indifference, instability, and lack of discipline. He or she is contaminated (James 1:26) and rebellious against God (James 4:4). He or she is a "friend of the world" (James 4:4) and a lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God (2 Timothy 3:4).
The worldly Christian takes a halfhearted stand for that which pertains to the kingdom of God; therefore, he or she easily falls victim to almost any temptation or false teaching that comes along. He or she gives "lip service" to a form of doctrine, but ignores any real substance: "From such people turn away!" advises Paul (2 Timothy 3:5).
The spiritually minded Christian, on the other hand, is one who:
• "Will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33)
• Takes a stand against the "spirit of this age" in order to establish an identity with the family of God
• Enjoys a certain perception and spiritual discernment which comes from prayer and from walking in the Spirit (Philippians 1:9–11)
• Seeks and experiences constant renewal at the foot of the cross (1 John 1:9; 2:1)
• Desires to be "filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:11)
• Knows that "to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6)
Billy Graham comments: "The Bible teaches that we are to live in this world, but we are not to partake of the evils of the world. We are to be separated from the world of evil. When I face something in the world, I ask: 'Does it violate any principle of Scripture?