How To Lead Someone to Christ
In the past few months I have sensed a greater soul consciousness in our church. Being soul conscious is being compassionately aware of lost people around you and going a step further, being willing to do something about it. Our Lord possessed this awareness as we see in Scripture: "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).
Perhaps, you are developing an insatiable desire to witness for your Lord, yet some of you may be asking, how would I do this and what would I say? In the next few paragraphs, I will tell you, with God’s help, how you may lead a soul to Christ.
A beginning place to witness is with the inquiry, “If you died right now do you know one hundred per cent for sure that you would go to heaven?” You may ask, “If you were to die right now and stand before God, the Heavenly Father and He were to ask you, “Why should I allow you entrance into my heaven, what would you say?” Another approach is you might ask, “Do you have peace with God.”
If the person you are witnessing to answers, “I don’t know for sure”, you might follow up with, “May I show you then in the next few minutes from the Bible, how a person may know for sure?” If when asked, “Why should I allow you entrance into my heaven?” they answer, “I haven’t been that bad, etc.” You may follow up with, “May I show you, according to the Bible, what God is looking for in answer to that question?” In the follow up for the person who says they don’t have peace with God, you might say, “May I show you according to the Bible how this peace may be attained?”
First of all, a person who needs to know Christ as their own personal Savior needs to know that they are lost without the new birth. Take them to these verses: Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" I explain, I am a sinner, then I add, “If all have sinned, is there anybody else (in the room) that is a sinner?” I am fishing for them to convey by their own admission they are a sinner, thus recognizing their need for a Savior.
Secondly, I make it plain there is a penalty for sin and that penalty would be separation from God forever in a place called Hell. Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." I emphasize at first the importance of realizing the wages of sin brings them death. This is not just the physical cessation of life in the physical realm, it is the second kind of death as described in Revelation 20:14, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
Thirdly, I give them the good news! The word gospel means “good news”, therefore, express the good news of salvation is that there is a penalty for the sin we were born with (Romans 5:12) and the sins we have in turn committed, but The Lord Jesus Christ took the penalty for us. At this point I emphasize the second part of Romans 6:23, “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". Here are the verses I personally love to use to illustrate this great truth:
II Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
II Corinthians 8:9, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Fourthly, I give God praise for the incredible and inexplicable love He has given us in sending His only begotten Son to die for us and I proceed to inquire if it does not make them sense that we should be sorry for the sin that Christ shed His blood and died for? Romans 5:7-9 says, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him". Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” I am careful to explain, although we do not have the power without Christ to live the life pleasing to God, if we repent, God will supply the power to live for Him (Philippians 4:13). Repentance means to “change the mind”. It is going one direction and through Christ’s power turning around to go in the right direction. One moment we are on the road to Hell the next moment, after repentance and faith, we are on the road to Heaven. One moment we are on the road of self-aggrandizement, the next moment we are truly Christians from our hearts.
Fifthly, although Christ came to us right where we are (as sinners), He did not come to leave us as we are. For the Bile says in Romans 10:9, 10, & 13, "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." I often like to explain that there are more words and pages dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave than the entire life of Julius Caesar. It is a historical fact that on the third day, Christ rose from the grave. But I stress to show them the spiritual significance as well. Romans 8:11 declares, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Through the power of the resurrected life of Jesus, we too can be accepted with the Father and have eternal life! Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Sixthly, being made just with God involves placing our faith in Jesus Christ, as the Scripture says, "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:30, 31). Believing or placing faith on the Lord Jesus means, I cannot save myself and earn the forgiveness of sins, therefore I will turn my whole life over to the Lord and ask Him to forgive me and come into my life and save me. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Seventhly, I press them to ask the Lord to save them right now. I am quick to remind them it doesn’t matter where they are; it is the willingness and sincerity that God is looking for. Sometimes they are at a lost as to how to frame a prayer, so I encourage them to pray this prayer or one like it: “Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I am sorry for the sin I have committed. Please come into my heart now and save me. I believe that Christ died for my sins; I believe that He was buried, but rose again form the grave. I am trusting you to give me a home in heaven when I die or leave this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
For follow up in the assurance of their salvation, I often like to share with them: John 5:24, John 6:37, Romans 8: 38, 39.
I believe you will agree the plan of salvation is simple. One reason many don’t believe is because they stumble over the simplicity of salvation.
Always remember when explaining the plan of salvation to stress the cross and what Jesus did when He died. The Scripture says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18).
- Pastor Pope -