How to Share the Gospel – Part 2

Sharing the gospel message of Jesus Christ is a foundational pillar of the Christian faith. In Part 1 of this title, I discussed that we are called to share the gospel, but it is not always easy. However, we have been provided with all the tools necessary to do so and we can never fail because we simply do our best and God takes care of the results. Initiating a conversation and turning it to the spiritual is a proven approach. Sharing the gospel through our faith testimony, survey-type questions and scripture can also be highly effective in planting seeds of faith.

In Part 2, we are going to explore how you can address a variety of responses you may encounter and how to efficiently guide the discussion. You will also gain insight on different religions, which may be beneficial in a future conversation. The Bible outlines that God wants us to be prepared to share our faith and do so with kindness. 1 Peter 3:15 states, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” So, let’s get prepared!

“YES, I’M A CHRISTIAN”

Many people who are asked about their spiritual belief will say, “Yes, I’m a Christian.” Obviously, that is great news to hear, and you can congratulate them on their important decision and encourage them to stay active in their faith. Unfortunately, a surprising number of those who claim to be Christians are not active in their faith, which may call into question its genuineness. This is a very underrated and vast mission field. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 68% of Americans claim to be a Christian. Interestingly, only 23% of Americans identify as an evangelical Christian and only 9% read their Bible each day. Granted, only God knows if a person is truly saved, but you could try to learn more about their faith experience just in case they may be lacking in their belief and need some direction.

So how can you address this without offending the person you are sharing with? Again, with our conversational approach to evangelism, you start by asking some questions, such as: “So tell me about how and when you accepted Christ as Lord and Savior? Did you see a noticeable change in your life, have a strong desire to follow Jesus and avoid sin in your life?” You can give the examples in the Bible where it discusses being a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “born again” (John 3:3). The evidence of genuine faith is a changed life that is producing fruit. If they don’t indicate a positive change since coming to Christ, you might share your faith story and include the gospel message.

HOW TO INTERACT WITH NON-CHRISTIANS

It is not uncommon to share with a person who is not a Christian. They may have no spiritual beliefs or follow a world religion. I suggest building some rapport in seeking to learn more about their position in a friendly, conversational approach to learn their “worldview” or how they see the world spiritually. Avoid being critical of their position or entering into a theological debate. Listen and nod as they respond to demonstrate you are paying attention. You can reply with, “That’s very interesting. Why do you believe that to be true? What have you learned or experienced that brought you to that position?” Quite often, they may not have any reason or evidence for their belief, indicating that spiritual matters are probably low on their priority list.

Other questions can probe into their satisfaction with their worldview. For example: “Are you happy in your belief? Is it working for you? Do you have any confidence that you will experience a positive life after you die?” They may not be experiencing much fulfillment and have a void. At this point, you could thank them for sharing their worldview and transition to: “Do you like to learn new things?” They usually answer, “Yes.” If so, “Would it be okay if I briefly share my worldview with you?” If the answer is, “Yes,” then share your faith story and/or the gospel message in how we can have a life-changing, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

You can then subtly share some of the attributes of your Christian worldview that may be an attractive alternative to theirs. For example, with your worldview, you experience tremendous joy and peace in your life. It is also convincing to know that there is a lot of evidence for Christianity through observing the sophistication of creation, the amazing validity of the Bible and how it has changed your life. You can also share that you have confidence that after you die, heaven will be your eternal home. By doing so, you may be planting a seed of faith that can grow in their heart.

INSIGHTS TO CONSIDER REGARDING OTHER RELIGIONS

I believe that a good place to start discussion with non-Christians is through the conversation approach shared above. Sometimes, you may encounter a person of a different religion. In sharing, it is important to be respectful of their beliefs. Knowing a few basic principles about what they believe can assist in better understanding their perspective and foster a more productive conversation. We are only asked to try, and God will do what he wills. I have seen God open the hearts of people from a wide variety of spiritual and religious backgrounds and accept Christ. Here are some brief backgrounds on various religions.

• ATHEISM/AGNOSTICISM
  Someone who is an atheist believes that there is no god while an agnostic feels that one cannot truly know if a god exists. They do not believe in the truth of the Bible. They may be hesitant to enter into any type of spiritual discussion. Try asking why they believe their position to be true and then see if they would be willing to listen to your worldview. Share your faith story of how you were once a sinner but are now forgiven through Jesus Christ and how your life has positively changed. You can share that the evidence for a creator God is visible everywhere through the amazing sophistication of creation (e.g., human anatomy, the universe, etc.). You can also refer them to websites that share the evidence for creation, for example: http://TrueMeaningOfLifeIs.Com
• ROMAN CATHOLICISM
  In the Catholic church, the Pope and priests have primary authority while their sacred traditions hold similar value to their Bible. They believe that salvation is secured by faith in Christ plus good works and that grace is provided through church sacraments. They believe that at death one may go to heaven, if free of all sin, otherwise they go to purgatory to hopefully progress toward their future salvation. As a result, they are not certain about their eternal destination. A good approach is to share the Bible’s doctrine that we are not saved by our works and good deeds, but only by the grace and mercy of Christ dying on the cross and being resurrected (share Ephesians 2:8). And that they can be sure of their salvation if they trust in Christ for their forgiveness. (share 1 John 5:13).
• JUDAISM
  Those of the Jewish faith believe in a single entity God, but not in the trinity (God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit). They view Jesus as a prophet or teacher, but not God. They believe that salvation is gained through commitment to the one true God and through moral living. One approach is to find common ground with the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments, which was delivered by Moses. No matter how good we try to be, no one has ever perfectly obeyed the Ten Commandments, which brings us into God’s eternal judgement (hell). Throughout the Old Testament, there are many prophecies that speak of a Messiah or deliverer who was to come. In our worldview, there is significant evidence that this Messiah proved to be Jesus Christ who fulfilled these predictions in the New Testament.
• ISLAM
  Their followers (Muslims) believe that the only god is Allah. They follow the Quran instead of the Bible. They believe Jesus was only a man and prophet but positively appears in their Quran. Most Muslims are peaceful and oppose violence. Salvation to paradise is determined by the efforts and deeds of a person. There is no assurance of salvation at the end of their lives—it is determined by Allah. Be aware that Muslims can be ostracized/persecuted if converting to Christianity. A common-ground discussion point could be that we believe that Jesus is known by his amazing love, forgiveness, peace, sinlessness and non-violence. Through Jesus, we can have peace with our God through the elimination of guilt and sin with assurance for eternal life (heaven) after we die.

OTHER BELIEF BASICS

• A. JEHOVAH’S WITNESS
  Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own unique translation of the Bible that contains several errors based on their bias in theology. They do not believe in the trinity but in one God, Jehovah, who is separate from Jesus. In their belief, Christ’s death provides for the opportunity to work toward their salvation, but it is not assured.
•  B. MORMONISM
  Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon (as interpreted by prophet Joseph Smith). They don’t believe in the trinity but each person of the Godhead as a separate being. They believe that salvation is achieved by Christ’s atoning sacrifice and their good works. Their heaven has three distinct levels, with celestial heaven only reserved for Mormons.
• C. HINDUISM
  Hindus worship multiple deities of the same basic god. They don’t believe Jesus is a god but a moral teacher. They believe in reincarnation–a cycle of continually being reborn into another being after death.
• D. BUDDHISM
  Buddhists deny the existence of relevance for a personal God. They seek enlightenment and believe in reincarnation, influenced by karma, with the ultimate goal of being liberated from the cycle of reincarnation or nirvana.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Remember, you can never fail by trying! Let prayer be your compass. Equipping you to be prepared for encounters with people of different religions provides more tools in your toolbelt. There is nothing like the feeling of sharing with another person and watching how God can use you to make an eternal difference in their life. God is also honored when we share our faith and you will be blessed by it. “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16).