“You must bring a lot of happiness into the world,” said the young businessman with tears of joy and gratitude sparkling in his eyes. He had just prayed with me to receive Christ as his Savior. He and his wife had been looking for God for some time, he said, and now he was eager to take the Four Spiritual Laws booklet home with him so that he could in turn introduce his wife to Christ.
For more than 25 years I have had the exciting privilege of “bringing a lot of happiness into this world” by sharing the Lord Jesus Christ with thousands of students and laymen around the world.
One of the greatest misconceptions of the centuries is the idea so prevalent among Christians today—that men do not want God. Wherever I go I find ample proof that just the opposite is true. The Holy Spirit created a hunger for God in the hearts of multitudes.
Yet, tragically, many Christians have never introduced anyone else to the Lord Jesus. Basically, there are two reasons for this. First, the average Christian is living a defeated, impotent, carnal life. He is not walking in the fullness and control of the Holy Spirit. Second, the average Christian has never been trained to communicate his faith in Christ effectively. He has never learned how to begin a conversation about Christ, how to explain the gospel simply and clearly, and how to lead a person to make a decision to receive Christ by faith.
THE KNOW-HOW
We cannot overemphasize need for training in evangelism. “Know-how” often makes the difference between effective and ineffective witnessing Basically, we witness in two ways; by the way we live and by the words we speak. We are specifically commanded to speak the good news with our lips, and that is the aspect of witnessing that we shall discuss here.
Before you can introduce others to Christ, however, there are certain things that you need to know: You must be sure that you are a Christian yourself. Then, as a Christian, you must know the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit. You must also be sure of what people should know about God, Jesus Christ, and the gospel before they can make intelligent decisions for Christ.
For many years, in our various student, lay, and pastors institutes of evangelism, we used to ask those who participated in the training to help us list everything that they felt a person should know before he could make an intelligent decision for Christ.
Usually 25 to 50 different suggestions were made, all of which were written on the chalkboard. The list usually included the following:
After all suggestions were exhausted, we asked each participant to read through the Four Spiritual Laws booklet with us and help us eliminate every point listed on the chalkboard that relates to Law One. These points were then removed from the board. We continued to Laws Two, Three, and Four, following the same procedure. At this point, the chalkboard was always clean, for the distilled essence of the gospel is incorporated in the Four Spiritual Laws booklet.
We do not claim that use of the Four Spiritual Laws is the only way to introduce others to Christ, nor even the best way. However, we do know that tens of thousands of men and women have received Christ through the direct, simple presentation of the gospel contained in this booklet.
JUST GET STARTED
But even a Spirit-controlled person with a tested and trusted tool in his hands can expect barriers of resistance in sharing Christ with others. One of the most difficult barriers to overcome in witnessing is just getting started. No matter who you are or where you are, opportunities are always available. Assume that, whenever you are alone with another person for more than just a few moments, it is a divine appointment and an answer to your prayer.
There are many effective ways to establish contact. After a cordial, friendly greeting, you can say:
“Have you ever heard of the Four Spiritual Laws? This little booklet is one of the most widely read books in the world—approximately 100 million copies have been distributed in every major language of the world.”
“The content of this booklet has changed my life.”
“The content of this booklet has changed the lives of thousands. I would like to have you read it and give me your impression.”
This direct approach can best be employed when you have only a few moments with an individual. If you have a more unhurried opportunity, you will want to take a few minutes to establish rapport by sharing a few things of personal interest about yourself and asking the other person about himself, his business, profession, or family. Then you can proceed to explain that you are a Christian and that you have discovered a remarkable booklet that has been a great help to you and that you would like to share with him. Then ask, “Have you ever heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?” As you prayerfully depend upon the Holy Spirit, He will give you wisdom in making the transition. However, no presentation will be effective unless God has already prepared the other individual’s heart.
READ THE BOOKLET
When you share the gospel through the Four Spiritual Laws, do not elaborate with personal illustrations, which often confuse the one to whom you are speaking. Simply read through the booklet, but do not be mechanical. Be sensitive to the person’s questions and needs. Keep in mind that you are introducing your friend or a stranger to our Lord Jesus Christ, the most wonderful person who ever lived.
Generally, it is wise for the one who is doing the witnessing to read aloud from the booklet, holding it at an angle so that the one with whom it is being shared can read along. You will find that most people agree with the first three principles and are not likely to ask many, if any, questions. Thus you can proceed to Law Four with confidence. The material contained on pages 8 and 9 in the booklet will help you to determine whether a person is ready to receive Christ. You will observe two circles, one representing the self- controlled life, the other the Christ-controlled life. Ask the question contained in the booklet, “Which circle represents your life?” Then ask, “Which circle would you like to have represent your life?” In most cases the one with whom you are sharing will answer the first question, “The circle on the left,” and the second question, “The circle on the right.”
The next crucial point in sharing Christ is to help those who want to receive Him as their Savior to know exactly what to do. As you continue to read from the booklet, it will explain how one can receive Christ through a prayer of faith.
Read the prayer aloud and then ask, “Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?” If the answer is, “Yes,” say, “You can pray this prayer right now if you really mean it, and Christ will come into your life as He promised.” Then pause for prayer, with the suggestion that, if the individual would like to pray aloud, you can pray with him.
If there is a long silence, you may suggest that the individual pray after you. Be sensitive. Do not offend by “forcing” the prayer. He may wish to pray his own prayer rather than the suggested one. Should the individual wish to pray silently, suggest that he say “Amen” when finished. At this point, you pray.
NO RESPONSE?
If there is no commitment after you read the booklet through the first time to this point, exercise caution to avoid offending the one with whom you are sharing Christ. Do not try to badger, argue, or high pressure him into making a “decision” for Christ. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”1
The important thing is not what you do, but what the Holy Spirit does through you.2 You and I do not have the ability to bring anyone to Christ. Remember that success in witnessing is simply sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.
Proper follow up of the new Christian cannot be overemphasized. You should secure the name and address of each individual with whom you pray. This can be done tactfully and without offense if you give the person your name and address first. Then arrange to meet with the new Christian for spiritual counsel and follow-up not more than 48 hours later—the very next day, if possible. If you can’t meet personally, it will be helpful to the new Christian to receive a personal letter of encouragement, and some helpful literature from you.
I challenge you to perform an experiment for the next 30 days. Each day, ask God to lead you to someone whose heart has been prepared for your witness. Go prayerfully and in the power of the Holy Spirit. And, in the spirit of the apostle Paul, “talk about Christ to everyone who will listen.”3 Present the gospel as contained in the Four Spiritual Laws; expect God to use you.
At the end of the 30 days, I am sure that you will be convinced as multitudes of others have been before you, that there is no greater adventure in life than introducing others to our Savior. Remember, “You can bring a lot of happiness into this world” by sharing Christ with others.
Endnotes
1 John 6:44
2 I Corinthians 3:6
3 Colossians 1:28, Living Bible
Adapted from How to Introduce Others to Christ Copyrighted 1971, 1998 by Bill Bright, NewLife Publications, Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Dr. Bill Bright was the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International.
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