The method we will show here is presented considering that the order in which Biblical facts are presented sometimes makes a difference in the person's ability to understand them. For example, a person must know he is a sinner before he can repent of sin. Another example: without knowing about God's law or understanding that God is perfectly good, a person cannot appreciate the grace of God to make him clean.
Many people have the ability to persuade, coerce, frighten, or manipulate people, especially children, to make a public display of some kind of a "decision." Many people know how to get people to make an intellectual decision to believe almost anything. But only the Holy Spirit of our holy God can change a heart from an unbelieving one to a heart that believes by faith. I encourage you to not trust in this or any other method as a formula or mantra by which a person can say the words and be duped into thinking they have satisfied our holy God's requirement to believe with the heart. I urge you, if you use this method, not to trust the method, but declare the message as a responsible messenger, who will trust God to use His Word, and work in people's hearts.
Following is a method of evangelism categorizing the truths of Scripture into six main categories of truth. Similar categorizing for the whole body of Scripture is called apologetics, or statement of faith, or body of divinity or Biblical dogmatics or systematic theology. This pattern is similar to the Wordless Book promoted by Child Evangelism Fellowship, and first shown in mid 1800's by C. H. Spurgeon by using colors to represent each category. I call it "A Child's Statement of Faith."
After we list this overview, we will afterward begin to take one category of doctrine at a time and give suggestions for sharing this with the lost by filling out each category with verses, statements, etc. We will keep it simple, logical, and centered in Scripture. A note about our symbols: they are helpful for many as tabs for marking our Bibles or lessons for quick recognition.
"Lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." (John 4:35)
The Method by Categories:
Belief in the Bible as God's holy and inerrant Word.
Belief that God is eternal, holy, perfect, good, merciful, and that He is the Creator of all things, and that He loves this world that He made including the people in it.
Belief that man's condition before God is completely sinful and deserving of punishment, and that man cannot ever be good enough to make atonement for his own sin.
Belief that Jesus Christ, is God the Son, with all the attributes and character of His Father, God; that He existed with God in eternity past, and that He created the world and all things; that He is the One promised since the Garden of Eden to be atoning and propitiatory sacrifice for our sin; and that He perfectly and completely accomplished all that God required and all that we need for salvation; and that He not only literally died, but that He rose again the third day from the dead, and lives in Heaven with God, the Father, sitting at His right hand. ( !! I could go on and on ! -my most favorite subject in all the world!!)
Belief that God does receive sinners, forgives them, and makes them new when they believe in Him, that His Holy Spirit indwells every believer, helps, intercedes for them, and preserves their souls eternally, and that all believers will live forever in the presence of God Himself when this life is over.
Belief that a true believer will have a changed life from the inside out.
What Christian growth is and why it is important.
How a person can grow in their faith.
Belief that there is an eternal home as Jesus promised, and all believers will literally go there after they are done with this life.
[Please know this is not complete, but a brief statement of categories of doctrine for the purpose of evangelism.]
Your own Testimony - Priceless!
Knowing how to simply give your own testimony often is enough for a person to believe in Jesus. We will show you how to develop your own testimony.
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We welcome your questions and suggestions through our dedicated email account for this blog. Our mission is to help as many Christians as possible to win as many souls to Jesus Christ as possible. sharethegospel@windstream.net
