Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ, be sure you have named your sins privately to God the
Father.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the
Holy Spirit and ready to learn Truth from the Word of God.
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in Spirit and Truth," (Joh 4:24)
WITNESSING
RESPONSIBILITY OF WITNESSING
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and even to the remotest part of the earth.
(Act 1:8)
Who is responsible for the declaration of the Gospel — the
good news of Salvation — to the unbelieving world? Is the duty and privilege of
witnessing reserved solely for ministers, missionaries and evangelists? Far
from it! Personal evangelism is the responsibility
of EVERY believer in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Before He
returned to heaven, the Lord commissioned born-again believers to carry the
Gospel to the ends of the earth. His Command is repeated in several of the
epistles; thus the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians that they were to be
ambassadors for Christ. (2Co 5:20) An ambassador is a high-ranking minister of state, often a
member of royalty or nobility, sent to another state to represent his sovereign
on official business.
Ambassadorship
exists in the Spiritual as well as in the temporal realm. Like earthly ambassadors, we did not appoint ourselves but
were appointed by our Savior to represent Him on earth, as the King of Kings
and Lord of Lords while He is seated at the right hand of the Father. (Col 3:1-17) As children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, we
were born again into a high and noble position; we are
not only citizens of this country, but also
“fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” (Eph 2:19) As the
heavenly King’s personal representatives on the earth, we are in FULL-TIME
Christian service, regardless of our vocation or profession! We do not act in our own interest but in the interest of
our Lord! Like earthly ambassadors, we receive
our instructions in written form, and we must remain at our post of duty until
the Lord recalls us. Every perfect provision is made for us by our
Sovereign; yet our effectiveness as ambassadors depends upon our understanding
of our mission. Like all functions in life, particularly Spiritual functions, witnessing requires proper motivation, adequate
preparation and Spiritual Knowledge of God's pertinent Truths.
Apart from
the Divine appointment of each individual believer as an ambassador, there
exists the Spiritual gift of evangelism. (Eph 4:11)
Both functions coexist in God’s Plan, but because their simultaneous operation
is not correctly taught, personal witnessing is frequently distorted into a
merit system or is set aside entirely in favor of mass evangelism. As a result,
there prevails today a non-Biblical pattern: an evangelist is invited to some
church to conduct a “revival,’ and members
of that church bring their friends to hear him. If a few
people are saved in this “revival,” believers often think that their personal
obligation to witness has been fulfilled. Consequently, the erroneous concept has developed that evangelism should
be confined to a local church or public building.
Let me
correct this misconception. First of all, in its true sense, a revival concerns
believers, not unbelievers. Second, the primary
function of the local church is the communication of Truth to believers so they
might grow in grace and become Spiritually self-sustaining, and Spiritually
mature. Third, most unbelievers will come to church only under some type
of pressure or coercion. In the wrong frame of mind, they are resentful and
scarcely give their full attention to the Gospel. Instead of responding to the
message, they may react to it and wait impatiently for the service to end.
But let us
assume evangelism is carried out under more favorable conditions. Suppose that
we had an evangelist at our church for a week, and fifty of those who attended
responded to the Gospel. It is wonderful when even one person accepts Christ as
Savior; but here are FIFTY who did! Isn’t that just great? Think again! In our
hypothetical case, let’s say that we had exactly one thousand church members,
and all of these one thousand believers began to witness to those unbelievers
with whom they rub elbows every day. This might take
place in the office, at the factory, in the shop — on our dime of course! (With
Spiritual fineness, class and style) It might
occur on the campus or in the barracks — wherever
they associate with unbelievers. Suppose that in a given week each of
the church members led one person to Jesus Christ. Now here is a totally
different picture: you have ONE THOUSAND converts in contrast to the FIFTY! The entire Concept of Biblical witnessing is that believers
should go outside the local church in order to disseminate the Gospel to
unbelievers and Truth to believers! The point
is that although not every believer is an evangelist, every believer is
responsible for witnessing!
AGENCIES OF
WITNESSING
The first
declaration of the Gospel occurred in the Garden of Eden after the Fall, with
the Lord Himself as the Evangelist; and the first man and his wife as the
recipients of the good news of Salvation. (Gen
3:15-22) After the regeneration of Adam and Eve, the Gospel became
their sacred trust, and witnessing operated on what is called the “family
plan.” According to this system, the first parents
set the precedent for all future parents in that they evangelized their own
children.
The pattern
was established; and the first religious carnal believer, Cain murdered his
Spiritual believing brother; Abel, (Gen 4:8-9;
Jude 1:11) and God’s restoration of the
regenerate line of Christ; through Seth, who also responded positively to the
Gospel. (Gen 4:25-26)
The family
concept of evangelization continued through Noah and his family until the time
of the Flood. (Gen 7:1) After the
Flood, (Gen 8:21) God Commanded that
the posterity of Noah’s sons, Ham, Shem and Japheth, be divided into separate
nations. (Gen 10:1) As these new
nations developed and expanded, evangelism was generally contained within each
national entity.
With the passing of time, mankind became increasingly
preoccupied with the details of life — material
possessions, friends, loved ones, pleasures and success; consequently, they
turned a deaf ear to the Gospel and Divine Thinking. When people reject the grace of God in Salvation; and when
believers neglect Truth, decadence and apostasy invariably take over! This was the case at the time of the construction of the
Tower of Babel: the need for evangelism was forgotten, and man substituted his
own thoughts and plans for those of God. (Gen
11:1-9) God had to break up the first “United Nations” to assure
that witnessing would continue on a world-wide basis. The family system
of witnessing was replaced with one specific missionary agency the nation
Israel. God called out one believing Gentile, Abram, to become the father of
the Jewish race, (Gen 12:1-3) and over
a period of four hundred years, formed this nation.
Israel was made God’s appointed custodian of Divine Truth
and was given the responsibility of evangelizing the world. (Rom 3:1-2) Instead of
carrying out their assignment, the Israelites came to regard Salvation as a
Jewish monopoly and ultimately failed in their mission! A particularly
apostate period in their history brought the Jews under severe Divine
discipline — the Babylonian captivity, following which God graciously promised
His people an additional 490 years of missionary activity. This period was cut
short seven years as a result of Israel's national rejection of their Messiah
and the subsequent death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The Jews still “owe” God
seven years of witnessing; yet so great were Israel's failures that God set
them aside in favor of a new agency — the New Covenant Church age.
When I say “Church,” I do not mean any specific local
church; I refer to all individuals who have personally received Christ as
Savior during the Church Age; (From the day
of Pentecost, A.D. 33 until the Harvest) — (Mat
13:30; Rev
14:15) ALL born-again believers from every
nation on the face of the earth. So, if you
have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a member of the Church
universal; you are responsible to God for the dissemination of the Gospel in
your own nation. Because of the confusion about personal evangelism, we
have missed a great opportunity to win souls to Christ in our generation.
America is not a Christian nation; our citizens are as desperately in need of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the people in darkest Africa are! How can we hope
to send out missionaries if we cannot witness effectively in our own backyard?
Following the
removal of the Church from this earth at the Harvest. There will be a period
known in the Bible as the “Great Tribulation.” (Mat 24:21; Rev 7:14)
Once again, the Jews will assume their major role as the Lord’s witnesses, for
this final period of time completes the
490 years God promised Israel; for evangelism. In those terrible years, the
testimony of angelic witnesses, (Rev 14:6-7)
and that of the resurrected Moses and Elijah;
(Rev 11:3-12) will
spread the Gospel throughout the world. Grace always
precedes judgment!
Then follows the Millennium.” (Isa 65:25; Rev 20:2) Although
the personal reign of Jesus Christ begins with believers only, the birth of
unbelievers during that period will make witnessing necessary. The
responsibility of personal evangelism rests with individual believers living in
that era of history. So great will be the saturation of the Gospel message
that, (Isa 11:9) predicts that “the
earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Thus, while the agencies for witnessing in each dispensation are slightly
different, the means of salvation is always the same — faith in the Person and
work of Jesus Christ! (Act 4:12)
MINIMAL
KNOWLEDGE FOR WITNESSING
It is a
well-known fact that you cannot communicate what you do not know! If your
knowledge of the good news of salvation is fuzzy, so will be your presentation.
As a result, the person to whom you witness will have no clear understanding of
the Gospel or the issue in salvation. Often, there is too much zeal in
witnessing and too little knowledge. For example, zealous but ignorant
Christians have a mistaken idea of what constitutes genuine conversion;
usually, they want everyone to give up his sins and change his wicked ways. Yet salvation is entirely-the work of God! Therefore,
if you want to be effective in witnessing, it is imperative that you understand
your subject. Note, I did not say that you must understand the whole realm of
Truth in order to tell others of God’s Plan of Salvation; what I am saying is
that you should at least know what that Plan is all about! Furthermore, you
should be cognizant of where your part in witnessing ends and that of the Holy
Spirit begins; you should master the prerequisites for successful personal
evangelism. What, then, is the minimal Spiritual Knowledge standard for
effective witnessing?
1. Witnessing
is the responsibility of every believer. There are two areas in which you may
witness; in your life (2Co 3:3; 2Co 6:3) and with your lips. (2Co 5:14-21; 2Co
6:2)
2. Witnessing
involves knowledge of Bible Truths pertinent to Salvation.
"But I
tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go
away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness
and judgment; concerning
sin, because they do not believe in Me; and
concerning righteousness, because I go to the
Father (Christ was accepted) and you
no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the
ruler of this world has been judged. (Joh
16:7-11)
God the Holy Spirit convicts the unbeliever, of unbelief
in Christ; that ONLY CHRIST has perfect righteousness; and that we are ALL
sinners. And that there is eternal judgment.
3. Clarity of
witnessing demands your accurate understanding of the two deaths Spiritual and
physical of Jesus Christ on the Cross. (Isa 53:10;
Joh 19:30)
4. The
challenge of witnessing comes from the Doctrine of Unlimited Atonement. (1Jn 2:2) Christ died for all mankind!
5. The
dynamics of witnessing are determined by your mental attitude and are related
to your Spiritual growth or maturity.
6. The
effectiveness of witnessing depends on the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. (1Co 2:11-12)
7. Confidence
in witnessing comes from your own assurance of eternal security.
8. The reward
of witnessing is a part of your blessings in time and in eternity.
With these
prerequisites in mind, let us examine their practical aspect in your
fulfillment of the Divine commission — communication of the Gospel to an
unbeliever on a personal basis. The dynamics of witnessing by life and lips are
stated in, (1Th 1:4-5).
For our gospel did not come to you in Word only, but also
in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what
kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1Th 1:5)
Before you open your mouth in a verbal presentation of the
Gospel, you should be keenly aware that God has chosen you, a member of His
Royal Family, (Believers in the New Covenant
Age) to be His ambassador. Your life has a very definite meaning and purpose, for
your Lord has committed to you the ministry of reconciliation. (2Co 5:18-19) At one time you, too, were the
enemy of God; (Rom 5:10) yet that enmity
was removed by the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Now
you are a child of God and beloved by Him; you have something really worthwhile
to communicate to others. But how do you go about it? Your initial step
is to learn Bible Truths pertinent to Salvation. First of all, there is the
Doctrine of Reconciliation.
Reconciliation
is the removal of the antagonism between God and man, the first work of God
from which man benefits eternally. Until Jesus Christ reconciled man to God,
God and man were separated by an impassable Barrier. The Barrier consisted of
sin, the penalty of sin, the problem of physical birth, the problem of the
character of God, the relative righteousness of man, and man’s position in
Adam, in contrast to the eternal life and absolute righteousness
of God. No matter how good or religious man
might be, he does not have the ability to penetrate this Barrier. If you
are to clearly present salvation, you must understand the, mechanics of the
removal of the Barrier — the work of Jesus Christ on
the Cross. http://thinkingtruth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/thebarrier.jpg
Jesus Christ
died for the sins of the entire world and thereby redeemed mankind; He paid the
penalty for sin; He made possible our new birth regeneration; (1Pe 1:23) He
propitiated, (Satisfied) the Father’s righteous demands; He credited His own
perfect righteousness to all who will believe in-Him and vindicated them in
God’s sight. Finally, He placed us in His own family — in short, Christ
totally and completely removed the Barrier. There is nothing to keep man from
God except his own attitude toward Jesus Christ. If you can communicate the
Doctrine of Reconciliation, you will eliminate all fuzzy thinking and all false
issues; you will leave behind the information needed upon which an individual
can make his decision — for or against the Savior. (Joh
3:18)
I have dealt
with many unbelievers who were hostile to the message of grace. They had
attended a number of evangelistic meetings where the evangelists had failed to
clearly present the Gospel. Instead, they had made an issue of sins. Even if everyone in the world stopped sinning today, none
of them would be any closer to heaven! Sin is simply not the issue; Christ is the issue! The objective in witnessing is
not to get people to stop sinning — that would be a hopeless task; the emphasis is on the work of Christ as the SOLUTION to
sin!
Many a person
has come away from an evangelistic meeting with the impression that in order to
be saved, he had to (1) give up his bad habits; (2) stand up in front of
everyone present and so make a fool of himself; (3) weep great tears of
repentance at the mourner’s bench or at the altar down front; or (4) have an
ecstatic experience. No wonder he bristles with antagonism at the sound of the
Gospel!
There are
always those who want to help God by adding to salvation — by walking down the
aisle, by feeling sorry for sins, by being baptized. God
does not need any help! He provided Salvation all by Himself! Often people are saved IN SPITE of the emphasis on false
issues; yet Salvation is always by-FAITH IN
JESUS CHRIST! NOTHING MORE — NOTHING LESS! The only way
to make the issue clear to the unbeliever is to be sure that you have declared,
once and for all, that the Lord Jesus Christ did ALL the work. (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5) There is nothing man can do for Salvation but BELIEVE in
Him. (Joh 1:12; Act 16:31) This is
where the Gospel comes in!
The word
“Gospel” means “good news.” While it is true that we are all sinners, this is
not part of the Gospel. The indictment that “all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) is bad
news; so is the verdict: “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23) The good news
begins with the fact that Christ died for our sins. He took our place so that
we might be saved. The good news is that “Whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16) We need to
give the world this good news of Salvation! In the process of
witnessing, you will often encounter this question: “What about the people who
have never heard the Gospel?” While this question has a Biblical answer, it
must first of all be regarded for what it generally is — the unbeliever’s attempt
to take the pressure off himself by changing the subject. Just remember that
your duty is to present and clarify the Gospel, not to apologize for it!
However, there are four approaches to the subject of heathenism.
1. Definition
of heathenism. Heathen are heathen not because they have never heard the
Gospel, but because they have heard it and rejected the Truth. (Rom 1:18-32)
2.
God-consciousness. Sooner or later, all normal members of the human race reach
the point of God-consciousness. (Rom 1:19)
At that time, man will be either positive or negative toward God. Should he
desire relationship with God, he will receive information upon which to make a
decision. (Joh 7:17) If he is negative,
then God is not responsible for providing more information. (Any member of the
human race who dies before he reaches God-consciousness, or the age of
accountability, is saved by grace. Individuals such as morons, idiots and
mongoloids are saved because they lack the mental faculties to reach
God-consciousness and cannot be held accountable for their decisions. All
others are without excuse! (Rom 1:19-20)
3. The
application of Divine essence. From the standpoint of Divine essence,
heathenism has never presented a problem. As the ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGN of the
universe, God possesses absolute positive volition. Who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth! (1Ti 2:4) Since it is
God’s will that no one perish. He desires that every human being be saved. God
has not only provided the solution to man’s sin problem through the work of
Jesus Christ on the Cross, but He has also seen to it that pertinent
information is disseminated. God has made every necessary provision so that ALL
members of the human race have the opportunity to be saved. What keeps God’s
sovereign will from being fulfilled in the matter of Salvation? The coexistence of human volition with Divine volition, expressed in human rejection
of the grace provision of the Savior. God will never violate human volition. He
offers Salvation freely; whether or not you accept it is entirely up to you!
God is PERFECT
RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE. Therefore, He is absolutely fair in all His dealings
with mankind — in His indictment and condemnation of the human race, (Rom 3:23; Rom 6:23)
as well as in His provision of the Plan of grace. (Rom
6:23) God is LOVE. His love for man is
manifested in every phase of His Plan, from the matchless gift of His Son,
(Joh 3:16; Rom
5:8) for the Salvation of all who believe;
(Joh 3:18) from the total provision
in time; (Php
4:19) to
the endless blessings in eternity! (Rev
7:13-17) Now, when God’s love is spurned,
God’s justice must be accepted as the alternative!
Because God is ETERNAL LIFE, His every characteristic is
perpetuated forever. Furthermore, He is willing to share His kind of life with
all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those
who reject eternal happiness choose eternal condemnation. (Joh 3:18; Act 13:46)
God’s
OMNISCIENCE, OMNIPRESENCE and OMNIPOTENCE extend His gracious offer to every
member of the human race regardless of his geographical location, isolation,
circumstances or linguistic barrier. He knows
exactly who is and who is not desirous of Salvation; He knows how and
where they can be reached with the Gospel; He is able to save to the uttermost
all who will be saved.
Then there is
God’s IMMUTABILITY, which guarantees that God’s Plan of Salvation will never
change and that His offer will never be withdrawn as long as man lives on the
earth. The VERACITY of God guarantees His Word and
Promises! Since He obligates Himself to save WHOSOEVER wishes to be
saved, He will not welsh on His Word. He means what
He says, be it the gracious offer of
Salvation on the one hand, or the warning of
condemnation on the other! From century to century, God’s Plan of
Salvation includes EVERY HUMAN BEING from frozen Lapland to darkest Africa! If
man is not saved, it is his own fault not God’s! (Rom 10:8)
4. The
Doctrine of Unlimited Atonement Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men in the
sense that He died on the Cross for ALL MANKIND.
(1Jn 2:2) states that “...He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Thus, the solution to man’s problem
is universal in nature: all are SAVABLE; yet not all will be saved!
Minimal
knowledge for witnessing further includes two judgments: the judgment of human
good and the Last Judgment. Both will occur simultaneously at the end of time.
(Rev 20:11-15) You see, when Jesus
Christ died on the Cross, He was judged for the sins of the entire world. Once
the sin problem was solved, sin ceased to be an issue in Salvation. At the same
time, Christ rejected human good man’s effort to gain God’s approval by his own
good works. The issue in Salvation, therefore, is the work of Christ versus
human good. All who rely on their own good deeds to get them into heaven are in
for a big disappointment, for there is no place for man’s efforts in the Plan
of God! (Tit 3:5) Many people ask
questions about the Last Judgment. Are you prepared to answer them?
Then I saw a
great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and
heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (Rev 20:11)
Visualize our
Lord seated on his throne. (Joh 5:22)
Before Him all
the unbelievers of the human race will be gathered. There will be no believers
at the Last Judgment, because “There is
therefore now no condemnation, (Lake of
Fire) to them which are in Christ Jesus...” (Rom
8:1) If you have received Christ as your Savior, you are spared from
the Last Judgment.
And I saw the dead, the great and the
small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things
which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (Rev 20:12)
There are two
sets of books kept for the Last Judgment. First of all, there is the Book of
Life which records the names of all who have personally received Christ as
Savior and are notable by their absence. The interesting thing about the Book
of Life is that originally all members of the human race were listed in it. But
when a person dies without accepting Jesus Christ, his name is BLOTTED OUT of
the Book of Life. (Rev 3:5; 1Jn 5:5) Secondly, there are the Books of Works.
These books contain the names of all unbelievers, as well as every good deed
they have done. You see, when a person rejects Christ as Savior, he is saying,
in effect, “I can stand on my own good works; I have no
need for Christ!” WORKS versus WORKS! Energy-of-the-flesh works versus
the work of Christ in Salvation; old sin nature good
deeds versus Salvation by grace!
And the sea gave up the dead which were in
it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were
judged, every one of them according to their deeds. (Rev 20:13)
At the Last
Judgment, every person who stands at the judgment bar is there because of
unbelief. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.” (Joh 3:18) “He who
believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not
see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Joh
3:36) Sin is NOT the basis of the Last Judgment — in fact, sin will
not even be mentioned! I repeat, the people who stand there have rejected
Christ as Savior, and the basis for their indictment will be their works. No
matter how many good works they have performed, these all add up to MINUS-R.
Man’s minus-righteousness cannot have fellowship with God’s plus-righteousness.
The ONLY way to get PLUS-R is to believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
A perfect
example of attempted Salvation by works is found in Romans 9. This is the great
indictment against the Old Testament Jews who failed to recognize the true
purpose of the Law.
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who
did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness
which is by faith. (Rom 9:30)
Many hundreds of thousands of Gentiles were saved in Old
Testament times without any exposure to Israel or knowledge of the Mosaic Law.
What shall we say then? That Gentiles,
who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the
righteousness which is by faith; But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness,
did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not
pursue it by faith, but as though it were by
works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A
ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT
BE DISAPPOINTED!" (Rom 9:30-33)
What tripped up the Jews was their effort to be saved by
their good deeds — and their good deeds
condemned them! They pursued after a
righteousness based on the Law. (The old sin nature cannot be made HOLY! (Rom 7:18; Rom 8:8)
Every member
of the human race ultimately makes a choice, either to accept the work of Jesus
Christ on his behalf, or to reject it. Christ died for the sins of the world,
so SIN IS NOT THE ISSUE! The issue is “What will you do with Christ?” If you reject Him, you will stand on your own old sin nature
good deeds, just as the unbelieving Jews of the Old Testament WILL!
That is a
brief description of why certain Jews who had the Old Testament Scriptures and
knew the Mosaic Law missed the boat. They chose their
own good deeds rather than the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That takes
us back to Revelation 20.
Then death and Hades were thrown into
the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire. (Rev
20:14-15)
Since Jesus
Christ died for the sins of the entire world, God cannot hold the personal sins
of the human race against them! Therefore, the only basis for indicting any
member of the human race is his rejection of God’s solution the Lord Jesus
Christ! If you understand this particular point, then,
in your own words, your own personality, and in the power of the Holy Spirit,
you are in a perfect position to witness for Christ and to make known the Good
News.
PRINCIPLES OF
WITNESSING
Effective
witnessing demands a thorough understanding of a number of Principles. Because
too many Christians fail to learn these Principles or the Spiritual Thoughts
which undergird them, they think that greatness in the believer’s life is
measured by the number of people to whom he witnesses in a day or a week.
Nothing could be farther from the Truth! Witnessing is not soap salesmanship; witnessing is the fulfillment of a Divine Command in which
the believer plays a minor role and God the
Holy Spirit has the major role! This brings us to our first Principle.
1. The Holy
Spirit is the Sovereign Executive of witnessing.
And He, when He comes, will convict the world
concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me. (Joh 16:8-9)
In these
words, Jesus prophesied the coming of God the Holy Spirit on the Day of
Pentecost; (Act 2:1-4) as well as His
convicting ministry to the world concerning “sin,
righteousness and judgment.” I have on occasion been subjected to
sermons on this topic in which the minister or evangelist vociferously
harangued his audience about five or six overt sins which were obviously
objectionable and shocking to him. Invariably, the conclusion was that these
were precisely the types of sins of which the Holy Spirit convicted mankind! To
ascribe the convicting ministry of the Spirit to various and sundry sins is, of
course, way off base and shallow! Notice that Jesus Christ spoke of SIN in the
singular. When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, it is of only ONE SIN: “CONCERNING
SIN, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN ME.” In
dealing with the unbeliever, the Holy Spirit emphasizes one sin only; the
UNPARDONABLE SIN rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Why is it
necessary that God the Holy Spirit have a part of witnessing for Christ? The
answer is found in, (1Co 2:14)
But a natural
man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him; and he cannot understand them, because
they are Spiritually appraised. (Understood)
(1Co
2:14)
The soul of
the unbeliever differs from the soul of the believer. Every human being born
into this world possesses a soul, a body, and in the body, an old sin nature.
However, man is born without a human spirit. (The human spirit is acquired only
at the moment of Salvation; Tit 3:5; Jas 2:26.)
Now, (1Co 2:14) states that Spiritual Thinking ---
God's Thoughts cannot be understood without a human spirit and or being in
fellowship. How, then, can the Gospel, Spiritual phenomena; enter the soulish
mind of the "natural'' man? This is the
ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who ACTS in place of the missing human spirit
to make the Gospel real and understandable to the unbeliever. This is precisely why the Holy Spirit must be the Sovereign
Executive in witnessing. Once a person
accepts Christ as Savior, he receives his own human spirit, as well as the
indwelling Holy Spirit He is then capable of assimilating the details of the
Gospel as well as additional Doctrinal information.
2. Pertinent
Truth is the weapon of witnessing. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it
is the power of God for Salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. (Gentile) (Rom 1:16)
For the Word of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the
power of God. (1Co 1:18)
The Gospel is
the powerful weapon of witnessing. This does not mean that you are limited to
the use of Scripture portions; you may present Gospel information as you have
categorized it in your soul. But by all means, use
what Gospel verses you know, for the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to
penetrate the mind of the unbeliever. Pertinent
Scripture breaks through --- nothing else will do the job!
Anyone who witnesses must believe that the Word of God is
powerful enough to reach the unbeliever!
For the word of God is living and
active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the
division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the
thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
Furthermore, you have God’s guarantee that His Word will
never return void, but rather that it will prosper and accomplish God’s will! (Isa 55:11) However, do not get into an argument
or controversy as to whether or not the Bible is indeed the Word of God!
If I confront
an attacker with a revolver in my hand, I don’t say, “This is a .357 magnum.
Smith & Wesson, four-inch barrel . . .” I don’t need to convince the
assailant of my weapon’s power; I simply aim the gun and shoot! You see, the
whole point is that you use the Bible regardless of what the unbeliever may
think about it. Remember that to the unbeliever’s soulish mind, the Bible
cannot be the Word of God. The objective is that YOU
understand its ballistic potency and use it! The Bible is your offensive
weapon in witnessing; it launches your missiles and activates “the power of God
unto Salvation.” (Rom 1:16) Your fearless and confident use of the Word of God will
assure effective witnessing for Jesus Christ!
3. The
believer is the agent of witnessing.
One of the reasons we remain on this earth after Salvation
is to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. This Principle is stated in
both the Old and the New Testaments. (Pro 11:30)
“...He that wins souls is wise.” (Act 1:8)
“You will receive power... ...You shall be MY witnesses...” (2Co 5:20) “We are ambassadors for Christ.”
Whether your witnessing is accomplished by the impact of your lifestyle on
unbelievers in your periphery or by the opportunity to verbalize the Gospel,
your motivation for witnessing is of utmost importance. Does it match that of
Paul in the Book of Romans?
I am under
obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the
foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for Salvation to everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom 1:14-16)
I AM A DEBTOR! As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we
owe a debt to the entire human race — the Gospel!
We have something fantastic: eternal life, forgiveness of sin, a personal
relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, plus every Spiritual
blessing that accrues as a result of Salvation. How can others have these
things unless you tell them, (Rom 10:14-15)
unless you discharge your debt?
I AM READY! Your readiness is your preparation:
your mastery of the Spiritual Knowledge in witnessing; your ability to
communicate pertinent information; and, most important, your being filled with
God the Holy Spirit through the use of, (1Jn 1:9)
when necessary. If the above conditions are met, you can say, “I AM READY!”
I AM NOT ASHAMED! It is the height of stupidity to
be ashamed of Someone who has saved you form the Lake of Fire! But it happens
all the time — people ARE ashamed of mentioning the
Lord or of proclaiming the Gospel! Often, being ashamed is nothing more
than fear of failure due to ignorance of Truth or to disorientation in the Christian
life. When we get our PRIORITIES mixed up, we lose our
perspective regarding God's Thinking and its importance to us and to others!
Many
Christians cannot endure the pressures that result from witnessing. They become
intimidated and say no more about the way of Salvation. Pressures never stopped
the Apostle Paul. Thessalonica was a large city in the ancient world, and
thousands of its citizens were open to the Gospel. Paul was then on his second
missionary journey. He had traveled along the Egnatian Way —one of the famous
highways of antiquity — and had crossed Asia Minor. (The area of present
Turkey) Upon the apostle’s arrival at Philippi, the devil attempted to keep
Paul from continuing on his mission by subjecting him to adverse circumstances
and personal suffering. Paul was not to be deterred. He left Philippi and made
his way to Thessalonica, where the Lord gave him a tremendous harvest of souls.
(Act 17:1-4) Paul’s activities in
personal and mass evangelism give us an excellent Biblical pattern for
witnessing. (1Th 2:1-20)
4. Effective
contact is necessary for witnessing.
For
you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. (1Th 2:1)
The word
“know” (OIDA in the Greek) indicates knowledge which has been transferred from
the perceptive lobe — comprehension — to the right lobe of the soul’s mentality
the area from which Spiritual knowledge is applied. “Our coming to you”
represents contact.
Our Lord
Himself cited the perfect analogy to witnessing when He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mat 4:19) What did He mean by that? Note, first of all, that fishermen must have a desire to
fish; motivation. Second, fishermen must be
equipped to fish — preparation and readiness.
Third, fishermen must go where the fish are. So, you see, it takes some effort to make contact with the
fish; you must KNOW GOD; AND HIS LEADING; SO THAT WE WOULD KNOW WHEN WHERE AND
HOW TO FISH! Arriving at the place where you
plan to do your fishing may involve seasickness or a strenuous hike through
poison ivy. As a “fisher of men,” Paul
stressed these very Principles; properly motivated and prepared, he overcame
hardships and pressures to reach those who were positive toward the Gospel.
Once Paul
reached his destination, he made certain that his contact would not be “in
vain.” “In vain” means hollow, empty, fruitless or ineffective. He knew that
fishermen must use the right bait His bait was the Gospel, its content clearly defined. Confident of his message, he
witnessed in the power of the Spirit and never made an issue of himself. His job done, he stayed out of the Holy Spirit’s way to
await the results. Thus, he fulfilled two other analogies to witnessing:
fishermen must keep out of sight and be patient Even as fishermen will be
rewarded for their efforts, so fishers of men can anticipate the fruits of
their labor: the joy of seeing souls saved in time, to the everlasting glory of
Jesus Christ throughout eternity.
Paul followed
this pattern in detail and stated:
For our
Gospel did not come to you in Word only, but also in power and in the Holy
Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we
proved to be among you for your sake. (1Th 1:5)
Not only by
word of mouth did Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, proclaim the Gospel,
but also by witness of life. “What manner of men” they were, was well-known —
ambassadors of Christ, above reproach. Consequently, their message received a
favorable hearing. The old cliché that our actions
often speak louder than our words is only too true when it comes to personal
evangelism. The unbeliever says, “Show me; then I’ll listen to what you
have to say!” (Jas 2:18) If your
lifestyle does not match your high calling in Christ; is it any wonder that he
turns away and thinks: “If this is a sample of Christianity, I want no part of
it”? To his detriment, he judges a wonderful relationship and way of life by a
poor representation. So watch your life-style as
well as your contact with the unbelieving world; remember, you are the Lord’s
representative. His personal ambassador on the earth! (Col 3:17)
5. The Gospel
must be clearly presented.
But
after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we
had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much
opposition. (1Th 2:2)
Even in the face of strong opposition, the Gospel must be
presented with bold clarity. During their stay
at Philippi, Paul and Silas were severely persecuted because of their stand for
Jesus Christ. They had been dragged into the market place, (Open court)
where they were beaten with Roman rods and cast into prison. (Act 16:16-26) Although they had suffered
greatly, they “were bold to sing and speak” the Gospel; fear of additional punishment did not stop them! There’s a Principle for us in this: your witness today
will determine your effectiveness in witnessing for Christ on an even greater
scale tomorrow or the next day.
One of the
tragic results of failure to understand evangelism correctly is that so many
people have been sent to the mission field who had no business there. A large
percentage of Christians who depart starry-eyed for foreign fields refuse to go
back for another term after their first furlough. The casualty rate is
tremendous! It is erroneous to presume that by crossing a mountain range or an
ocean, a believer somehow becomes a missionary. When you find a Christian who
will not cross the street to speak to a neighbor about Christ, you can be sure
that he will do no better in a foreign land. The best test for a missionary
includes these questions: (1) Does he know and clearly communicate the Gospel
and pertinent Truths? (2) Does he witness regularly at home? (3) Does he
manifest Spiritual maturity and stability in his Spiritual life and show
concern for lost souls? If you, for instance, are reticent about witnessing in
your own area, you would soon wither under the fires of opposition elsewhere!
6. The Gospel
must never be compromised or watered down.
For our exhortation does not come from error
or impurity or by way of deceit. (1Th 2:3)
The word “exhortation” means “persuasive conversation” and describes the
declaration of the Gospel. All of you have been actively or passively involved
in "persuasive conversations."
If you are
married, no doubt you have been either the recipient or the initiator of
persuasive conversation! If you own insurance, an automobile, a house — in
fact, if you have purchased almost anything — persuasive conversation was
involved. Life is filled with persuasive conversations, and if this is normal
in life, why not in the realm of the Gospel?
Next in this
verse, we find three negatives: “not from error”; “or impurity”; “or by way of
deceit.” Witnessing demands that the content of the
Gospel and or Truth be absolutely correct! Whether Paul wrote or
verbalized the Gospel, he always made it clear that Christ solved the sin
problem, that there is no longer a Barrier between God and man. He did not add
to the Gospel of grace, nor did he dilute it by throwing in false issues!
“Or impurity”
certifies Paul’s use of, (1Jn 1:9) He
made sure that he had kept current on rebound” before he witnessed for his
Lord, and so should you. Only in the power of the
Holy Spirit can you score a profound impact on the life of the unbeliever; only
when He communicates through you can you be sure that your witnessing is truly
service for the Lord instead of merely human old sin nature good.
“Or by way of
deceit” presents the Principle that the Gospel must never be watered down. The
Greek word for “deceit” (DOLOS) means “huckster.” It was originally used for a
tavern keeper in the ancient world who diluted his alcoholic beverages with
water. When his customers first arrived, they were served good wine. After a
few rounds of drinks, when the guests had become a little high, the tavern
keeper began to water down the drinks. Although the wine was thinned down more
and more, the price remained the same. This, then, is the word Paul chose to
define what should never be the case in the presentation of the Gospel — huckstering. (Watering it down
to make money) Under no circumstances must the Gospel be diluted with
social reform, economic panaceas, brotherhood, do-goodism, legalising or
philosophy!
7. The Gospel is the
capital in witnessing.
But just as we have been approved by
God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak, not
as pleasing men, but God who examines our
hearts. (1Th 2:4)
The Greek
word for “allowed” is the verb DOKIMAZO, which means “to test” someone or
something for the purpose of approval. The ability
of Paul was never in question; his approval
through the test was! Paul realized that God
had allowed every adversity, trial, frustration and heartache in his life so
that the importance of the Gospel might be emphasized! (1Pe 1:6-7) Upon God’s approval, Paul had been
entrusted with the Gospel.
One word in
the Greek, “to be put in trust” (PISTEUO) denotes a deposit. In the ancient
world there were no banks as we know them today. Instead, banks were located in
the heathen temples, which were chosen as depositories because the gods were
thought to guard them; certainly, no mortal would dare incur the anger of the
gods, and thus, the money would be safe. The customer brought his wealth,
deposited it with a temple priest and received a note in the amount deposited.
The money could be withdrawn at any time upon payment of a specified percentage
charged for safekeeping.
The word was
also used in the sense of making an investment. If a person had money to
invest, he could deposit it with a successful merchant. A contract was drawn
up, and if the business venture prospered, the investor received interest on
his deposit. Eventually, “to be put in trust” came to mean to deposit or to
invest capital with the intent of making a profit. Capital invested is
synonymous with free enterprise, that wonderful system which helped make
America the most advanced and prosperous nation on earth! How I love that word
“capital”!
The Gospel, too, is capital. God has deposited the Gospel and Truth in each believer in order that
it might bear interest and pay dividends. (Mat
25:14-16; 2Co 4:7)
Therefore, the importance of our personal responsibility in declaring the
Gospel cannot be overemphasized! (Mat 25:29-30)
We should
also note that PISTEUO is in the aorist tense. When was this deposit made? In a
point of time, divorced from time and perpetuated forever. We translate the
point-of-time aorist “once and for all.” God has
once and for all made a deposit in you and in me, and He expects compound
interest. We neither earned nor deserved this
deposit; we received it in grace. Thus, the deposit of the Gospel bestows quite
an honor on us. Now we have the privilege of
passing the message on to others; and a privilege-it is indeed, for it’s always
nice to be able to give someone good news! What
are the dividends God has every right to expect? BELIEVERS AND SPIRITUALLY
MATURE BELIEVERS! From fulfilling the debt that we owe; to give them the Gospel
and teach them Truth! (Heb 5:12-14)
Witnessing is
not a matter of “pleasing men.” If you live your life
trying to please people, you’ve had it! This is
especially true in the Spiritual realm. If any part of your Christian life is
lived to gain attention or approval from others, then you have missed the boat
entirely! You may be lauded as the hardest worker in your congregation,
yet you are merely spinning your wheels, for anything you do for the
approbation of men stems from false motivation. The issue in the Christian life
is not WHAT you do but
WHAT you THINK and WHY you do it! If you witness simply to please
others, only an old army term can adequately describe the mess — SNAFU!
(Situation normal — all fouled up) This is not the way God intends for us to
work. EITHER DO IT AS UNTO THE LORD OR DON’T DO IT AT ALL!
8. The Gospel and the Teaching of Truth; is not for sale! (Pro 23:23; 1Co 9:17-19; 2Co 11:7)
For we never came with flattering
speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed--God is witness-- nor did we
seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of
Christ we might have asserted our authority. (1Th 2:5-6)
High pressure
salesmen may resort to flattery in order to sell a product, but this must never
be done in witnessing. If you declare Christ by using flattery, you are doing a
right thing in the wrong way. The Gospel will stand
on its own; it does not need selling gimmicks! Paul
never witnessed to satisfy approbation lust, nor did he use the Gospel and
Bible teaching to raise money! This is what is meant by the phrase “nor
with a pretext for greed.” The only issue is the work of Christ on our behalf. To use the Gospel to raise money only introduces the false
issue of buying Salvation. Salvation and
Divine Thinking are the GIFT of God; and should be given FREELY! (Pro 2:6; Mat 10:8; Rom 8:32; 1Co 2:12)
In the past,
various Christian service organizations have asked me for the names of wealthy
men in this city. When I asked why they wanted these names, I was told that
they wished to lead those persons to the Lord. Again, I questioned, “Why just
the names of wealthy people? Aren’t you contacting ALL unsaved persons in this
area?” The answer was invariably the same: “W-e-l-l, we want to win these
people to the Lord, for we believe that they will want to support our work.”
That is using the Gospel as “a cloak of covetousness,’ as is the taking of an
offering at evangelistic meetings!
9. Genuine
concern motivates consideration in witnessing.... Nor did we seek glory from men, either from
you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted
our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother
tenderly cares for her own children. (1Th
2:6-7)
As a model
witness, Paul compares his method of operation among the Thessalonians to that
of a nursing mother. Everyone knows what constitutes a mother’s loving care for
her newborn child: she gives him warmth, nourishment and comfort. Even an
infant responds to a mother’s gentleness and love; how much more should the
Thessalonians respond to Paul and Silas! So Paul wrote, “In Teaching Truth, we were as tender with you as a nursing mother is
with a baby.”
Having so fond an affection for you,
we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very
dear to us. (1Th
2:8)
“Being
affectionately desirous” is one word in the Greek, (HIMEIROMAI) used especially
of parents who had lost a child and now grieved or longed for him. The word
denotes the strongest kind of love that can be experienced for an absent loved
one and indicates an habitual attitude of mind.
In relating
the real concept of this verb to witnessing, we learn that there should always
be a certain ache in our souls for the unbeliever. This
affectionate longing depicts a genuine desire to see unbelievers come to know
Christ as Savior; and believers to reach Spiritual maturity! Because Paul experienced this ache for the people of
Thessalonica, he was motivated to share the Gospel and Truth with them. More
than that, his concern for them manifested itself in courteous consideration.
For you
recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God. (1Th 2:9)
“Keep on remembering” is an order. (MNEMONEUO;
present tense, imperative mood) The epistle is addressed to a group of persons
who had responded to the Gospel and were now “brethren” — members of the Royal
Family of God. They were to consider in retrospect the great sacrifice Paul and
Silas had made. The two men had labored at Paul’s trade of tent-making to
supply their daily needs rather than become a financial burden to the
Thessalonians. Although they had worked to the point
of exhaustion, they kept on announcing the Gospel and Mind of Jesus Christ;
(Truth) (1Co 2:16)! Consequently, their witness of life and lips bore
dividends for God!
10. Follow-up
must supplement witnessing.
You are witnesses, and so is God, how
devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers. (1Th 2:10)
When a person
accepts Christ as Savior, he immediately becomes a newborn child of God. Now
you just do not dump a baby into the street and expect him to look after
himself! The same principle applies to the newly born-again Christian;
witnessing must be supplemented by follow-up. If this is not done correctly,
the new believer may become a casualty in the Christian life. Let me
illustrate: a person has received Christ in some church which requires all new
Christians to come forward. One second after the benediction, some well-meaning
saint congratulates him as he says: “Now, Brother, if your life is really going
to count for God, you must stop doing thus and so.” This is like taking a baby
in his cradle and saying, “Now, son, beware of red-headed women!”
Babies need
food — not advice! They need love and comfort; they don’t need nit-picking and
static. You have to remember also that you don’t feed an infant T-bone steak;
you start him on a liquid formula and then put him on foods that are easily
assimilated. The same applies to baby believers: you don’t feed them Truths and
Principles designed for the mature believer. You feed them basic Concepts of
the “pure milk of the word.” (1Pe 2:2) By which they
may grow! Even the Lord Jesus Christ is said to have Taught His audience
“as they were able to hear it”; (Mar 4:33)! Paul was like a father to the
Thessalonian believers; he treated them as he would his own children. Now he
reminded them of this fact:
Just as you know how we were exhorting
and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own
children. (1Th
2:11)
Notice the
perfection of Paul’s threefold follow-up; (1) “We exhorted”; (2) “we
encouraged”; (3) we “implored.” “To exhort” means to call someone to your side;
therefore, “to aid.” When Paul called his converts to his side, he provided
encouragement, consolation or cheer. “To implore” means “to teach”; Paul through the filling of God the Holy Spirit, Taught
the new Christians Truth in a simple, conversational manner. Thus, they
received nourishment as well as aid and cheer.
11. The purpose of follow-up is Doctrinal, personal and
collective. Note that follow-up still has a threefold purpose: first,
Doctrinal; the new believer must be Taught Truth. No believer can advance
Spiritually on his own. Were it true that all a Christian need do in order to
grow in grace and in the knowledge of his Savior is read a chapter or two of
the Bible daily, the Lord would not have found it necessary to give certain men
the gift of pastor-teacher. (Eph 4:11) It is the duty of the pastor-teacher to feed the flock of
God, to edify and equip the saints. (Eph
4:12) God has now designed and provided the
computer to be the believer’s daily classroom!
The second
reason for follow-up is personal: fellowship and encouragement of the new
believer. During the period of adjustment and orientation to Phase Two, (God’s
plan for the believer in time) the immature Christian often needs
encouragement. He has not yet developed sufficient inner resources of soul with
which to recognize the importance of Truth to every facet of life. Until he
straightens out his priorities and gets with Truth on a regular basis, the
floundering believer is in danger of falling by the wayside. Be prepared to
give encouragement during this initial growing period.
The third purpose of follow-up is collective: finding for
the new believer a Bible-teaching, Christ-centered church. If that is not
possible in your locale, point him in the right direction, toward Truth Taught
in MP3 and or written form. It is God’s
intention for every saved person to “walk worthy” and to become Spiritually
self-sustaining — that is, to be able to
handle his problems before the Lord.
So that you would walk in a manner worthy of
the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1Th 2:12)
A “worthy
walk” depicts the function of the individual member of the Royal Family of God
his life-style in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Gal
5:16) states; “...walk by the Spirit, and
you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
The
Thessalonians’ response to Paul’s follow-up was tremendous. Whereas many people
are hostile or indifferent to the Word of God because they have been subjected
to legalism prior to the time of Gospel hearing, the
Thessalonians readily accepted the message of Truth. This acceptance
effectively worked in them, and they became actively operational. (Rom 6:17-18) Their witness and service for the
Lord was a reality and elicited thanksgiving in Paul and Silas.
For this reason we also constantly
thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it
really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe! (1Th 2:13)
12. The
result of effective witnessing is stability in suffering.
For you, brethren, became imitators of
the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea,
for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen,
even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the
prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all
men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles
so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure
of their sins. But wrath has come upon them
to the utmost. (1Th 2:14-16)
Soon after the Thessalonians accepted Christ and organized
as a church, they began to experience pressure. Opposition came from the Roman
Empire, the Jews and the heathen fraternities in their vicinity. They
suffered intense persecution from these groups; however, because the
Thessalonians were properly Instructed, they stabilized and received blessing and growth in their
suffering! (1Pe
3:14; 1Pe
4:19)
While it is
true that the Christian life is a life of fantastic privileges and blessings, the Lord warned us that sooner or later we would face
pressures from the world. (Joh 15:18-19)
Yet He also promised us victory and ultimate triumph.
If the follow-up to effective witnessing is done
according to the Principles defined in the Bible, (God's Thinking) then the result in our
own Spiritual live as well as the Spiritual life of others will be stability in
every circumstance of life! (2Co 1:9-10)
PITFALLS IN
WITNESSING
While there
are no set rules for effective witnessing, there are a number of pitfalls or
demands in witnessing; and these should be examined and avoided.
1. Do not
argue! You may win the argument but not the soul of the unbeliever. Your
responsibility is to provide Information, not to win a debate. Present the
Gospel, but never dispute its validity. Leave the rest with the Holy Spirit,
whose function it is to make the Gospel a Reality.
2. Do not
allow yourself to be sidetracked by false issues! Stick to the subject! Don’t
be drawn into a debate concerning the authenticity of the Word of God, living a
good life or social problems, etc.
3. Do not get
into a rut! Different approaches to the subject of the Gospel are necessary to
reach different people. Be flexible! What may be effective with one person may
be a total failure with another. Your own IQ or that of your listener is not an
issue, nor is it vital that you understand Judaism to witness to a Jew or
physics to speak to a scientist about Christ. Knowledge
of Truth is the answer, for your flexibility comes with Spiritual maturity. (Php 2:13)
4. Do not embarrass people! Deal with the individual alone
whenever possible. Witnessing to one person in public often produces
embarrassment, loss of prestige, annoyance. If this is the case, the people you
seek to reach for Christ may turn you off completely, and you may never have
another opportunity to reach them. Remember that personal evangelism is exactly
that — PERSONAL!
5. Do not set
quotas! It is not mandatory that you speak to a specific number of persons
every day about Jesus Christ. This is a false standard for Spirituality
sponsored by many Bible institutes.
Witnessing is
not indicative of Spirituality; it is a result of
Spiritual maturity; and Truth in the soul. The
quota concept requires a vow that you witness to a certain number of people
daily. Should you fail to meet your quota, you consider yourself a flop. This,
in turn, leads to a guilt complex, which is a mental attitude sin. Never permit
yourself to be sweet-talked into taking a vow such as, “Before God, I will
speak to ten souls every day.” If God insisted on quotas and vows, this would
be declared in His Word! Simply witness whenever the
Lord provides the opening!
6. Do not
measure your Spiritual life by your witnessing! A person is not Spiritual
because he speaks to ten or twenty persons every day. Even an ignorant or a
carnal believer who uses the Scripture can be effective, (Although in the latter’s case there will be no growth and or
reward for his witnessing; growth and reward
are a result of learning Truth; and applying God's Thoughts above our own! (Isa 58:13-14) The effectiveness resides in the
Word of God, which states that, “...It will not
return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding
in the matter for which I sent It.” (Isa
55:11)
7. Do not judge other believers for their apparent failure
to witness! Whether or not they witness is between them and the Lord; you are accountable
for your own life, not for the lives of others! Such judging only brings Divine
discipline upon you. If you judge or malign others, YOU are out of line.
8. Do not
brag about your experiences in witnessing! Testimonies about personal witnessing
efforts often reflect pride and constitute occupational hazards in the
Christian’s life. Avoid “bragamonies”; the Lord knows
what you are doing, and that is all that is necessary!
9. Do not be
confused in your prayer life! Don’t be bound by such epigrams as “Talk to God
about the unbeliever before you talk to the unbeliever about God.” Since God supplies your contacts, and since He is
omniscient, just fire away with Gospel information and forget the clichés!
Prayer does have a bona fide part in witnessing, however. Paul expressed his
concern for the unsaved Jews of his era in writing and in prayer: “...My
heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.” (Rom 10:1) Since the sovereignty of God and the
free will of man coexist, how do you pray intelligently for the Salvation of
the unbeliever?
Pray that God
will bring about such circumstances as would be most advantageous for the
Gospel to be presented. Pray that unbelievers whom you have been unable to
reach may be contacted by Spiritually mature believers who know how to present
the true issue of Salvation clearly and graciously. Pray in accordance with, (1Ti 2:1-4) for the
Salvation of all unsaved persons in governmental office, that the Gospel and
Divine Thinking may have free course in our nation and in the whole world!
Pray that our leaders may begin to recognize their own inadequacy to solve the
problems of the world; (Psa 9:20) that
they might look beyond themselves and see their need of the Savior. Your own
prayers on behalf of missionaries allow you to enter into their ministry and
help pave the way before them. Therefore, never underestimate the power of
prayer in witnessing!
REWARDS OF
WITNESSING
For if I preach the gospel, I have
nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for
woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For
if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but
if against my will, I have a stewardship, (ROBBERS' DEN; Mat 21:13) entrusted to me. What then is my reward?..... (1Co 9:16-18)
Witnessing is no more and no less than our responsibility,
just one of the many reasons God left us here on
earth. Paul’s statement implies that there is discipline for failure to
witness at the opportune moment, even as there is a reward --- growth and
advancement in The Spiritual life! Eternal reward centers on the words “Spiritual maturity.” Truth in the believer’s soul
is what motivates him to witness. It is this Truth —
the Mind of Christ resident in our minds — that
is the perfect Divine work which brings us rewards in heaven. Witnessing
is a natural result of Spiritual growth and is therefore an integral part of
the overall rewards picture. Our rewards in time are twofold: the joy of Christian fellowship and the
blessing of inner happiness.
1. Joy of
Christian fellowship.
But we, brethren, having been taken away from
you for a short while--in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with
great desire to see your face. (1Th 2:17)
When I first
accepted Christ as my Savior, I wondered whether there were any other
Christians in the school I attended. I began to witness and. had the privilege
of seeing several students believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This led to some
of the most wonderful fellowship I have ever known. Since then, I have had other
opportunities to lead people to the Lord, always with the same enjoyable
results. The principle is that some of the greatest and most marvelous contacts
you will ever have are in Christian fellowship. These
associations are particularly rewarding when they are based on your personal
witnessing for Christ; furthermore, they leave behind fragrant memories.
Paul, too,
experienced the joy of Christian fellowship. Although he had to leave
Thessalonica, he was most eager to return there. Why? Because he had such a
fantastic time with those people who had responded to the Gospel. Even when
Satan hindered Paul’s visit to his Christian friends at Thessalonica, he could
never deprive the apostle of his fond memories, nor of the decorations he would
receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
2. The
blessing of inner happiness.
For who is
our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it
not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. (1Th 2:19-20)
In the
anticipation of his “crown of rejoicing,” Paul expressed the blessing of inner
happiness. Though he might never see the Thessalonians again on this earth, he
was perfectly content in spite of the separation. Paul knew that he would meet
them all in the presence of the Lord, and that is why he referred to them as
his “glory and joy.” What was true of Paul is true
of every believer: the privilege and joy of witnessing for our Lord is a source
of inner happiness!
What a tremendous responsibility rests on each one of us who
have trusted in Christ — that of representing
our Lord in the devil’s world! Certainly, we can
expect opposition; Satan is intent on obscuring the Gospel! (2Co 4:3-4) But God has
given us the means whereby we may be instrumental in breaking through the darkness
of unbelief ---
the GOSPEL! (2Co 4:5-7) Therefore, it is more than our wonderful privilege; it is
our rightful obligation to tell others of the Savior! Motivated by His love, (2Co
5:14) we are to make known Him who loved
us and gave Himself for us! (Gal 2:20)
Take up this challenge to follow the Lord as a
fisher of men!
The fruit of
the righteous is a tree of life, And he who
is wise wins souls. (Pro 11:30)
APPENDIX
SUMMARY OF
THE DOCTRINE OF WITNESSING
1. Definition.
a. Witnessing is the communication of the Gospel to the
unbeliever and or Truth to a believer --- on a
personal basis; i.e., personal evangelism.
b. Witnessing
is the responsibility of every believer.
c. Witnessing
functions apart from mass evangelism, church evangelism, or the preaching of
the believer who has the gift of evangelism.
2. The threefold character of witnessing is found in, (1Th 1:4-5).
a. Witness of
life. (2Co 3:3; 2Co 6:3)
b. Witness of
lips. (2Co 5:14-21; 2Co 6:2)
c. Witness of
Holy Spirit. (Joh 16:7-8)
3. The Holy Spirit is the sovereign Executive of Witnessing.
a. The
unbeliever has no human spirit; therefore, he lacks the necessary frame of
reference for the Gospel. (1Co 2:14)
b. Hence, the
Holy Spirit acts in place of the human spirit to make the Gospel
comprehensible. (Joh 16:8-11)
4. Pertinent Truth is the weapon of witnessing.
a. The Gospel
is the power of God to Salvation. (Rom 1:16;
1Co 1:18)
b. The Bible
is the absolute norm for Divine Thinking. (2Pe
1:19-21)
c. The Bible
is the source f the Gospel. (Luk 16:28-31;
1Co 15:3-4)
d. The Bible
is the Mind of Christ. (1Co 2:16)
e. The Bible
is Divine power. (Heb 4:12)
f. The Bible
never returns void. (Isa 55:11)
g. The Bible (God's Thinking)
endures forever! (Luk
21:33; 1Pe 1:25)
5. The believer is the agent of witnessing.
a. Witnessing
is the responsibility of every member of the Royal Family of God (Believers in
the New Covenant Age. Act 1:8; Eph 6:15; Eph 6:20;
2Ti 4:5; Rev
6:9)
b. Knowledge
of pertinent Truth is necessary for effective witnessing: Christology and
soteriology; (the Person and saving work of Christ) particularly, redemption;
(Our ransom from the slave market of sin) reconciliation; (The man-ward side of
Salvation) propitiation; (The God-ward side of Salvation) imputation; (The
crediting of God’s righteousness to the account of the new believer, and the
basis of his justification) positional sanctification; (The believer set apart
unto God at the point of Salvation) as well as the Last Judgment
c. Ability to
witness depends on the following conditions:
(1)
Proper emphasis on the Gospel, especially reconciliation. (Eph 2:14-17)
(2)
Correct and accurate information from Truth. (1Co
1:18; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12)
(3)
Filling of the Spirit. (Act 1:8)
(4) Assurance of eternal security and resultant stability! (Rom 8:38-39; 1Pe
1:4-5)
6. Witnessing is the extension of the believer’s
ambassadorship.
a. The
believer is given the ministry of reconciliation. (2Co
5:18)
b. He
receives as a Divine deposit the Doctrine of reconciliation. (2Co 5:19)
c. He is
given the message of reconciliation. (2Co 5:20)
7. The issue must be clearly presented. (Joh 3:18; Joh 3:36)
a. Give the
unbeliever pertinent information regarding Salvation. Christ is the issue; the
attitude toward Him, is the determining factor in Salvation.
b. Never put
the cart before the horse! A person cannot live the Christian way of life until
he is born again.
c. Note the
boundaries of the Gospel: (1Co 15:3-4)
and remember that the Gospel is good news. It is bad news that man is a sinner;
the good news is that Christ did something about sin on the Cross. Declare the
Gospel clearly so that the person witnessed to is in a position to make a
decision for Christ
d. Do not add
to the Gospel of grace. Nothing is accomplished toward Salvation by persuading
the unbeliever to give up or feel sorry for his sins, improve his personality
and behavior pattern, join a church, be baptized or give money. Salvation is
ours by grace, not by works. (Eph 2:8-9)
e. Never try
to force a decision for Christ; this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in
common and efficacious grace.
f. Remember that the first Divine institution, (Principles set up by God) is
FREE WILL, which includes both freedom and privacy of decision for unbelievers
to Choose to believe in Christ! (Isa 55:6-7) And believers to believe and Think with the Word! (Heb 3:7-12) We are to
provide them with the Spiritual Thinking of God; and
then, leave the results with the Lord!
(Act 7:51)
g. Avoid
gimmicks! Emotional begging, public invitations to raise hands or walk aisles;
this constitute jumping through psychological hoops and have no bona fide part
in witnessing and or teaching Truth.
8. Effectiveness of witnessing depends on the ministry of
God the Holy Spirit!
a. Directed
toward the believer’s Spirituality (Control of the believer’s soul. Act 1:8; 2Co 3:3)
b. Directed
toward the unbeliever conviction. (Joh 16:8-11;
1Co 2:14)
9. Clarity of witnessing is contingent upon the believer’s
understanding of the judgment of human old sin nature good.
a. Human
righteousness was rejected at the Cross; only sin was judged.
b. Human
righteousness will be judged in the believer at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (1Co 3:11-16)
c. Human deeds --- old sin nature righteousness will be
judged in the unbeliever, and become the basis of his indictment at the Last
Judgment (Rev 20:12-15)
10. The biblical pattern for witnessing is found in, (1Th 2:1-20)
11. Observe the postulates or pitfalls in witnessing.
a. Avoid
argumentation!
b. Do not be
sidetracked by false issues!
c. Be
flexible in your approach to the Gospel!
d. Deal with
the individual alone where possible!
e. Do not set
quotas!
f. Never
measure your Spiritual life by your witnessing!
g. Do not
judge others by their apparent failure to witness!
h. Never brag
about your experiences in witnessing!
i. Avoid false motivation in witnessing!
12. The analogy to witnessing is found in, (Mat 4:19): “fishers of men.”
a. Fishermen
must have a desire to fish.
b. Fishermen
must be equipped to fish.
c. Fishermen
must go where the fish are.
d. Fishermen
must use the right bait.
e. Fishermen
must keep out of sight.
f. Fishermen
must be patient.
g. Fishermen
will ‘be rewarded.
13. The principle of prayer in witnessing is stated in, (Rom 10:1; Rom 14:13).
14. Effective witnessing belongs to the Spiritually mature
believer; (Pro 11:30) he is rewarded
both in time and in eternity.
Those who
have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven,
and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
(Dan
12:3)
End
No comments:
Post a Comment