In our daily meditations, we continue discussing how to share the Gospel with others. When I share the Gospel with anyone, I strive to cover six parts in my presentation:
1. Salvation is a Gift
2. All Have Sinned
3. The Wages of Sin
4. Substitutionary Death of Christ
5. Repent and Receive Christ
6. Assurance of Salvation
1) Salvation is a Gift
I often start a gospel presentation by emphasizing salvation as a gift. Many are taught to think they need to earn their way to heaven through good works. The enemy encourages the idea of a scale, making them believe their good deeds must outweigh their sins. These thoughts originate from hell, because God's saving grace is offered to us as a gift.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; emphasis added).
To illustrate the act of giving a gift, I ask the person I am sharing with whether they would still give a child a gift at Christmas if the child had misbehaved the day before. (In the West, we traditionally exchange gifts at Christmas.) Most people respond affirmatively. I remind them that when a gift is given, it is not based on anything the recipient has done to deserve or not deserve it; it comes from the heart of the giver, who, in this case, is God Himself. The gift from God is given to us when we receive it by faith; our works have nothing to do with it.
2) All Have Sinned
Before they can receive the gift of God, we must address the issue of sin. What is sin? To some who have been educated primarily through the media, the concept of sin seems outdated. For those who do not believe in God, the idea of sin can feel very foreign. I make sure they understand that I am not singling them out or commenting on their lifestyle. All of humanity is in the same boat. We all need forgiveness. We all do things we regret or feel sorrow over. The Greek word used for sin in the Scriptures is Hamartia. It is an archery term meaning "to miss the mark." In the ancient Greek world, it described someone aiming for the center of a target and continually missing it. God's standard is perfection. Only One has ever met that standard, and His name is Jesus. The Lord said to His critics, "Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?” (John 8:46). Sometimes, when I share these thoughts with others, they respond by saying they have never sinned. I usually ask whether they know what the greatest commandment is. I remind them that Jesus said the greatest commandment is: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). I inquire if they have ever upheld that commandment before sharing what James wrote:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10).
It is crucial for an individual to see themselves as guilty before a holy God and acknowledge their need for forgiveness if they have sinned even once. To illustrate this, I often ask how many murders it takes for someone to be labeled a murderer; the answer is straightforward—one! How many lies make someone a liar? Again, it's just one! How many sins does a person need to commit to be considered a sinner? Only one! God understands that our condition has impacted all of humanity.
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6).
When a person admits guilt before a holy God, we must inform them of the true state of the predicament we all face. Sin is rebellion against a holy God and must be judged. Say to them, "Before I can share the wonderful news, I must first explain God's justice regarding sin."
Let's carry on with this thought in two days—tomorrow is Christmas Day, so we'll have a meditation on the Savior's birth into the world. If you’d rather not wait, click the link below labeled “Sharing the Gospel.” Keith Thomas
Taken from the Discipleship topic, Sharing the Gospel
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