Sharing the Gospel Without Fear: How the Holy Spirit Leads Hearts to Christ

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He entrusted His disciples with the ministry of reaching others and sharing the significance of His substitutionary death on the cross. Have you ever tried to share the gospel with a friend or family member, only to feel nervous as you anticipate their reaction and potential rejection? Even though we know we bring good news, we often assume people won’t want to hear it. This is how the enemy, Satan, attempts to silence and intimidate us. Recognizing that four factors contribute to a person turning to Christ helps us overcome our fear, reminding us that it doesn’t depend solely on us! Today, let’s explore two of these factors, and tomorrow we'll examine the other two.

1) The Holy Spirit. When we are open to the Holy Spirit's leading, He will guide us in our sharing. Often, the Spirit provides insight into the life of the person we are speaking with. You may feel the weight of their struggles as the Spirit instills compassion in you. Remember that our Father desires to draw people to Himself. Understand that He will not "leave you hanging" as you reach out to another with the Good News. Jesus said in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit would remind us of all things. Trust that He will give you the right words when needed. At the Last Supper, when Jesus told the disciples of His departure, He reassured them that He would send the "Helper," the Holy Spirit. In the NIV translation, the Holy Spirit is called the Advocate:

⁷But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned (John 16:7-11).

As we share our faith in Christ with others, be aware that the Holy Spirit will use your words to convict them of the truth of God’s Word and of your testimony of Christ's power in your life. When you share Christ, God will do His part in convicting the person of their sin and need for a Savior, which leads us to the second point.

2) The Person’s Conscience. On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter shared the gospel with 3,000 Jews, they were "cut to the heart" by his message. At times, I have witnessed individuals I share the gospel with being deeply convicted by the Spirit as He reveals something in their lives that needs to change. The Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit for a reason (Ephesians 6:17). The Sword of the Spirit goes straight to the heart of the listener, bringing truth and affirming it within them. God supports His Word with His Spirit.

When King David felt the Spirit's conviction after his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, he could find no peace in his soul.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ⁴For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. ⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32:3-5).

Often, God goes ahead of us to prepare the people we intend to share our knowledge of the Savior with. They may not always admit it, but remember that God exists outside of time and can provide dreams and visions before we plan to share our faith. This Christmas, why not seize every opportunity to share what God is doing in your life? It can often be a turning point for many lives. - Keith Thomas

Taken from the Discipleship series, study 4, A Disciple’s Main Purpose

🎬 🎥 Here’s the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbqQ2YPSt4I&t=4213s