under a special agreement with
presents "New Life in Christ" Course 3
under a special agreement with
One of the greatest joys that we can have as Christians is the joy of leading someone to Christ. Think of it! You and I can be God's instruments in the salvation of others.
Who can have the privilege of leading people to Christ? Any believer! This is not the work of just a few select people. Every Christian is called upon to witness for Christ, and every Christian can be a soul-winner. The Lord Jesus said,
"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19
Why is it so important to learn how to win others to Christ? Because of the value of a human soul. Why is the human soul of such great value? Because it will live forever. Every person you meet has a soul that will live forever—either in the blessings of Heaven or in the miseries of hell.
The Bible says,
"He who believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
God values the souls of men so highly that He sent His Son to die on the cross that men might be saved. When we see how precious all men are to God, we will do all we can to win them to Christ.
In this lesson we are going to learn how to lead others to Christ.
We Must Use GOD'S WORD
To win souls, we must know how to use the Word of God. Just as a doctor does not give the same prescription to every patient, so the same verse will not meet the need of every person. You must have a good working knowledge of the Bible.
In our last lesson we learned how to obtain a working knowledge of the Bible. Are you reading your Bible daily? Are you memorizing Scripture? Have you established your Quiet Time? Do not neglect these things if you want to win souls.
We Must Have GOD'S POWER
If we are to be soul-winners, we need something else: we need the power of God. The soul-winner's power comes from the Holy Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the gospel to every creature, He also promised them the power of the Holy Spirit. He said,
"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…" Acts 1:8
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter stood up and preached in the power of the Holy Spirit and approximately 3,000 souls were saved.
Today, EVERY believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts people of sin; it is the Holy Spirit who shows people their need of a Saviour; and it is the Holy Spirit who reveals Christ to them. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can be an effective soul-winner.
We Must Give People the GOSPEL
The soul-winner's message is the gospel. The word "gospel" means "good news" and the good news is that Christ died for our sins and rose again to be our living Saviour. The Apostle Paul wrote,
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4
Four Basic Truths
There are four basic truths in the gospel message:
The fact of sin.
The penalty of sin.
Christ paid the penalty.
We must receive Christ.
Get these four facts firmly fixed in your mind, because you will use them in leading souls to Christ.
How to Lead A Person to Christ
In leading someone to Christ, you simply explain the four basic truths of the gospel.
The first step in leading a person to Christ is to show him from God's Word that he is a sinner. A good passage to use for this is Romans 3:10—12. Let him read these verses. This is what God says about us. Now have him read Romans 3:23. Before a person can be saved, he must realize that he is a sinner and be willing to give up his sins. The Lord Jesus said,
"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:5
The next step is to show him from God's Word that the penalty of sin is death. "For the wages of sin is death…" Explain that the word "death" as used here means separation from God, in the lake of fire, forever. Because we are sinners and condemned to eternal death, we need a Saviour.
Our next verse is a very familiar one—John 3:16. Let him read it. Whom does God mean when He says "the world"? He means every one. This includes you and me.
What did God give to us? He gave His Son to us. This means that He gave Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
Why did God give us a Saviour? Because He loves us and because we need a Saviour! We cannot save ourselves, so God gave Jesus to us to be our Saviour.
If I give you something, do you have to pay me for it? No. Do you have to work for it? No. But there is one thing you must do—you must receive it. God has given the Lord Jesus to us to be our Saviour, but we must receive Him.
Now turn to John 1:12. Have him read this verse. How does one become a child of God? By receiving the Lord Jesus.
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God…"
Now you can ask these questions: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe that He died on the cross for your sins and rose again? Do you believe that He is able to save you? Do you believe that He is willing to save you? Do you believe that He would come into your heart and save you right now if you asked Him to?
If the answer to these questions is "Yes," then you can ask, "Would you like to ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart right now? If so, then pray this prayer with me:
"Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You are the Son of God, and that You died on the cross for my sins. Please come into my heart right now, and be my Saviour."
Knowing That You Are Saved
When a person truly receives Christ as his Saviour, God wants him to know that he is saved. How can a person know that he is saved? He can know (1) by believing God's Word, and (2) by the witness of the Holy Spirit.
A good verse to use for assurance is John 3:36. Note that God speaks of two groups of people in this verse—those who believe on the Son, and those who do not believe on Him.
What does God say about those who believe on the Son? He says, "He who believes on the Son has everlasting life." The word "has" means that you have it—right now! Now turn to 1 John 5:11-13. Notice in these verses that God says that we can know that we have eternal life.
Assurance of salvation also comes from the witness of the Holy Spirit. This simply means that the Holy Spirit lets us know in our spirit that we are saved. The Bible says,
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God." Romans 8:16
How can we know that another person is saved? We cannot know for sure. We may sincerely believe that a person has received Christ as his Saviour, but we may be mistaken. For this reason, we should never tell a person that he is saved. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Be Courteous And Tactful
In seeking to win a person to Christ you must be bold, yet you must be tactful and courteous. You must turn the conversation to spiritual matters without causing offense. Next, you must find out what a person believes about the way of salvation.
One way to do this is to ask this question: "If someone were to ask you, 'How can I become a child of God?,' what would you say?" Most unsaved people think that a person becomes a Christian by being baptized, by joining the church, or by doing good deeds. These things are good, but they do not save anyone. The Bible says,
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
After you have explained this, you can ask, "Would you like for me to show you from the Bible what God says about how a person is saved?" If the answer is "yes," then you can proceed with the four steps (given above) in leading a person to Christ.
Love Is Essential
The essential quality of a soul-winner is love for people. You cannot win souls if you do not love souls. God loves all people—all are precious in His sight. Ask God to fill your heart with His love.
You Can Win Children
Can children be saved? Yes, they surely can! In fact, it is much easier for children to trust the Lord Jesus as Saviour than it is for grown-ups. The Lord Jesus told us this. He said,
"Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
How old does a child have to be to be saved? Old enough to know that he has done wrong.
How do you lead a child to Christ? Simply show him from God's Word that he has sinned and that he needs a Saviour. Then tell him about the Saviour who died for his sins and ask him to receive Jesus into his heart.
Some Will Have Objections
"I am not a great sinner."
Answer: God says that we are all sinners.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
I'm a Baptist… Methodist… a Catholic, etc."
Answer: Church membership does not save anyone—you must be born again. Jesus said,
"Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
"There are hypocrites in the church."
Answer: Yes, there are, but there will be no hypocrites in Heaven. You will not be judged by what someone else did, but by your own life. The Bible says,
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12
"I would have to give up too much."
Answer: If you are not willing to give up your sins, you will be lost forever. Is it worth this? Jesus said,
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36
"I am waiting until I become better."
Answer: You can't make yourself better. The Lord Jesus tells us to come to Him just as we are, and He promises to receive us. He said,
"…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." John 6:37
"I am afraid I can't live the Christian life."
Answer: No one can—until Christ comes to live in him. He enables us to live the Christian life. The Apostle Paul said,
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
"I am too great a sinner."
Answer: Jesus came to save sinners. He will save anyone who comes to Him. The Apostle Paul said,
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15
"I am doing the best I can."
Answer: We are not saved by our good works, but through faith in Christ.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
"I think one way is as good as another so long as you are sincere."
Answer: You may be sincere, but you may be sincerely wrong. The Bible says,
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12
Jesus is the Saviour—the only Saviour. We cannot come to God except by Him. Jesus said,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by Me." John 14:6
"Maybe later."
Answer: It is dangerous to put off so important a matter. The Bible says,
"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1
"I don't want to give up my sins."
Answer: Then you will be lost forever. Jesus said,
"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:5
"I don't believe in hell."
Answer: This does not change the fact of hell. The Bible says,
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone…" Revelation 21:8
(Memorize these objections and the answers so you will know them when you need them.)
Some Do's and Don'ts
DO
always use your Bible when leading people to Christ. Even though you may be able to quote the verse, it is better to let the other person read it himself.
DON'T
use too many verses.
DO
look to God in prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
DON'T
interrupt people. Try to find out their problem, but don't get side-tracked. Keep bringing them back to the matter of their relationship to the Lord Jesus.
DO
be earnest. This is no time for joking. Soul-winning is serious business.
DON'T
argue. God does not send us out to win arguments; He sends us out to win souls.
DO
be careful of your breath. Don't offend people needlessly.
DO
admit it when you don't know the answer to a question. Just say, "I don't know the answer to that question, but I am sure there must be one. One thing I do know—Jesus Christ changed my life, and He will do the same for you."
DO
value every person highly. We must see every person as one for whom Christ died. If we look down on, or despise any person, we are not worthy to be Christ's servants.
DON'T
be discouraged. Some will reject the Saviour, but keep right on witnessing for Christ.
DO
be concerned. Jesus wept and prayed over lost souls, and so should we.
DO
encourage new converts to confess Christ to others and to join a Bible-believing church at the first opportunity.
Overcome Your Fears
One of the greatest hindrances to personal work is the fear of people. We are afraid of what others will think.
A Christian who was a fearless personal worker was asked if he had always been bold. He replied that he had once been as timid as anyone. One day he could stand it no longer. He fell on his knees with his Bible open at Psalm 34:4: "I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." He said, "Lord, You did this for David. Do it now for me." God heard his prayer and answered it.
Ask God to do the same for you. You have the message that brings eternal life to people, and you must give it out boldly. When we are fearful of people, we make them bigger than the gospel message. This is sin.
You Can Win Souls
There are people all around you who need to be saved.
Begin now to pray for them.
Watch for an opportunity to witness to them.
Learn the four basic truths of the gospel.
Learn how to answer objections.
Be ready and God will use you.
Don't be afraid of making a mistake. You will make the greatest mistake of all if you don't try to win someone to Christ.
