Month: April 2020

When witnessing for Christ you first must introduce unbelievers to Jesus. There is only one God, who exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The truth of the triune Godhead is a difficult concept, even for believers, but it’s clear from the Scriptures. Who is Jesus? First of all, he is fully God! All three persons of the Godhead are co-equal, co-eternal and co-divine, which means they are comprised of the same divine substance. All three persons of the Godhead have always existed in perfect fellowship and love for each other. Each person of the Godhead knows everything about each other and are always in perfect agreement. Where they differ is in function and position within the Godhead. One is not superior to the other. All three persons of the Godhead were involved in creation. According to Scripture it was Jesus who actually created us and the universe we live in. All are God!

The world God created was perfect but when Satan caused Adam to disobey God in the garden of Eden death and sin came into the world. It’s a spiritual law that the wages of sin is death. God cannot abide sin, sin has a consequence and sin cannot enter heaven. God made Adam and Eve as eternal beings that he could fellowship with. There is also a spiritual law known as imputation whereby the actions of one person is attributed to someone else. The sin of Adam has been imputed to all men who came after him. The fellowship between man and God was broken and the destiny of man then became death and separation from God in hell where man would be in torment for eternity. The many attributes of God are inclusive, they all exist together, and they can’t be infringed upon. God is love, which is why he created us in the first place. God is also a just God and because of his perfect justice our blood had to be shed because of our sin.

Because of the spiritual law of imputation the sins of all men could only be forgiven with the blood sacrifice of a man without blemish, a man without sin. Since all men after Adam were born with a sin nature nobody qualified as the perfect sacrificial lamb. God the Father, in collaboration with the other persons of the Godhead, came up with a plan of salvation for his special creation that met both his perfect justice and his eternal love for us. God Himself was the only person who could qualify as the perfect sacrifice to redeem a fallen mankind. God loved us so much he sacrificed his only begotten Son that we might have eternal life in heaven in fellowship with him.

Jesus, who had always existed as an invisible Spirit, came down from his throne and set aside his divine attributes, emptied himself, and came to earth in the flesh as a normal man. God had to be conceived in the womb, be born as a normal child and grow to manhood in order to qualify as the perfect man to redeem us from our sins. Jesus had to be fully man in order to qualify for the blood sacrifice needed to redeem us from our sins. However, Jesus was also fully God at the same time. Jesus was the only person who ever lived who was both man and God and the attributes of one did not infringe on the other.

6. Don’t condemn

When witnessing you never want to come off as holier than thou. We are all sinners equally in need of God’s grace. People easily spot someone talking down to them and it’s a turnoff. We all have good points and bad points. Find the other person’s good points and offer a sincere compliment if you can. Make the person feel good about themselves. You need to have empathy with the person you are witnessing to.

7. Stick with the main issue

When witnessing, always keep in the forefront of your mind the central message of reconciliation between God and man through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without the cross and the resurrection Christianity wouldn’t exist. Jesus is Christianity. Don’t let yourself be sidetracked by questions about denominational doctrine. Always bring the conversation back to the need to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life. In Scripture Jesus said the only way to the Father is through him. The only way to heaven and eternal life is through Jesus and you need to emphasize that point. I know a person who witnesses for Christ by initially saying, “God has great plans for your life!” Since everyone’s favorite topic is themselves it’s a good way to get a positive response and break the ice.

8. Confront the person directly

As an ambassador for Christ your job is to close the deal. A lot of people can bring the case for Jesus to someone but for some reason they can’t take that last step and make the sale. They can’t ask for a commitment. Your whole reason for witnessing is to make the person reach a point where they understand the importance of deciding to trust Jesus for their salvation right then and there before it’s too late. Remind them they’re only a heartbeat away from their eternal destiny. Try not to ask yes or no questions. You might ask, “Have you ever personally trusted Jesus Christ or are you still on the way?” This lets them know clearly what a Christian is and gives them a face-saving way to tell you they aren’t where they need to be. Their answer, whatever it is, will allow you to ask the follow up question, “That’s interesting. How far along the way are you?”

This question will draw the person out in a non-threatening way and often works to get them to tell you exactly where they are in their faith. Once they do respond you can then fill in all the gaps and tailor your message to address their concerns. As you move the person along the road to salvation ask the third question, “Would you like to become a real Christian and be sure of it?” There are many people out there who are seeking spiritual certainty in their lives and they’re just waiting to be asked. There are many people who don’t know how to find God and our mission is to be that bridge by giving them the information they need and asking them to make a decision. God is graciously allowing us to participate in his salvation plan for man.

Remember, to be saved God must first draw them and the Holy Spirit must convict them of their sin. The Holy Spirit actually saves the person by changing their eternal destiny from hell to heaven based on their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There is no pressure on us. We are simply the messenger. God does the heavy lifting and we are rewarded as long as we sow the gospel message of Christ. We need to always pray for God to bring people across our path who need a witness and we need to ask God’s help in making us better at witnessing the more we do it. It will get easier. Witnessing for Christ is the number one job of every Christian and the thing that will determine our rewards once we get to heaven. If you’ve never sown the gospel seed to an unbeliever or reaped a soul for the kingdom of God you can fully expect your works to be consumed by fire before the bema judgement seat of Jesus. Once saved you’re always saved but any potential rewards will be lost if you don’t witness for Christ.

4. Get the ball rolling.

When we talk to people about God we can either make a statement that makes them want to respond or we can ask them a leading question hoping they will respond. In my case it’s easy for me to talk about how excited I am doing my Christian blog and my Bible study. If they don’t respond to what I’m saying on their own I can innocently ask my first leading question. 1) By the way, are you interested in spiritual things? If they say yes you’re in business. Even if they say no you’ve learned a little bit about where they are spiritually. People like being asked their opinions and whatever they tell you will give you a lot of information about where they are spiritually. You learn more from listening than from talking. Never ask if they’re a Christian because that means different things to different folks and a yes or no answer leaves you at a dead end with no more information than you had to start with. If they are interested in spiritual things let them talk as long as they want and only ask questions for clarification.

Then ask them this question: 2) What do you think a real Christian is? Since they’re interested in spiritual things more than likely they’ll answer this question. They’ll feel obligated to respond since you asked their opinion. It’s just human nature. If you’ve listened to them they’ll be inclined to listen to you. After you’ve listened to them let them know real Christians relate to Jesus as a person by accepting him as their Lord and Savior. You’ve asked two leading questions that, if answered affirmatively, will have opened them up a little. Now ask the third question. 3) Would you like to become a real Christian now? Some people who go to church know Jesus personally and some do not and it’s the same in all denominations. Church membership by itself does not guarantee really knowing God. It takes a personal decision of the will to turn from sin and toward God.

If they say yes to your third question you can then walk them through the four or five Scriptures that build on each other and leads them to the decision to make a commitment to Jesus. Each person who witnesses has their favorite Scriptural progression. I like to share the Scriptures in this order, explaining each verse: John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, and Romans 10:9, before asking for a commitment. There’s no limit to the ways you can win souls to the kingdom of God by sharing your faith in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Do what works for you.

5. Don’t go to far too fast.

Give people only as much of the message as they are ready for. Some people need to chew on the gospel awhile and let the truth of God settle in their spirit slowly. Some people see the truth clearly early on and quickly give their life to Jesus. You just have to learn to watch for que’s and adjust on the fly. People you talk to will generally fall into one of two groups. Either they lack information about Jesus and don’t know how to become a Christian or they have all the information they need to know but haven’t acted on it. The first group are more than likely to believe in Jesus fairly quickly while the second group are much more reticent and some may never become saved Christians because they have some personal issues they haven’t resolved.

Our job is to sow the seed of the gospel and reap the harvest if it’s there. If a person isn’t ready to commit to Christ they may later. You’ve done all God asks you to do. Move on to greener pastures. Always remember it’s the Holy Spirit who convicts a person’s heart of their sin and only the Holy Spirit can translate a person from spiritual death to the kingdom of God. Our job is to set the table for their salvation if we can. God is blessing us by letting us be a part of his salvation plan for fallen mankind.

The focus of my blogs is on witnessing for Christ through the study of God’s Word. You can’t “do” until you “know”. The first book I found on witnessing was “Personal Soul Winning” by the late evangelist John R. Rice, published in 1961. I’ve blogged about that book previously. I recently found a second book I’m in the process of reading that also discusses witnessing. The late evangelist Paul E. Little wrote a book entitled “How to Give Away your Faith”, published in 1988. I recommend the book to all Christians who desire to witness for Christ. I’m going to summarize the contents of the book here so you can add it to your notes in your witness Bible. There are eight principles of witnessing for Christ: meet and know non-Christians personally; establish a mutual interest in conversation; arouse a person’s interest by life and word; gear explanations to people’s receptiveness and readiness for more; accept and even compliment rather than condemn; stay on track; and persevere to the destination.

1. Contact others socially.

You could be the greatest witness for Christ who ever lived but that’ll get you nowhere until you get out among the unbelievers. Go seek the lost souls! That’s why Jesus associated with publicans, tax collectors and prostitutes. One of the reasons I volunteer at a local hospital is to meet people, with an eye toward witnessing for Christ should the opportunity present itself. Pray always for God to send someone your way. Jesus said he came to save sinners and he has given the job to us as his disciples.

2. Establish common ground.

It’s the rare person who can just jump straight into witnessing for Christ the first time they meet someone. I certainly can’t do it. Most of us need to get to know someone a little bit and establish a certain level of trust before discussing spiritual things. Most people need to know you care about them and are willing to listen to them before they’ll be receptive to your message. You can meet people at gyms or belong to the same clubs or have the same areas of interest and over time become friends. Start off by talking about world events and move on spiritual things over time. You don’t have to be in a hurry but don’t miss out on an opportunity to share your love for Jesus.

3. Arouse interest.

I’m passionate about my Bible study so I talk about it at the hospital where I volunteer. People can feel my passion for the Lord. If I’m working on a blog series I’ll tell them my current focus. I’ll sometimes throw out snippets of information that are proofs of God to see who bites and wants to know more. I have a tee shirt I wear in public places that says on the front, “Ask me about Jesus”. and on the back it says “Jesus is Lord”. It’s a way to break the ice and start a conversation. It’s always easier when someone approaches you first.

Four guidelines for relating to other people:

A. Establish good eye contact
B. Develop good listening skills
C. Foster an attitude of encouragement
D. Make yourself interesting to others

The Jews have their annual Passover meal to commemorate God delivering them from bondage in Egypt. God sent his death angel to kill the first born of every family in Egypt. The Jews were told to slaughter a lamb and smear the blood on the posts and lintels of their doors so that the death angel would “pass over” their house and not kill their first born. God commanded the Passover feast of the Jewish people was to be a solemn observance for all the children of Israel for all generations. I’m no expert on the Passover meal but I know it contains lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Jesus shared his last Passover meal, known as the Last Supper, with his disciples just before his arrest and crucifixion. During the meal Jesus blessed the food and broke bread for each disciple to eat. Jesus said the bread represents his body which is broken “for you” (on the cross). Jesus then passed the wine cup around for each disciple to take a sip. Jesus said the wine represents his blood shed “for you” (on the cross).

Jesus said his blood establishes a new covenant whereby the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus said we are to partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of him which tells me it’s to be an annual occurrence to commemorate our salvation through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus. God wanted the Jews to commemorate their deliverance from the bondage of slavery by the Egyptians. In the new covenant God wants all Christians to commemorate their deliverance by Jesus from the bondage of death and Satan. Christian denominations have different views on the Last Supper. Catholics believe when they take the consecrated bread and wine (Eucharist) the bread and wine actually becomes the body and blood of Jesus. This is known as the doctrine of transubstantiation.

Protestants have several different views. The Lutherans believe in consubstantiation where Christ penetrates and permeates the bread and wine. The body and blood of Jesus are present in addition to the bread and wine. In the dynamic view, espoused by Reformed and Presbyterian churches, Christ is not literally present in the bread and wine but is spiritually present. The memorial view, held by most Baptist and independent churches, holds that the Communion service is mainly a commemoration of Christ’s death on the cross, though Christ is not physically or spiritually present. The bread and cup are a figurative memorial to Christ’s death.

I’m a Baptist but I’ve never taken part in a commemoration of the Last Supper even though Scripture commands it. I can understand why the Eucharist is so important to Catholics if they think they are partaking of the actual body and blood of Christ but I think they are mistaken. When I read the Scriptures about bread and wine being Jesus’ body I don’t take it literally. Jesus is using the bread and wine as a metaphor for his body and blood. Jesus uses metaphors repeatedly throughout the Bible.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 – And when He had given thanks , He broke it (bread) and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me”. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me”.

1 Corinthians 11:28 – But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

In the first two verses the term remembrance means “in memory of”. If the bread and wine were the actual body and blood of Jesus God would not have neglected to leave out so important a point. If you were partaking of the actual body and blood of Christ you wouldn’t need to keep doing it over and over every year. In the second Scripture we find the same thing. God is telling us to look inward when we take Communion. Again, if the bread and wine were the body and blood of God’s dear Son He would have not have neglected to tell us something so important. The reference is obviously a metaphor. While different Christian denominations may not always agree on all aspects of our faith, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and when we get to heaven all will be revealed.

I’ve spent 17 blogs going over the 127 commands from God in the Bible as listed in my Willmington’s Bible Guide. I would be remiss if I did not list the original ten commandments God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai after the exodus from Egypt. We should keep all of God’s commandments at the forefront of our minds and especially the original ten commandments.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make any graven image.

Exodus 20:4 – You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the sea.

All of the people of ancient times engaged in polytheism, the worship of many gods. To represent these gods people made idols of wood, metal and stone to worship. Monotheism, the worship of one god, came about when the true God made Himself known to Abram, who He chose to be the father of God’s people, who would later be known as Israel. Our God is a jealous God, not wishing to share His glory with fake gods made of wood, metal or stone.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Exodus 20: 7 – You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

This doesn’t mean just cursing God. It means being disrespectful to the Lord in any way in your speech, thoughts or deeds. This is just the opposite of what we refer to as the “fear of the Lord” which means to look upon God with awe and reverence and respect. If you slip up immediately ask God to forgive you.

4. Remember the sabbath, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:8 – Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

The Jews celebrate their sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of creation when God rested. Christians celebrate their sabbath on Sunday, the first day of the week because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. The resurrection is our blessed hope because it means we too will one day be resurrected in like manner to be with the Lord forever in heaven. Jews and Christians both worship the Lord on their respective sabbaths. Man was not made for the sabbath, the sabbath was made for man. Either designated day of worship is pleasing to God.

5. Honor your father and mother.

Exodus 20:12 – Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long.

6. You shall not kill.

Exodus 13 – You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:14 – You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

Exodus 20:15 – You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness.

Exodus 20:16 – You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet.

Exodus 20:17 – You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Adultery is such a grievous sin in God’s eyes it’s mentioned twice in God’s original ten commandments. In the commandment “you shall not covet” God specifically mentions adultery with another man’s wife as one of the things we are not to covet. God also makes adultery a separate commandment by itself so we get the message. There are large sections of the Bible that specifically address the sin of adultery, primarily in the Psalms.

116. Have compassion.

Jude 21-22 – Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion.

117. Have a good conscience.

1 Peter 3:16 – Having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

Do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and nobody will be able to find fault in you.

118. Consider yourself dead to sin.

Romans 6:11 – Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

119. Redeem the time.

Ephesians 5:16 – Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Obey the commands of the Lord and emulate Christ in your life to the glory of God.

120. Resist the devil.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:9 – Resist him (the devil), steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

120. Restore backsliders in meekness.

Galatians 6:1 – Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

121. Put on the new man.

Ephesians 4:24 – And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:10 – And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

We become the new man by our acquired knowledge of spiritual things and that come through Bible study. We can’t just sit back and say God “do me”. It’s up to us to be seekers after God by studying the knowledge of God.

122. Put on the whole armor of God.

Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

We are powerless against Satan but we have the protection of God if we put it on.

123. Follow things that edify.

Romans 14:19 – Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and things by which one may edify another.

Making peace refers to learning how to witness for Christ and edifying is actually doing the witnessing to unbelievers.

124. Walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 – If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We are saved. As we live our lives we are to obey the commands of God so we shine before men.

125. Hold fast to sound words.

2 Timothy 1:13 – Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

The truth of God’s Word will set you free as it did for the Apostle Paul in the above verse. There are supposed to be 127 commands from God mentioned in the Bible. I seem to have misplace two of them. The missing commands could be the two commandments Jesus added to the original ten commandments which are: Matthew 22:37, “Love your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind” and Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

107. Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.

Hebrews 13:15 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Praising God is giving thanks for all He has done for us. God in His mercy has given us eternal life in heaven and the Holy Spirit here on earth to help us. I think that’s worthy of giving thanks to God as often as we can. See “Be thankful” and “Give thanks”.

108. Mark troublemakers.

Romans 16:17 – Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. See also Philippians 3:17.

Satan stirs up divisions among the faithful so when troublemakers appear avoid them like the plague. See “Avoid troublemakers”, “Beware of evil men”, and “Do not be influenced by strange doctrines”.

109. Come boldly to the throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

As believers we are the children of God and have access to our Father 24/7 through our prayers. Scripture assures us God always hears our prayers and answers them.

110. Pray for your persecutors.

Matthew 5:44 – But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. See also Luke 6:28.

111. Pray for laborers.

Matthew 9:38 – Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

The witnesses for Christ work the Lord’s harvest trying to win souls for the kingdom of heaven but the workers are few and the lost souls are many.

112. Strengthen feeble knees.

Hebrews 12:12 – Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.

Pray more often on your knees to strengthen them. Pray continually.

113, Withdraw from disorderly people.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 – But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and nor according to the tradition which he received from us.

I can’t count the number of times God commands us to kick troublemakers out of the church ranks if they can’t be reconciled. See “Avoid troublemakers”, “Mark troublemakers”.

114. Take the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:26 – For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

A celebratory meal commemorating the new covenant between God and man based on Jesus sacrificing his body on the cross and pouring out his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. We eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of the body and blood of Christ.

115. Take no anxious thought of tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34 – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

98. Have confidence in God.

Hebrews 10:35 – Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

Confidence is the same as faith and we know without faith we cannot please the Lord.

99. Come out from among the world.

2 Corinthians 6:17 – Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you”.

A similar command, “Be separate from the unclean”, was listed earlier. We are to live spiritual lives in obedience to God. The physical world belongs to Satan. Choose whom you serve.

100. Count it joy when you are tempted.

James 1:2 – My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

God will reward us for all our hardship and suffering on behalf of our faith. To share the suffering of Christ is to be blessed.

101. Treat others as you expect to be treated.

Matthew 7:12 – Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The golden rule is a central tenet of the Bible.

102. Bring up children in the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 – And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the lord.

Children who are exposed to the Bible early and receive the gospel of Christ early are much more likely to become believers.

103. Be careful not to despise the little ones.

Matthew 18:10 – Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Children have a special place in heaven and those who harm children have a special place in hell reserved for them.

104. Earnestly contend for the faith.

Jude 3 – I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

God is again commanding us to contend with the devil for the souls of men by witnessing for Christ.

105. Exhort one another.

Hebrews 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Exhort means to encourage and support. God intended Christians to fellowship together for this reason. There is strength in numbers. See “Do not forsake assembling together in worship”.

106. Have no fellowship with darkness.

Ephesians 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

90. Do all to God’s glory.

Colossians 3:`7 – And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Corinthians 10:31 – Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Continually praise God for all your blessings.

91. Do all things without murmuring or disputing.

Philippians 2:14 – Do all things without complaining and disputing.

92. Grow in grace.

2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Another command from God to study God’s Word in order to grow spiritually.

93. Hold forth to the Word of life.

Philippians 2:16 – Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

A command to obey the commands of God so that you may be rewarded in heaven.

94. Study to show yourself approved to God.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to show yourself approved to God, a worker who does not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Again, study God’s Word to know the truth and be approved by God.

95. Be aware of yourself and your doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:16 – Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Know the gospel of Christ and make sure you are prepared to witness to unbelievers.

96. Desire the milk of the Word.

1 Peter 2:2 – As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

I’ll bet there are two dozen commands in the Bible to study God’s Word.

97. Present your body to God.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

God’s number one priority for believers is to witness for Christ to save as many lost souls as possible. This command of Jesus to his disciples just before His ascension we refer to as the Great Commission.