God’s Word, our Holy Bible, is a living thing and the most powerful force on our physical plane. In his love, mercy and grace, God has reached across from the spirit world and given mankind his wisdom in written form, which is the Bible. The destructive force of a nuclear bomb pales in comparison to the spiritual power contained in God’s Word. The Bible contains all the wisdom we’ll ever need to live a successful, prosperous and fulfilling life before the God of creation. The Bible is the only weapon we’ll ever need to defeat Satan and the powers of darkness in our world, who are bent on our destruction. The Bible is the only source that can answer all the questions we have about our lives. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? How do I get there? A loving God would not have created us without giving us an instruction manual for how we are to live our lives and also instructions on how we can have fellowship with our Creator. The Bible is the gift of God that provides us with this information.
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Romans 15:4 – For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (i.e. by reading the Bible).
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
It’s obvious the answer to the mysteries of life is simply for us to read and apply the Bible, yet many people who profess to be Christians know very little about the Bible. All they know is what they’ve heard or what they’ve been told to believe. Only 10% of Christians who attend church regularly have read the entire Bible and fewer still have actually taken the time to study the Bible for knowledge and understanding. Without knowledge and understanding of the Bible there can be no true wisdom with which to live our lives. Those without intimate Bible knowledge and continual study of God’s Word are doomed to live unsuccessful lives; or at least lives that are not as successful as they could have been. The Bible is God’s wisdom and we need it in our lives in order to be all we were meant to be.
It’s an astonishing fact that so few take advantage of God’s wisdom and there’s simply no excuse for it. How can anyone call themselves a true believing Christian without having read the Bible, the foundational document of our faith? There are no Cliff Notes for the Bible. There are no shortcuts. Each person must discover the mysteries of God on their own. The Bible is the conduit through which God talks to us just as prayer is the way we talk to God. If we don’t pray we aren’t talking to God and if we’re not reading the Bible every day then God isn’t talking to us. Without a regular two-way personal conversation with God there won’t be a deepening personal relationship established with God. You will not be in fellowship with God and you won’t be receiving all the blessings from God that you could have had. When we get to heaven we’ll be amazed at the potential blessings God had ready for us that went unclaimed because we didn’t ask for them.
James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The Bible is the key to everything in life because it tells you exactly what you must do to please God and pleasing God is the point of our existence. You must believe Jehovah is the one true living God of this world and you must love, honor, praise and worship your heavenly Father. In Job 28:28, God actually defines wisdom as the “fear” of the Lord. The word fear in the biblical context means to look upon God with awe, deep respect and reverence. Once we have that kind of fear we’ll automatically obey God’s commandments out of love and we’ll depart from evil because we’ll have knowledge, understanding and wisdom from the Bible. You must believe the gospel of Christ; that Jesus came down from heaven and died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. You must believe Jesus arose from the dead after three days and those who believe in his name will be resurrected in like manner on the last Day. You must believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who ascended back to heaven to sit at the right hand of Father God in heaven.
Job 28:28 – And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”
Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe the He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
2 Corinthians 5:9 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
The Bible is the key to our walk with God because we can only be transformed spiritually by the renewing of our minds and that is achieved through the Bible. The Bible is the key to the doors of heaven through which we all must pass if we want salvation unto eternal life and fellowship with God. First, read the Bible every day to hear what God has to say to you personally. The Bible is alive because it speaks to you directly as if you were the person it was written for, because it was. When you read the Bible you’re having a personal one on one conversation with God the Father. Let that sink in. You’re having a conversation with the Creator of the universe. Why on earth would the King of the universe take the time to give you an audience? Because once you become a believer you become a child of God and every parent makes time for his children. Wouldn’t you do the same thing?
In his love, mercy and grace, God gives us the gift of salvation unto eternal life through faith in his son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As believers, we have unfettered access to the very throne room of Almighty God at any time through Bible reading and prayer. Let the Word of God become a part of your being and you’ll experience an unquenchable thirst for God. Have a Bible reading plan and stick to it. Study God’s Word so it becomes your best friend and you know it like the back of your hand. Second, memorize Scripture and the earlier you start the better off you are. You are what you continually think about and what you say with your lips so meditate on God and speak his truths. Writing things down helps me to remember so I put Scriptures on index cards so I can work on memorization.
Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of 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.
Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.
Third, meditate on Scripture, which simply means to think about what you’ve read. Fill your mind with the truth, meaning and application of the biblical text you’re meditating on and how it pertains to your daily life. Fourth, pray the Scriptures. Let’s face it, we really don’t know how to pray or what we should pray for. We just wing it and hope God understands. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers and he helps translate for us when we pray to God. When you pray to God using his own words, the language of Scripture, you can’t go wrong. By praying Scripture we are both honoring God with our lips and transforming our souls in the process (sanctification). By praying Scripture we appropriate its truths into our thought patterns and our affections, which renews our minds and draws us heavenward. We all know how the human mind works. If you say something over and over long enough the mind starts to believe it and then the body starts to act on those beliefs.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
Hebrews 13:15-16 – 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. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Fifth, repetition is the key to keeping our faith strong. The more often we receive the preaching of God’s Word the stronger our faith becomes. Regular church attendance, personal and group Bible study and one on one counseling are just a few of the ways to ensure your mind is always saturated with the message of the Scriptures for your continued edification on the Word of God. If you’ll notice in the Bible, God repeats biblical truths multiple times not only to highlight the importance of a spiritual truth but also to cement that knowledge in our brain. Satan is the god of this world and he has put blinders on the nonbeliever so that the Bible is foolishness to them. Satan has sponsored all the fake religions and false gods throughout history to lead man away from the truth of God’s Word. Satan has been very successful at it because most of the world is on the path straight to hell.
2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.
2 Corinthians 4:3 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
The Bible makes it clear in the above verses that without the gospel of Christ we will all perish. That includes nonbelieving Jews. Therefore, as Christians we’re to spread the gospel message to nonbelievers and the Bible is our witness guide and instruction manual for spreading the gospel. The Bible is also our best proof of God to the nonbeliever because the Bible is something they can touch, read and hear, which helps bridge the gap between the physical world they can see and the spiritual world they can’t see. Don’t witness haphazardly; prepare for it.
Make your Bible a witness Bible by tabbing the Scriptures that can walk the nonbeliever through a natural progression of biblical truths to the logical conclusion of God’s saving grace. If you do that you’ll be prepared to share your witness for Christ any time. There are numerous Scriptures that have helped people find salvation unto eternal life. When I witness I prefer to use what is known as the “Roman road.” I like to go through, in order, John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8 and Romans 10:9. I also keep a witness card in my wallet in case I’m somewhere without my Bible and an opportunity arises to share my personal witness for Christ. The Bible commands us to always be ready to witness.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (God loves you).
You have to convince people God cares about them before they’ll listen to what God has to say and God does that in this famous Bible verse. I like to start off with John 3:16 to remind people that God loves them.
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (all are sinners)
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (sins must be paid for)
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Jesus paid our sin debt)
Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (accepting the gift of eternal life)
To be successful in witnessing for Christ you must have a plan and the discipline to follow the general outline of your plan. The more you witness the easier it will get and the better you will become at witnessing. If you’ve ever been in sales you know what I mean. Practice makes perfect. A good salesman has to believe in what he’s selling. In this instance, you’re a salesman for God and your product is hope (salvation). People desperately need what you have to offer but they don’t know it. What you’re offering is eternal life in heaven with God the Father. Your job is to make them aware of what God has to offer them and that the gift is theirs free for the asking. Salvation is the most valuable thing any salesman could ever sell and the price is right (free). Your commission is literally out of this world (treasures in heaven). The most important good work any believer can do is witnessing for Christ. Without witnessing for Christ all our other good works will amount to nothing.
As with any plan you make for witnessing, you also need the flexibility to go off script when necessary; to adapt to any unforeseen questions that may arise because everyone is different and nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Nobody has all the answers so don’t try to fake it. If you don’t know something admit it. The important thing is to let the person you’re witnessing to see your passion for God. That can’t be faked. Have no fear when witnessing; the Holy Spirit is with you. You’re there to answer whatever concerns the nonbeliever may have so you need to know your stuff. That’s why overall Bible knowledge and understanding is so vitally important to effectively witness for Christ. As a Christian sowing the seeds of the gospel we might be the last best chance for a nonbeliever to change their eternal destination from hell to heaven.
Psalm 42:1 – As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
You owe it to the nonbeliever, and to yourself, to be as prepared as possible when you witness for Christ so you’ll have no regrets. You know the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” Our job is to lead the horse to the holy water of life. Whether or not that person drinks the water by accepting God’s saving grace is between them and the Holy Spirit. God calls the nonbeliever and if their heart is ready to receive God the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin. Remember that the Holy Spirit does the saving; we’re just the messenger, the helper. God doesn’t really need us but he’s allowing us to participate in his redemption plan for man. Each person has the free will to accept or reject God’s saving grace. Either way, we’ll have done our part by sharing the gospel message with them. Whether we’re sowing the seeds of the gospel or reaping souls for the kingdom of God, we’ll be rewarded equally by Jesus on the last Day for our obedience.
Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).
1 Peter 1:17 – And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.
2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Before Jesus ascended back to heaven he charged his disciples with spreading the gospel of Christ to all nations and all peoples. That “Great Commission” has been passed down to all believers since we’re also disciples of Christ. We don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s a direct command from God which we’re to obey. Witnessing for Christ is the main reason God leaves us on this earth after we’re saved. The Bible contains 129 direct commands from God to the believer (although some are redundant) but the number one command is to witness the gospel of Christ because God wants to work through us to save as many lost souls as possible. Saving people from hell is God’s top priority which means it’s also our top priority. If you love what God loves and hate what God hates you can’t go wrong. We are also to do good works so men will see the light of God in our actions and be attracted to the truth of God and his saving grace.
Titus 2:7 – In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.
James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
2 Corinthians 9:7 – So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.