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
Witnessing for Christ