How do I share my faith with others?
Sharing faith is less about a perfect script and more about a prepared life and a ready answer. Scripture calls us to be ready to give a reason for the hope within us, to walk in wisdom toward outsiders, to let our speech be gracious, to tell what the Lord has done for us, and to trust God with the results, who alone opens hearts and doors for the gospel.
This question arose from studying What should I do now that I'm saved? and What is the gospel?.
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What the Scripture says
Be ready to give an answer
Peter lays the groundwork: sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, 'and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear.' Paul adds the tone: 'Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.' You do not need a script for every debate; you need a ready heart and graced words.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Back the words with a life
The message is carried by the messenger. Peter says to give the answer 'with humility,' keeping a good conscience, 'that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.' Paul says to walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time. A life changed by the gospel makes the gospel believable; the fruit of the Spirit is the background music of the witness.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Tell what the Lord has done for you
Jesus sent the healed man home with a simple assignment: 'Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.' And the Samaritan woman needed no theology degree: she told her town, and John records that 'many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman.' Your story of encounter with Jesus is a legitimate and powerful part of your witness.
He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.”Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
You are carrying God's own message
The gospel is not your opinion; it is a message entrusted to you. Paul writes that God reconciled us to Himself through Christ 'and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation,' and 'we are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.' He also asks how people will believe without hearing, and how they will hear without a preacher, and calls the feet of those who bring the good news beautiful. When you share, God speaks through you.
But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Trust God with the results
The outcome never rests on your eloquence. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit's power and the role of witness to the ends of the earth, and the apostles, forbidden to speak, said they could not help telling what they had seen and heard. Paul urged prayer for open doors: 'praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word.' You plant and water, and God gives the growth. Share faithfully, pray boldly, and leave the harvest to Him.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.”For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
As you read, you may wonder…
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How can I be saved?→Jesus Christ trail“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”What is the gospel?→The Gospel trail“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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:”Does God really hear my prayers?→Prayer trail“This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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