BEGINNER’S GUIDE: SHARING YOUR FAITH IN JESUS
Christianity is known as a missionary religion. This means that a fundamental part of our faith in Christ is to tell others about him so that we may encourage and persuade them to also make a commitment to Jesus. This is the way in which we expand faith in Jesus to others. Romans 10:14 says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”
Each of us has a responsibility to tell others about Jesus in some way. That means that our families, friends, and work associates should know that we are Christians and that our chief aim in life is to live for Jesus and please him in all respects. Do your family and friends know that you are a Christian? What do they think that means?
In this study we will learn the basics of sharing our faith in Christ and what happens in us as a result of sharing the good news about Jesus. We will look at:
• Why We Share Our Faith
• How We Share Our Faith, and
• The Results of Sharing our Faith
Many Christians are scared to talk about Jesus openly. But if we truly love the people we know then we will be compelled to try and talk to them about Jesus. Their eternal destiny depends upon us sharing God’s love with them.
What kind of commitment are you prepared to make to tell others about Jesus?
WHY DO WE SHARE OUR FAITH IN JESUS?
Read: Mat. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Jo. 14:6; I Jo. 2:23; II Jo. 9; II Cor. 5:14-15
God commands us to tell others about Jesus.
(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
Part of the Christian life is to live in obedience to Jesus’ commands. Part of Jesus’ earthly ministry was to tell others about himself. He wanted people to know he was the Son of God and to believe in him. He has given us that same task of telling others about him.
Have you told others about Jesus yet? Make a short list of five people that you want to share Jesus with. Start praying for those five people today and everyday.
People are eternally lost without Jesus.
(John 14:6; I John 2:23; II John 9)
Jesus and the Apostles made it clear that the only way to gain eternal life is to have faith in Jesus Christ. No one who does not have Jesus will experience eternal life in Heaven with him. Therefore, sharing our faith in Jesus is a matter of life and death.
Look at your list of five people you want to talk with about Jesus. What is their eternal fate without Jesus? How does this motivate you to tell them about him?
Sharing our faith is an expression of our love for Jesus and of his love for others, expressed through us.
(II Corinthians 5:14-15)
The Bible’s greatest command is that we love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and strength. This means that Jesus must become the center of our affections. If we truly are growing to love Jesus, then we will want to tell others about him. If we don’t want to tell others, then we have a love problem.
How much do you love the five people that are on your list? Are you ready to tell them about Jesus? If so, then let’s move to the next part of our study and learn how to actually share our faith.
HOW DO WE SHARE OUR FAITH IN JESUS?
Read: Jo. 15:26-27; Acts 1:8; Luke 8:39; Rom. 6:1-2,11-14; Eph. 4:17-5:2
We share the Bible’s testimony about who Jesus is.
(John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8)
Telling others about Jesus means telling them about his work and identity. This means that we must tell people that God loves them, that Jesus is the only Son of God who died for them on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin, and that he rose from the dead, never to die again, and that they must receive him to gain eternal life. This is the most basic message about Jesus that everyone needs to hear.
What do the people on your list know about Jesus? What will you tell them?
We share the testimony about what God has done for us through Jesus.
(Luke 8:39)
Just as Jesus commanded the demon possessed man to tell others about what he did for him, so too we must tell others what Jesus has done for us. People must know that our lives are different because of Jesus.
Do the five people on your list know how your life has changed because of Jesus? Write out a three-minute testimony about your life since knowing Jesus. Include what your life was like before Jesus and how your life is different after receiving Jesus.
We live lives that demonstrate that Jesus has changed and saved us from our sin.
(Romans 6:1-2; 11-14; Ephesians 4:17-5:2)
No one who has had a genuine experience with Jesus can continue to live their old lives of sin. A life in the process of transformation is the mark of a person who has been changed by Jesus.
Are there still sins in your life that you need to confess to God? Do that right now. Our lives are a powerful testimony of what Jesus can do for a person who comes to him.
RESULTS OF SHARING OUR FAITH IN JESUS
Read: Luke 19:10; Col. 1:13-14; John 1:12; Romans 8:15; II Corinthians
6:18; II Timothy 2:24-26; Hebrews 13:15-16
The lost will come to a saving knowledge about Jesus.
(Luke 19:10; Colossians 1:13-14)
Not everyone who hears about Jesus will receive him. But those that do will begin to experience a new life transformed by Jesus. They will move from simple knowledge about Jesus to obedience to Jesus. Believing in Jesus brings eternal life.
Pray for the five people on your list, that they would come to know Jesus the way you have. Then ask God to help you share the message of Jesus with them.
We will gain new brothers and sisters in the family of God.
(John 1:12; Romans 8:15; II Corinthians 6:18)
The Bible refers to Christians as brothers and sisters. We gain a new kind of relationship when we come to Christ. We become adopted children in God’s family and all in God’s family become our brothers and sisters. When you lead someone to Christ you are welcoming them into your spiritual family.
Pray for the five people on your list, that they will become part of your spiritual family.
God will be pleased with our obedience in sharing his love with others.
(II Timothy 2:24-26; Hebrews 13:15-16)
Telling others about Jesus is part of God’s plan for how we are to live our lives. God is pleased when we share his love and grace with others.
Are you ready to share your faith with the five people on your list? Now is the time to help lead your friends and loved ones to Christ. Pick the first person on your list. Make an appointment or pay that person a surprise visit. Then be prepared to look for natural opportunities to tell him or her about Jesus.
