If you're a Christian you probably are one, at least in part, because of someone else. Whether it was your parents, a co-worker, a pastor or a combination of many people...at some point a seed of truth was sown in your heart, and God drew you to Him. For me, I know that the seeds were sown by my parents, who taught me about Christ and God's word. Although I accepted what they taught me as truth, when I was older I had to reevaluate my beliefs and come to accept or reject them on my own.
So, as a Christian, you probably understand the importance of sharing the gospel message with others. Whether you're the one sowing the seeds, answering questions or "reaping the harvest". Also, as a Christian, you are somewhat obligated to be a witness. I mean, God's not going to physically shove you into someone's doorstep to share His Word...but He's already asked you to go.
1 Peter 3:14-16 talks about this "...And do not fear their intimidation...always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence..."
I haven't heard that many messages on being an "effective witness", so I did a tiny, tiny bit of reading and felt I learned a few things. Since God tells us to be ready with an answer, and even our buddy in Psalm 119:46 says "I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed.", I think it's worth our investigation to be able to do this thing the Lord expects us to do as well as we can. We want to do everything well for the Lord.
Colossians 4:5-6 (NASB) says "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
When we're sharing the gospel message with people who maybe aren't as familiar with it as we are, we should make sure that we are always speaking in grace and love. Speaking in grace (versus being demeaning and argumentative), will make our words as "though seasoned with salt". I don't think Paul's saying that our words should be so salty they make people wince...but salt is something we use to bring flavor to our food. Speaking in grace will make our message palatable, tasty, easily consumed. It makes sense. The end of verse 6 reads "so that you will know how you should respond to each person". Unless you're listening to those you are sharing with, and speaking in grace (instead of your well thought out "argument") how do you know what that person needs to hear? I don't think that handing out the same glossy tract to every person is going to be the most effective. People are unique. They have different ideas about spirituality, and they have different life experiences. We need to approach outsiders with wisdom, being able to not only speak effectively, but in accordance with what God would have us say. The point of being a witness isn't to earn extra credit in heaven for giving the same 4 point speech over and over to every stranger we encounter. We want to be effective in ministry, carefully sowing seeds, carefully building on a foundation, otherwise there is no point.
1 Corinthians 3 talks about those who plant, those who water...and in verse 10 says "But each man must be careful how he builds on it." If it's not built in Christ, it won't last...it'll be tested by fire and only that which was sown and built in Christ will remain. Not only that but (verse 14) "If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss..." Yikes.
1 Corinthians 1:17 (NASB) says, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."
I think that's a mistake I've made in the past...trying to convince someone of the gospel message through my own cleverness. By making a persuasive argument, I'm actually risking making the cross of Christ void (uh, ouch). The message of salvation in Christ stands on it's own. It doesn't need me to "fancy it up". It needs me to present it, and to present it in a way that is clear and easy to understand. 1 Corinthians 3:7 says "So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." We can't take credit for the power of the gospel message.
This is also mentioned earlier in 1 Corinthians, in 2: 2-5.
"For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."
And that's where my heart is today. I want others to know the hope that is mine in Christ Jesus, but I want them to receive it because of faith that rests on "the power of God", not in "the wisdom of men". When people turn to faith because of a man's wisdom, then they will continue to look to men for their spiritual answers and their spiritual growth. Ick. They need to know from the beginning to go to God in all things.
Personally, I'm pretty ecstatic that I don't have to worry about having all the answers, knowing how to debate every variation of theology. All I have to know is Christ. If I'm serving Him, living in Him, and speaking with grace of Him...that's enough to start. God makes the thing grow. (And if you're looking for a good explanation of grace and salvation, read Romans!)
Now something else that we need to be careful of when witnessing. People of other religions will try to make a persuasive argument and punch you in the face with knowledge to prove you wrong. So, we need to guard our hearts. There's a place for knowledge, but as I mentioned earlier...convincing someone of something because of your big words and opinions on theology only convinces them that you can use big words and that you have opinions on theology. Whereas I want to promote Christ, not enhance my self-esteem by making someone thing I'm a genius (haha, like I could ever do that anyway!). I want to teach in a way that the person I'm talking to can't help but understand.
Because people will possibly argue with you, try to confuse you, and try to convert you to something crazy...here are a few verses to think about when you're absorbing what they have to say:
1 Timothy 6:3-4 "If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrines conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions..."
The early church was a church of witnessing. They have loads of advice on how to be effective, and what to protect our hearts against. If someone says something to us for the sake of arguing, we need to test it against what Christ has said before accepting it. And they should test what we say the same way, if they claim to be Christians. In Christian religions, Christ is our High Priest, and final authority. That's why his name is in their religious title, right?
Colossians 2:8-10 says "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority."
If you want to be an effective witness, you need to know what Christ is like and what He has said. Read the gospels, yo.
And if someone tries to convince you that your faith needs to be about more than Christ (Christ + Works, or Christ + Religious Traditions, etc) watch out!
Colossians 2:20-23, "If you have died with Christ, to the elementary principles of the world, why as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, Do not handle, do not taste, do do not touch! (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)-in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion..."
Ok...so this blog was exceptionally long and not quite as lighthearted as some of my others...but that's usually because I'm being motivated by conviction. And again today, I am. I can be awfully good at letting other people tell me about their beliefs, and then because I'm afraid of offending someone...I let them walk away with their faith in a self-made religion. The early church grew because God added to their numbers daily...but they were active in that process. They were not intimidated, they were willing to die for their faith, and many of them did. So why, then, do I avoid speaking the truth in love? I have no excuse. If I love people as Christ did, I will be willing to suffer greatly (and find joy in it) for the advancement of His kingdom. Christ died for my salvation, and for theirs...am I really going to be unwilling to have someone look at me funny for a few minutes? How prideful.
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