How can you witness if you don’t even know what the gospel is? The beginning stages of life are important and beautiful, and so it is with understanding the beginning stages of the gospel.
This is part of an outline I taught on at my college to a group of believers and unbelievers. Most Christians have a poor and unbiblical understanding of what the law is for and what grace is for. Most believe that grace is to make an easier way to God instead of the law. This is profoundly untrue. The law was never intended to be a way to God! I recommend reading ‘The Law and the Gospel’ by Ernest Reisinger in order to have a comprehensive knowledge of law and grace. In summary, the law was given so that we would need grace, and grace was given so that we would fully live according to the law. Chew on that for a while! You won’t hear that in many churches today.
What isn’t the gospel?
The gospel isn’t having good feelings about God. It isn’t believing that “God” exists. It isn’t believing that Jesus historically existed or died. It isn’t believing that Jesus loves you. It isn’t believing that you’re going to heaven when you die.
Knowledge of God or theology even belongs to Satan and demons. Simply proper knowledge of God is of no real significance. James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.
The gospel begins with understanding our sin problem.
This outline is what I personally try to use when sharing the gospel with people. This is especially so when I have a Bible in hand. I don’t always cover all the verses, nor do I fully explain all the points as I do here. However, I do generally follow this basic form of explaining the good news. I hope this helps you as well. If you’re a Christian, please invite a sinner out to eat and share this eternal message of hope with them! Let the Bible speak for itself.
In Summary:
Foundation of God’s nature and character:
God’s sovereignty - Genesis 1:1, Acts 17:24-28, Colossians 1:16-17
God’s holy character (by viewing the moral law) - Isaiah 6:5, Deuteronomy 5, Exodus 20
The Bad News:
Man’s unholy character (by viewing the moral law) - 1 John 3:4, Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 1:28-32
Most Christians today are not equipped to share their faith and preach the gospel to others. Many Christians genuinely believe the gospel, but do not genuinely know it. As the church, we must restore the gospel message as revealed in Scripture, for it is our pillar. It is not merely a foundation to our faith but a beam which holds our faith together. It is an intricate facet to all that we believe, say, and do. The gospel is the portal by which sinners enter the eternal Kingdom of God and participate in all of its blessings. The gospel is the message which brings hope from guilt, sin, Hell, and God’s judgment. It is the message by which the question of the meaning of life is answered. That is because the gospel enables us to know God intimately, thus, able to obey Him, love Him, worship Him, and see and savor His beauty forever. But Satan has blinded the hearts and minds of people to not see the gospel for what it truly is, especially in the American church.
Memorize the acronym TRACK to easily witness to someone. When kids come to your door on Halloween you can’t give them candy with an empty bowl. Likewise, you can’t present the gospel unless you are able to dish out the substance of it.
The Ten Commandments are not for salvation. Rather, they show us how to rightly live. When the commandments are lived according to, one will experience joy. For the unbeliever, this is because they will keep you out of jail. For the believer, they will keep you out of jail and closer to the God you love, Jesus Christ. The commands reflect God’s own rightful character. Sin is acting and thinking contrary to God’s character. Breaking the commands in thought, word, or deed is what the Bible calls sin. This type of behavior is destructive to ourselves and everyone around us.
(Introduction)
Messenger: “Have you ever heard the gospel?”
Unbeliever: “I think. Isn’t it that Jesus loves me, or that I have to except Jesus into my heart?”
Messenger: “Not entirely. Do you mind if I tell you the real gospel?” (since so many Christians have been awesomely unfaithful to it…)
Unbeliever: “Yeah, sure I guess.”
(Ten Commandments)
Messenger: “OK, so first let me ask you a simple question. Are you a good person?”
Unbeliever: “Umm, yeah. I’ve never killed anyone.”
T - (Ten Commandments) Memorize the Ten Commandments today. Use them to reveal sin. In other words, get the sinner lost. Do this firmly, but in love.
R - (Requirements) Push the sinner off the cliff of self-righteousness. Secure getting them lost with James 2:10 and Galatians 3:10. God requires sinless perfection from us.
A - (Answer) Explain how Christ is the only answer for their sin problem and their wrath problem. Make clear how His life, death, and resurrection create this possibility.
C - (Calling) Call the sinner to believe in the good news of Jesus Christ. Invite them to receive God’s free and undeserved grace.
K - (Know) Charm the unbeliever that Jesus Christ ultimately saves us to know Himself. Expound on how God is our true pleasure and desire. Only Jesus brings us to God who is our true fulfillment. Our saddest condition is that this would be prevented.
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