Over the past few days, we've discussed sharing the Gospel with friends and family. What truths should we convey? When I have the chance to share Christ, I aim to cover six essential topics: 1. Salvation is a Gift. 2. All Have Sinned. 3. The Wages of Sin. 4. The Substitutionary Death of Christ. Now we reach the fifth topic, which is to accept the forgiveness of Christ: 5. Repent and Receive Christ.
Repentance comes from the Greek word metanoia, which consists of two parts: meta and nous. Meta means "change," and nous is the Greek word for "mind." Thus, it refers to changing your mind and, consequently, changing your direction toward God. Can we truly say we have changed our mind about something if our actions do not reflect that change? If you believe the good news, it will transform your life. “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). There must be a willingness to believe and turn to the Lord.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15).
This turn in the direction of your life is toward Christ and away from serving yourself and Satan. When you believe and trust in Christ, the Spirit of God comes to dwell at the very core of your being. When we believe the Gospel, we become children of God:
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me (Revelation 3:20).
9If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).
After sharing these Scriptures, you can ask the person, "Do these thoughts make sense to you?" Listen to see if they have understood the truth about what Christ has done for them and if they are open to receiving the gift of life. You could then ask them,
Would you like to accept Christ's gift of eternal life? Remind them that there is no better time than now.
For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2, emphasis added).
You could ask them, "Is there any reason you should not place your trust in Christ now?" At this point, you don’t want to push them, but you should also recognize that the enemy is likely giving them a hard time, and a spiritual battle is taking place within their mind. You might want to ask if that’s what’s happening. Bring it into the light by letting them know that this is a decision they must make—either to reject faith or to place their trust in Christ's work on the cross for them. Encourage them to take that step of faith. I often guide them in a prayer with words I lead them in.
A Typical Prayer of Salvation
Dear God in heaven, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I am a sinner, and I am truly sorry for my sins and the life I have lived; I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary, dying in full payment for my sins, and I am now willing to turn away from my sins. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9, that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved. Right now, I confess Jesus as the Lord of my life; I want to turn away from my sin and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. I accept the gift of God and invite Jesus Christ to come and live in me according to His Word. Lord Jesus, transform my life so that I may live for You and bring glory and honor to You. Thank You, Lord, for dying for me and giving me eternal life. Amen.
After the person prays with me, I move on to the last of the six topics; let's discuss this tomorrow. Keith Thomas
This short meditation is taken from the Discipleship series. It’s called Sharing the Gospel
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