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Session Four
How to Witness?
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"When He, the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment." John 16:12 This scripture gives us the outline to lead others to Jesus Christ. We find it a simple plan that enables us to partner with the direction of the Holy Spirit. We know that Holy Spirit is going to convict the world of sin. To do this, He must expose their sin through the law. That's were we begin, with the Law. The Apostle Paul says, "had it not been for the Law, I would not have known sin." Romans 3:20 Depending on the person we are talking with at the time, determines how deep into the knowledge of the Law we must take the conversation for each person for them to realize they have sinned. There was a time while shopping at a local department store that I had the opportunity to share with the clerk at the check out counter. As the clerk began to process the items I was purchasing, I asked her "If you died today, would you go to heaven?" "I thinks so." she replied. "Why do you think you would go to heaven?" I asked, "Well, I have been a pretty good person, haven't done anything really terrible, so I think I would go to heaven." So it is here that we see she has yet to realize the need for a Savior, not according to our opinion, but according to God and her own confession, that she is relying on her own righteousness. This is the reason we must know what the Law of God says and the consequences for violating these Laws. So I said to her "The Bible says, that if you break one of God's laws, even if its just in thought, you are guilty of all of it and face the possibility of being eternally condemned. Have you sinned against God's laws, even if just in your thoughts?"á "Well, yeah, who hasn't? Does that mean I'm doomed?" she asked with a wide eyed look on her face, "Yes, if you have broken even one of these commandments, you are doomed." "Gee, thanks a lot, thanks for the good news." Of course, she didn't hear the good news yet. She was now in a position however to receive the good news. "That isn't good news, but there is good news. Jesus Christ died for all your sin and will present you righteous in God's presence if you will accept His sacrifice. Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, receive His forgiveness and believe Him to represent you before God?" "Sure!" "Then pray with me right now, to receive forgiveness for your sin and accept Him into your heart as your Savior." We prayed right there in the store at the check out counter and the woman received Jesus Christ. It really is that simple. When the law is the tutor, the bible is the proof and the Holy Spirit will always affirm the work of Jesus Christ. Leading a person into a personal relationship with Jesus is the simplest thing we can do as a Christian. Winning arguments over doctrine and debating issues apart from our relationship in Jesus Christ will never convert a persons heart and soul. Apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ, what good is doctrine, except to cause division between us and everyone that Jesus died for! Debate and reasoning through faith in Christ has a place for those that may be skeptical or doubting, but it will serve to no avail for those that are defiant and obstinate. If a person chooses to be right above what is truth, it is best to remain silent. The Bible declares that every person has received a portion of faith. This is to say that everyone has the ability to believe in Jesus, but that the faith they possess may have a been misdirected. This understanding will help us to discern a person's belief and intersect with them at the point of derailment. It is our hope to realign their belief system in a direction that will prosper them in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To do this, there are some elements of truth this person should already have established within their own beliefs. For example, do they believe there is a Supreme Being? Do they believe in God, as One God, not many? Do they believe the Bible is true and inspired by God to reveal His plan for mankind? These are two important issues that we should know in order to continue from the knowledge you will obtain in this lesson. If these areas are still an issue, unsettled in the persons heart, you will need additional training to walk them through their unbelief. But before you abandon the individual, ask them where they believe they go after they die? Then depending on their answer, you will know how to proceed. Once it has been established that the person you are talking with believes in God and they believe the Bible is from God, then you have established a mutual point of agreement you can begin from. Now that we have established a starting point, lets begin. In the Book of Deuteronomy of the Bible, chapter 5 we see the law of God established. In addition to the law being established here, we also find that it was God who established it, being written with His own hand writing and given to Moses to deliver to the people. In the Book of Numbers, chapter 15, we find the penalty for violating a single law of God. The only conditions for mercy and forgiveness, for violating even one of these laws of God, we find in this same chapter, several verses earlier. So we see, that atonement for sin, allowing mercy and forgiveness to come, has two conditions.
If either one of the above conditions are not met, the violator must be put to death, according to the laws of God. These are very tough restrictions, demonstrating the seriousness of violating the laws of God. So who could escape living their entire life without ever violating God's law? The Bible declares that there is not one person that is righteous and without sin. All of our works, efforts and attempts to do good have failed. The disciples of Jesus had the same question that many of us may ask today, then who could be saved from the judgment of God? God would provide a Savior for the world. This Savior would be God Himself in the flesh, coming to take upon Himself the sin of the world. Jesus is the anointed One. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to redeem man from sin and darkness. Giving to all that would believe in Him, His righteousness as a gift. The wisdom of God was to use the law to enlighten our spiritual condition of unrighteousness while causing us to realize we could not accomplish righteousness on our own efforts. We needed a Savior. What is the purpose of the law for us today? Our hope is placed in the goodness of God. That God would provide a Savior that would take away the sin of the world. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. It is Him that was crucified for our sin and died in our place. The death of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sin is completed only after He is justified on our behalf, when He is risen from the dead. Upon His resurrection, He became the first born unto eternal life, making righteousness and eternal life available for all that would believe on Him. If we would believe on Him for the forgiveness of our sins and accept His righteousness as replacement for all our works to gain favor with God, we would be saved. Regardless of our previous life and actions, Jesus would cleanse us and stand in our place. He would represent us in the presence of God as righteous. The scripture reveals to us, that it is by grace we are saved, through faith. Grace means, undeserved and unmerited. It is by grace that righteousness is given as a gift. We then receive this righteousness as a gift by faith. But this faith is not of ourselves, but also a gift from Him, that we may believe. As a demonstration of our faith, that we believe in Jesus Christ for righteousness, we follow Him. The first step in our demonstration as a believer is to be baptized in water. Our baptism in water, identifies that we are dead to our efforts of righteousness in gaining favor with God and that we accept the righteousness of Jesus Christ to represent us before God in heaven. It is not the baptism in water that saves us. It only demonstrates our faith and devotion to Jesus Christ. We then seek Christ for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that we may be empowered to serve Him with power in this world to be His witnesses.
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