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How to Witness to Others
Keep these guidelines in mind...
1. I must live it! I can't say to others, "Do as I say, but don't do as I do!" They must see Christ in me. My strongest testimony is my daily life and conduct. An old poem says, "I'd rather see a sermon that hear one any day."
2. I must love people. I cannot pretend to love or to care, for most people will immediately sense my motives. The Book of Revelation closes with cry of the Holy Spirit to the whole world, "Come!" (Revelation 22:17). When my concern and love for others is in keeping with the love and concern of the Holy Spirit, there is effected a community of interest in the individual that results in compulsion. No many can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
3. I must go to the people and not wait for them to come to me. Jesus loved people, and He never met a stranger. Paul stated, "I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22). Showing kindness and compassion will open doors and bring a positive response.
4. I must look for need. Jesus stated, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). You will be surprised how many people are ready and willing to talk. They simply need someone in whom they have confidence and trust. And you will be further surprised how people will open up to the gospel when you help them (James 2:15-17). Your point of contact is human need.
5. I must communicate. Keep away from technicalities and refuse to become involved in debate. The problem is not in the head, but in the heart. Paul warned Titus, "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain" (Titus 3:9).
6. I must concentrate on Christ. Your experiences can be wondering tools in helping others, but don't focus too much on yourself. The rule of John the Baptist still applies, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Your business is to present Jesus Christ - He is the attraction. Paul said it best when he stated, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:20).
7. I must be tactful. Be sensitive to the other person's feelings, and use discernment. Be a courteous listener and ask wise questions. Pray for wisdom, for God has promised, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).
8. I must bring the person to a decision. This can only be accomplished through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. John 16:8 states, "And when (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." Decision in and of itself is not conversion. But God cannot regenerate until the person has taken this step. Jesus stated, "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20). The sinner must ask for help - he or she must open the door. The change may never come again. Opportunity is God-given. Don't gamble with it. Press for a decision.
9. I must teach them to listen to God's voice. It is your business to introduce them to the Savior. Then let them hear the voice of the Lord as He speaks through His Word. Read to them a couple of scriptures and assure them that God has spoken these words to them personally. For example, teach them this verse, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).
10. I must make them understand there is a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Hearsay is not enough. Birth is not something which is second-hand, but is a personal experience. The sheep of Christ's pasture follow Him, and know His voice, and a stranger they will not follow (John 10:4-5). "Draw near to God," James states, "and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8). God promised through the prophet Jeremiah, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).
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