Thursday, January 1, 2004

Verse List: Repentance

As always, do not attempt to interpret verses out of context; we encourage you to consider the paragraphs, sections, and book surrounding each verse when drawing conclusions from the text.

Mat 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Mat 3:5-12 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Mat 11:20-25 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." 25 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;


Mat 12:36-41 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Mark 1:4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Mark 6:4-12 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. 7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in their belts-- 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

Luke 3:2-3 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3:7-8 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Luke 10:13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Luke 11:29-32 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 13:1-5 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Luke 15:7-10 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance… 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Luke 16:19-31 "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers--so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"


Luke 17:3-4 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."


Luk 24:44-47 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19-21 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Acts 5:30-31 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 8:9-24 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great… 20 But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." 24 And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."

Acts 11:13-18 (Peter explained,) "… And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

Acts 13:23-24 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Acts 17:26-34 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Acts 19:1-5 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." 4 And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 20:20-21 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:19-20 "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.

Rom 2:4-5 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

2 Cor 7:8-11 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it--though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

2 Cor 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

2 Tim 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Heb 6:1-6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

2 Pet 3:4-9 They (the mockers) will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." ... 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Heb 12:15-17 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Rev 2:4-5 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Rev 2:14-16 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:20-22 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,

Rev 3:1-3 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Rev 3:19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Rev 9:20-21 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Rev 16:9-11 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. 10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

Matthew 13:13-15 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'

Matthew 18:1-4 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 4:10-12 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that "they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven."

John 12:37-40 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."

Acts 9:32-35 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

Acts 11:20-21 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

Acts 14:13-15 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Acts 15:19-20 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

Acts 26:14-18 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles--to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Acts 28:26-28 "'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 27 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' 28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen."

1 Thes 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

1 Pet 3:10-12 For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

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How to PREACH the Gospel

I hope you have taken the time to review some Biblical concepts regarding evangelism. We always must remember to give "law to the proud, grace to the humble" in all our evangelism efforts. I have devised the mnemonic P-R-E-A-C-H to help us remember some other important steps when we preach the Word. We should first PRAY before our witnessing efforts; REMEMBER God's Word and be prepared to use it; begin an ENCOUNTER with a person; ASK the person pointed questions; show your CONCERN for the person as you speak about the law and perhaps the gospel; and, whatever the results, HOLD OFF any feelings of accomplishment or disappointment, leaving the growth in the hands of the Holy Spirit.
 
Pray: I will not forget how God strongly reminded me to always pray about evangelism, and to ask him to bless my efforts. One Tuesday, I was out with the intent of street witnessing with my friend Eric. We were excited about those few hours, and we separately began approaching people with tracts and our own willpower. After about an hour had passed, I had grown completely frustrated with my efforts. No one had been willing to talk with me, and many even refused to take a tract! I was feeling very discouraged and disgusted with the whole evening. Eric and I met up again and he reported much of the same thing, immediately pointing out that we had forgotten to pray to begin the evening. We immediately realized that we could either leave for the night or pray and go on witnessing. We prayed together for about five minutes, asking God to push our own will and effort aside and do his work for the rest of that evening. After that prayer, we resumed attempting to approach people on the street. God brought me an interesting contentment for the rest of that evening--the rejections no longer discouraged me, and I did have some seemingly good encounters.
 
I do not dogmatically command a ritual prayer before every evangelistic effort, but rather I implore you to pray before, during, and after your efforts. Pray for God to work through them, to bring his will to people. Pray for God to use your words as a divine utterance. Pray that your own selfish ideas be put aside. Pray for strengthening of your resolve and conviction in this effort. Pray for those you are about to meet, and specifically for those that you already have met. Most of all, just pray.
 
Remember God's word. Any words we say in evangelism can never compare to Bible verse spoken directly or paraphrased to those we encounter. It is important to begin memorizing Bible verses. Most of these that we might quote are short and are thus easy to memorize. Being memorizing these verses, just a few minutes a day, and you will become a much sharper tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit.
 
Most everyone we meet will be proud. The Ten Commandments are in Exodus 20, and the law is how people will be brought to humility. If a person is self-righteous and expresses confidence in his/her works over his/her sins, we may need to quote Isaiah 64:6, Luke 18:18-20, or James 2:10. Does someone claim belief in God or Christ, yet seems to be proud or self-righteous? It may be effective to quote Matthew 7:21 or James 2:10. Does someone claim that God will not judge the people? Revelation 21:8 or John 5:28-29 might have an impact. Is someone humble, realizing their sins prevent them from reaching God? Share any of the verses about repentance, dying to self, and the good news of salvation! Romans 8:13 and John 3:16 come to mind. Did someone outright reject your message? Perhaps you might quote Hebrews 9:27.
 
Encounter someone. This is obvious, but not obvious enough! If you never look for opportunities to share God's word, you never will actually share it. There are two ways to approach someone with the Gospel. The first is to begin in the natural--perhaps you will talk about the weather, sports, news, a movie--and then deliberately swing the conversation to the spiritual realm. It is okay if your segue is somewhat corny--if so, you can make fun of yourself and put your contact more at ease--but try to make it a natural transition while still being honest and genuine. Jesus did this with the Samaritan at the well in John 4. Here are some other examples:
  • "Have you seen that movie, The Passion of the Christ? Did you like it? What is it about? What about Jesus? Why do you think he died? Do you think you are a good person? ..."
  • "May I sit down? What do you think of these hot dogs? Kind of bland, aren't they? I just finished one myself, but I don't think I'll get another. May I speak with you about something important? I'm out here today..."
  • "Nice day, huh? What have you been doing today? Really, sounds like fun. I've been having a good day too, enjoying this weather. I've been out here talking to people about death and the afterlife..."
The second approach is to simply be direct and firm in preaching the word of God. You are approaching people, and they will immediately know your intent. Speak your point directly and strongly:
  • "Excuse me, sir, are you saved? If you died tonight, would you go to heaven or hell?"
  • "We're talking with people tonight about death and the afterlife. What do you think is going to happen to you after you die?"
  • "Can I ask you some questions? Do you think you are a good person?"
: If you are witnessing to strangers, use these or think of some other general ways to approach them. If you are witnessing to someone you know, you can probably think of some specific ways to bring up the subject with them.
 
Ask the person pointed questions. We are witnessing to give the good news of the cross, but this news is foolishness to those who don't realize any need. One good formula is Ray Comfort's "WDJD" questions: "Would you consider yourself a good person? Do you know the Ten Commandments? When God judges you, will he find you innocent or guilty of breaking his commandments?" (Judgment) "If you are found guilty, will you be sent to heaven or hell?" (Destiny) Try to avoid apologetics questions or other tangential issues--people often try to bring up any objection to avoid the real question of guilt before God. Hopefully you have read other materials on these questions and listened to some witness encounters to prepare for the responses you will get; further information in this area is beyond the scope of this article.
 
Concern for the person's eternal well being must be conveyed. It will be very ineffective if we go out witnessing "hell-fire" and "damnation" preaching by telling our contacts that they are going to hell and demanding that they repent. Instead, the goal in asking the questions is to get them to realize themselves that they are sinners in need of a savior. Once they realize our point, we must show how concerned we are. We want to rescue people from hell, not hatefully tell them they are going there! It should always be out of a heartfelt, deep concern that we go out witnessing--not just out of obligation, nor with the intent to prove that we're right and they're wrong. Our contacts will be less likely to put up walls of resistance if we always convey our genuine concern along with the truth of God's wrath.
 
If the person would admit, "I have broken the Ten Commandments, I will be found guilty before God, and he will justly send me to hell," you can further ask if that concerns him/her. This will help you to get an idea on whether they are genuinely humbled. If they seem humble, then by all means present the gospel! Explain that, for forgiveness of sins, there must be shedding of blood (Heb 9:22). Explain Christ's death on the cross and how he paid the fine, that he took the punishment for our transgressions. Explain what repentance is, and that God wants to put to death our old, sinful nature (Rom 8:13). Explain that God loves them and wants them to be saved, and urge them to repent and trust in Christ on their own, soon.
 
Hold off congratulating yourself or becoming discouraged after a witnessing encounter. Take a moment now to read 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 and Matthew 28:19-20. God commands us to plant seeds and water them, to go and preach the gospel. He promises that he will be with us and that he will give the growth. He does not promise that we will know the results of our labor. Far too often we think an encounter failed, but actually, God is working in that person to convict them of their sins. The average adult convert to Christ has rejected the message several times before he/she is saved, and each time God makes an impact on that person. Similarly, we cannot congratulate ourselves for a "job well done" when someone seems receptive or humble, because in that case God is the one again doing the work. Any impact we have on people is God's work alone--we are just his tools! Instead, transfer this glory up to God in prayer and thanks! Furthermore, God judges the heart while we can only see the outward things. A witness contact may be deceptive in his/her reaction, saying what we might want to hear. No matter! Preach the word without self-love or self-hate; appeal to God in all things. It is okay to look for encouragement in our efforts, and we should also encourage one another always. However, the real measure of our success is the faithfulness and eagerness we have in seeking God's will, not in our own faulty idea of how effective we are.
 
Techniques such as these can help us to PREACH God's word more effectively, but they only go so far. Remember, it is not our words or actions that will ultimately save people, but the power of God alone (see also 1 Corinthians 2:3-5). Hopefully, these six steps will help to guide you when you PREACH the gospel. If you believe I have erred in an interpretation here, or you have some other comment, do not hesitate to e-mail us through our web site, ShareYourFaith.org.

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Big List of Bible Verses to Know and Use in Evangelism

The Law – Exodus 20 - And God spoke all these words:
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates." For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
 
Self-Righteousness
Isa 64:6 – The prophet writes of God's wrath and our sinfulness. All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Rom 9 – Paul contrasts man's viewpoint to God's viewpoint. But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "
Luke 18:18-20 – Jesus explains salvation. A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
James 2:10 – James writes about self-righteousness and favoritism. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Luke 18:9-14 – To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
 
False Converts
Heb 10:29-31 – The author teaches on sin, lack of growth, and God's wrath: How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Mat 7:21-23 – Jesus warns of false prophets and those without "living fruit." "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
James 2:19 – James elaborates on the differences between an authentic faith and a dead "faith". You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.
 
God's judgment and wrath
Heb 9:27 – The author writes of God's plans and the coming of Christ. It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…
Exodus 20:7 – In the Ten Commandments: "The LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
Rev 21:8 – John tells us of the New Jerusalem and the lake of fire. "…the murderers, the sexually immoral…the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur."
Mat 5:21-22,27-30 – Jesus elaborates on the law and the consequences of breaking it. "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell…You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell."
John 5:28-29 – Jesus speaks of eternal life and judgment. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
Prov 11:4 – The author writes concerning wickedness and righteousness. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
Rom 2:4-9 – Paul writes about God's mercy and wrath. Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law…
1 John 3:15 – Paul writes of loving our brothers and sisters. "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."
Lk 13:1-5 – Jesus speaks before presenting some parables. Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them -- do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
Isa 26:9-10 - When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD.
 
Salvation and the true Gospel
Rom 8:13 – Paul explains the Christian life. If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Heb 9:22 – The author explains some of the Mosaic law, explaining that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
John 3:16-21 – Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Col 2:13-14 – When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
2 Cor 5:17-21 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 John 2:1-6 - My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked
 


Verses for the evangelist to know and follow

The Functions of God’s Law for humanity
Gal 3:11,24 – Paul writes of the purpose and intent of the law. Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
Rom 3:19-20 – Before writing on justification, Paul explains how all are heinously under sin. Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Rom 7:7 – Paul anticipates some thoughts on sin, emphasizing how serious the matter is. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
Ps 19:7 - David tells us of the things the Lord has done and how he is glorious he is, as well as how humble he is as a man. The law of the LORD is perfect [or blameless], restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
1 Tim 1:8-11 - Paul writes of those who teach the law, then rebuts them: We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
2 Cor 7:10 – Paul writes of his experiences of sorrow. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Gal 2:19-21 – Paul writes regarding confusion between the O.T. law and Christ's grace. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Ac 28:23-24 – Luke writes of Paul's early travels. They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
1 John 3:4 – Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
 
Attitude and principle - Law to the Proud, Grace to the Humble
James 4:6 - James points out the sources of quarrels and hostility.  But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Prov 16:5 – The author contrasts the upright and the wicked. Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.
1 Pet 3:14-15 – Peter writes on how to react to insult and evil. But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Acts 2:37-38,41 – Peter speaks to the crowd of humbled Jews. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…" Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
John 5:44-46 – Jesus speaks of God's righteousness and his own message.  "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
 
Our role in evangelism
1 Cor 3:6-8 - I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
Romans 10:14-17 – Paul explains the role of faith for the Jews. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Mat 28:19-20 – The resurrected Jesus is speaking to the disciples. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Col 4:3-6 - And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1 Cor 2:3-5 – Paul writes of his preaching style. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
Ez 33:8-20 – God speaks to Ezekiel, commanding evangelism. "When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?" ' 11 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right-if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways."
 
Rejection and persecution
1 Cor 1:18 – Paul writes of the wisdom of God compared with man's wisdom. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Cor 2:14 – See context for 1:18. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
John 3:19-21 – Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
John 15:18-21 – Jesus speaks of love and hate. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me
Mat 10:32-38 – Jesus sends out the disciples. "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
   " 'a man against his father,
       a daughter against her mother,
   a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
       a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

 

Jesus's evangelistic encounters ("Look What Jesus Did" or "the way of the master")


Law to the proud

The rich ruler (Luke 18:18-30; also Mark 10:17-31)

18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[2] "
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

The Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:6-26)

6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[1] )
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would havje given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied.
18Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

The expert in the law (including the parable of the Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37)

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[3] ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[4] "
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[5] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

The Jews in the temple courts (John 7:14-24)

14Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"
16Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"
20"You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"
21Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. 22Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. 23Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? 24Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

The Pharisees and law teachers, accusers of the adulteress at the temple courts (John 8:1-11)

1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
7But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

The crowd on the mountain (The "sermon on the mount" – Matthew 5:17-48)

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[1] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[2] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[3] ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[4]
 
27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[5] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
 
31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'[6] 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
 
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
 
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[7] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
 
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[8] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[9] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Grace to the humble
Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.[1] "
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[2] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[3] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.[4] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[5]
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[6] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[7] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

The crowd in Capernaum (John 6:25-40)

25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'[3] "
32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

The adulteress at the temple courts (John 8:1-11)

7But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

The formerly blind man (John 9:35-41)

35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Martha (John 11:17-27)

17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles[1] from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[2] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

 

 

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Basic Bible verses on evangelism

Look up the verses and review the content suggested by the following outline. If you study this material for just a little while, you will already be equipped with everything you need to share the Law and the Gospel with strangers and acquaintances alike.

  1. Why do we evangelize?
    1. Obedience – Ez 33:8-10
      1. Out of love for God
      2. To escape punishment
    2. To plant and water the seed of the Gospel – 1 Cor 3:6-8
    3. That the unsaved might be saved – Romans 10:14-17
      1. Compassionate – Jn 5:28-29
      2. Concerned
    4. That the saved might become true disciples – Matt 28:19-20
      1. Love for God's church
    5. That we might grow in knowledge – Philemon 1:6
  2. Biblical Evangelism
    1. The gospel is complete foolishness to the proud – 1 Cor 1:18
    2. Pride and humility – James 4:6, Luke 18:14
    3. The lost are proud – Prov 16:5, John 3:16-18-21
    4. The law is to make men humble – Rom 3:19-20. How?
      1. Showing them what sin is: Rom 7:7
      2. Show them they are in rebellion to God's truth: 1 Timothy 1:8-11
      3. Shut them up and hold themselves accountable: Rom 3:19-20
      4. To convince them of Jesus: Acts 28:23-24
      5. To bring Godly sorrow: 2 Cor 7:10
      6. To leave them helpless: Gal 3:11
      7. To kill them: Gal 2:19-21
    5. The Gospel then becomes reasonable, a true salvation! 2 Cor 5:17-21; 1 John 2:1-2, John 3:16
    6. We must preach the word even when they reject sound teaching
      1. …because God is the one who grants repentance
  3. A method or a formula – one good way: WDJD (What Did Jesus Do)
    1. WOULD you consider yourself to be a good person?
      1. Wrong standard and proud
    2. DO you think you've kept the Ten Commandments?
      1. Go through them—they then admit their own sin (not judging them, what they admitted)
    3. JUDGMENT: "If God judges you by that standard, will you be innocent or guilty?"
      1. Innocent: How can that be? Courtroom Analogy
    4. DESTINY: "If you are found guilty, should God send you to heaven or to hell"
      1. Heaven: Courtroom analogy
      2. Hell: Does that concern you?
    5. Then give out the gospel—Do you think God wants to send you to hell? Do you know anything that God did so you wouldn't have to go? Talk about who Jesus is, what he did, and how to get it—repent and trust, not mere assent.
For more, see the Big List of Bible Verses to Know and Use in Evangelism.

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The essentials of the Christian faith



"The essentials of the Christian faith" is a non-biblical phrase we use to denote the theological teachings that define the core of the Christian faith. As our faith is built on the foundation of Christ himself, these truths are God's blueprints for building our faith. To believe contrary to these doctrinal truths is heresy. One need not necessarily believe all these doctrines to be saved, nor are these the only important truths.

Essential means basic, indispensable, fundamental, or inherent. These teachings are the core of the Christian faith and the summary of so much of the Bible. Without any of them, the Christian faith crumbles to insignificance and false religion. With these truths, our faith has a teachable, knowable foundation on which to build and grow both our knowledge and our practice. Belief in these God-given truths means that we can grow in the faith, learn other important truths, and have the unity that Christ desires.

This series is a study of systematic theology. Theology is nothing but learning and knowing about God. It is impossible to talk about, study, know, or love God without theology, because once you do any of these things, you must believe some kind of truth about God. Theology is also intimately woven with the will of God; to know about God is to know what God wants.

This series is a study of biblical doctrine. Doctrine is simply knowledge about any topic. Thus we see that doctrine is simply the result of theology.

Systematic is nothing but the way such a study is organized—into topics such that each is a premise for the next, or that each comes before the next in a common-sense order. Theology can also be organized historically, or by how the doctrines were understood by different people throughout time; or philosophically, by logical reasoning without regard to the Bible; or apologetically, in an order that presents the best argument for the faith; or biblically, in the order in which the Bible presents them.

The Bible seldom tells us explicitly which truths are essential. Therefore, we must deduce these using some criteria: they are what the Bible emphasizes most, they are fundamental for Christians now and in all times since the Bible was completed, the Christian faith is disproved or gravely harmed if any of them are rejected, and each of them has a great impact on the other essential doctrines.

Why should we study essential Christian doctrine? First, God directly commands us to learn theology in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Jesus commands us to teach theology in Matthew 28:19-20: Go therefore and make disciples… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Secondly, learning God's doctrines benefits us by correcting our wrong ideas, enabling us to apply Scripture to life, growing and changing us in our Christian life, teaching us what is correct when contentions arise, and enabling us to better understand and learn further doctrines. Most of all, by learning theology, we learn more about God. (1 Tim 4:6-8; Titus 1:9)

Thirdly, The essential truths are also fundamental to the unity of the body of believers. To compromise on these truths is to eliminate part of the Christian faith for the sake of what can only be a false or man-made unity. However, God clearly wants the believers to be united (John 10:16; John 17), and Paul often urges the believers to be in agreement (1 Tim 6:3; 2 Cor 13:11; 1 Cor 1:10). The essentials are what we must agree upon.

Note that the "essentials of the Christian faith" are not necessarily what is "essential to be saved". What is necessary to be saved is at most a subset of the essentials of the faith; this will be covered as one of the topics. Also, the "essentials of the Christian faith" speak primarily to doctrine, not to ethics; the Bible makes it clear that sin must be dealt with and cannot be tolerated, but determining what acts are sins will not be covered by this study. Furthermore, there are many important truths that are not expressed in these essentials; this study is not meant to cover the most important topics, but rather to cover those topics that are essential to the Christian faith.

The Authority of the Bible

The Bible is the only objective revelation from God, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient.


  • The Bible is objective. The words it contains are the same for everyone, and the truths revealed in those words are the same for everyone. God intended the Bible to by read by all for all time.
  • The Bible is a revelation because God inspired humans to write the words in the Bible, revealing these truths to them at the same time.
  • The Bible is inerrant and infallible. Because a perfect God inspired the Bible, it is without error and applicable in all it claims.
  • The Bible is sufficient and authoritative. The Bible doesn’t contain everything there is to know, but it does contain every spiritual truth that we need to know.


Most Bibles have maps near the back cover. By remembering the acronym M-A-P-S, we can remember some convincing evidence for the authority and reliability of scripture.


  • Manuscript evidence - There exists today over 20,000 ancient manuscripts containing parts of the Bible, 3000% percent (thirty times) more than any other ancient work.
  • Archeology - The Bible makes many claims that, if true, should be verifiable by archeological discoveries--and they are! Every day new discoveries are made that corroborate or confirm the Bible. The artifacts that seem to contradict the Bible are very few; no artifact discovered completely contradicts the Bible.
  • Predictive prophecy - The Bible contains hundreds of predictions written well before the predicted events—yet they inevitably come true—predictions that could not have been guessed ahead of time or forged since.
  • Statistical probability - The Bible was written over a span of 1500 years by forty different human authors in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), on hundreds of subjects. And yet there is one consistent, non-contradictory theme that runs through it all: God’s redemption of humankind. The chance of this happening randomly is astronomically low.


The Triune God

God is triune. This is the one true God revealed in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are eternally distinct yet inseparable. God is one in nature and essence, and three in personality and identity. The full nature of the infinite God cannot be fully understood by the finite human intellect.


  • There is only one God – Isaiah 43:10: "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
  • The Father is God – 1 Cor. 8:5-6: For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
  • Jesus Christ is God – John 1:1,14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • The Holy Spirit is God – Acts 5:3,4: Peter said, "Ananias, how has Satan so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think to do such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
  • These three are eternally distinct
    • In John 8:16-18, Jesus explicitly states that himself and the Father are two distinct witnesses/judges: But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
    • There are many subject-object relationships shown in the Bible: The Father sent the Son (John 3:17); The Father and the Son love each other (John 3:35); The Father sends the Holy Spirit (John 14:26); etc.

  • God is inseparable – John 14:7-10: If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
  • God is unknowable – Job 36:26: How great is God—beyond our understanding!

The Incarnation

Jesus Christ was born of a virgin fully human and fully divine—the very God in very human flesh. He was not a new human-God hybrid, but is one person with two natures.

  • Jesus is the eternal God (see John 1:1,16 and "The Trinity" above)
  • Yet Jesus took on human flesh when he was conceived – Luke 1:30-31: But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. "
  • His human life is shown in the gospels—being born, growing, learning, obeying his parents, following human customs, dying. Luke 2:40-52: And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom…Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
  • How did this happen? By a miracle of God - Phil. 2:5-7: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing [or emptied himself], taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
  • So did Jesus lay aside his Deity? No! To lose a single attribute of God would be to become less than God and therefore not God at all. Instead, Jesus generally veiled his glory to accomplish his work on Earth. Many times he used his divinity to…
    • accomplish miracles – John 4:48-50: "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
    • forgive sins – Luke 5:20: When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
    • teach – John 4:16-19: He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet."


The Atonement

Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of the world, enduring final punishment and death on the cross. This atonement is substitutionary - Christ's righteousness is credited to the believer, and the punishment for the believer's sins was executed on Christ.

  • Jesus suffered for a time on the cross and then died - Mark 15:22,24a,33,37-38: They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull)…And they crucified him…At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"…With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
  • The “darkness” of three hours was the time in which Jesus endured the spiritual punishment for the sins of the world. This punishment was so severe that, near its end, Jesus felt as though God had forsaken him (for more on this, see Psalm 22).
  • However, while the punishment was infinite in intensity, it was finite in duration. The miracle of the atonement is that only the infinite God could forgive our infinite sin in a finite time!
  • Atonement results in reconciliation. The curtain separated the “holy place”, where people could gather, from the “holy of holies”, where God had a special presence on earth. The curtain tore apart, showing that Christ’s death eliminated any barrier for man to approach God.

  • Jesus had not sinned, yet he was punished for our sin - 2 Cor 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

  • This is called “substitutionary atonement”—Christ’s death is substituted for ours, and his righteousness is substituted for our sin, as in 1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.

The Resurrection

Jesus rose physically on the third day of his death in the same body in which he died, and lives now with the Father to give life to humankind through the Holy Spirit.

God raised Jesus up from the dead! Luke 24:1-6,15: On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! … As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them…

This is extremely important! If Christ rose, then we have an undeniable proof for Christianity and the claims in this booklet and the Bible. If Christ did not rise, we have an undeniable proof that Christianity is false and these “essentials” are a sham. 1 Cor. 15:17-20: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Since the Resurrection is the most impressive FEAT in human history, we can use the letters F-E-A-T to help remember some proof for the Resurrection.
  • Fatal Torment – Jesus’ suffering on the cross caused him death. He did not merely lose consciousness, but fully died. The Roman soldiers first elected not to break his legs, because they saw he was already dead. However, they did thrust a spear into the sac surrounding his heart, which certainly would have killed him had he survived until then (John 19:34).
  • Empty Tomb – As seen in the passage above from Luke, the tomb was empty the first moment someone entered the tomb! An enormous stone had been placed there, and two Roman guards were posted—there could be no theft of the body, nor could wild dogs have eaten it. If the body was there, any early doubter of Christ’s resurrection would simply have pointed to it. They could not.
  • Appearances of Christ – The resurrected Jesus appeared to well over five hundred people (1 Cor 15:4-8; Acts 9:1-4), any of whom could have come forward to refute the biblical accounts. No one did. Also, hallucinations don’t happen to hundreds of people at different times and places.
  • Transformation – The living Christ has radically changed the twelve disciples, thousands in the early church, and many millions up to today. Could the disciples devote their life’s work and suffer horrible deaths for the lies of a man they knew was dead? Could a non-living idea produce the same results in the world today? The only fathomable answer is no.

Salvation and Condemnation

We come to be saved through repentance from sin and trust in Christ, which is given to us by God alone. Without being born again, we cannot be forgiven by God. Once we are saved, we are to grow in the Lord and in good works, and our destiny is to forever explore the glory of the Lord in a resurrected, glorified body that is both spiritual and physical. Those who die in their sins will endure eternal torment and separation from God, also in a resurrected body that is both spiritual and physical.

How are we saved or condemned? Jesus makes it crystal-clear (John 3:16-18): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”

Biblically, “belief” includes knowledge, trust, repentance and acceptance—not mere intellectual assent.
  • James 2:19: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.
  • Isaiah 25:9: In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

Faith, and thus salvation, is a gift, and it is solely God who gives it – Eph 2:8-9: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.

We are saved not by good works, but unto good works; that is, a faith which is authentic will necessarily produce good works – John 15:12-16: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.

Believers will be raised to new life in the same body in which we die, as described in 1 Cor. 15. This body will be both spiritual and physical—we will be glorified and transfigured, just as God intended our body to be. We will be incorruptible, unaffected by any sin. We will be immortal and imperishable. Likewise, unbelievers will be raised to be condemned – John 5:28: Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

The Church

We must seek to consecrate ourselves to God and be sanctified by God in and with his body, the universal church. The church is for worship, fellowship, for the administration of the Lord's Supper, for spiritual growth and support, and for evangelizing the unsaved and unchurched. The universal church is realized in a well-balanced, healthy, Bible-believing local church.

The church is not a building, an organization, a government, or a denomination. The church is comprised of every genuine believer (see "The Church" below), and it is under the authority of Christ - Colossians 1:15-18: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. The universal church is made practical in a local church.

Simply put, the church is for things that the body should do together, such as…
  • Praise and Worship – Col. 3:15-16: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
  • The Lord’s Supper – 1 Cor. 11:23-26: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
  • Teaching, instruction, prophecy: - 1 Cor 14:3-4: But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
  • Prayer – Acts 4:24,31: …they raised their voices together in prayer to God… After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
  • Evangelism – Acts 2:42-47: They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

For further reading

General
The Holy Bible, various publishers
Know the Truth by Bruce Milne
Know What You Believe by Paul Little
Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul
Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
When Skeptics Ask by Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks
• Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, www.carm.org
• Christian Research Institute, www.equip.org
Systematic Theology by Norman Geisler, others
• The Nicene Creed [note: not a dogmatic assertion, but a historic summary]

The Authority of the Bible
• M-A-P-S taken from www.equip.org/free/DB011.htm
www.equip.org/essentials/bible.html
Case for Christ chapters 3 and 5
A General Introduction to the Bible by Norman Geisler and William Nix

The Triune God
The Trinity by Edward Henry Bickersteth
The Forgotten Trinity by James White

The Incarnation
Jesus Under Fire by Michael Wilkins

The Atonement
The Cross of Christ by John R.W. Stott
The Atonement: It’s Meaning and Significance by Leon Morris
Redemption, Accomplished and Applied by John Murray

The Resurrection
• F-E-A-T taken from Resurrection by Hank Hanegraaff
The Third Day by Hank Hanegraaff (short version of Resurrection)

Salvation and Condemnation
What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
Justification by Faith Alone by R.C. Sproul

The Church
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever

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