By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Regardless of the soul-winning approach used to spiritually engage someone (Confrontational, Conversational, Lifestyle, or Relational), each evangelistic effort must eventually narrow down to an intentional decision-making moment.
The conversation may begin in several ways depending on whether the opportunity follows a Sunday sermon, an area-wide evangelistic event, a conversation with a family member or a knock-on-the-door initiative.
Somone might prefer the Evangelism Explosion method of asking, “If you were to die today and stand before God, and He was to ask you,
‘Why should I let you into My Heaven?’, what would you say?”
Others might lean toward the F.A.I.T.H. Gospel conversation starter, “In your personal opinion, what does it take for someone to go to Heaven?”
But in the end, the culmination of the sowing and watering, whether brief or over an extended time, must conclude with reaping – and that involves a discussion about sin and debt, as well as forgiveness and the means to obtain it.
Again, there are multiple models to structure this conversation: Continuing Witness Training, Evangelism Explosion, Four Spiritual Laws, and The Roman Road. Each is effective in sharing the bad news, the good news and the “how to” of salvation.
However, under Billy Graham, or now his Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, tens of millions of people across the globe have repented for redemption (turn to Christ), restoration (return to Christ), or otherwise have made vocational commitments to become pastors or missionaries. Moreover, a great number of these persons were shepherded in their decisions using the BGEA “My Commitment” card, which offers a framework of key points for talking with an individual to help them understand what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in their lives.
Here is the basic flow for a conversation using the “My Commitment” outline for “How to Receive Christ.”
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Would you like to personally declare Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
If so, let me share what that means and how you can be assured of the commitment you are making because of a changed heart that the Holy Spirit has given you.
1.RECOGNIZE GOD’S PLAN – God desires that you have peace and enjoy an abundant life. But you can’t have peace in your life without having Christ in your life. Take a moment to read this verse from the Bible about what peace looks like:
“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,” John 3:16.
2.RECOGNIZE OUR PROBLEM – Having no rest and no peace is the result of being separated from God. When people choose to disobey God and follow their personal wills rather than God’s will for their lives, separation from Him is the result.
This Bible verse describes the sad state of separation that engulfs the world:
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.
3, RESPOND TO GOD’S REMEDY – Fortunately, God has a plan to fix the separation that man endures – and that plan is fulfilled through the cross on which Jesus died. He sent His Son to bridge the gap between man and Himself. Christ provided this bridge, paying the penalty for the sins of the world when He died on the cross and confirming the hope for eternal life (for those who believe) with His resurrection. The Bible says:
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.
- RECEIVE CHRIST – You can receive God’s remedy by declaring Jesus as Lord and Savior — and meaning it. It is complicated in that God anticipated man’s need for Christ’s sacrifice before time even began. But it is simple in that to become a member of God’s family, forever, all you need to do is prayerfully (authentically) ask Jesus to forgive your sins. This involves believing that He died on the cross and rose from the grave, as well as publicly professing Him as Lord. Read this promise from God’s Word:
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:12.
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It is helpful to sum up this process for the person you are counseling, reminding him or her to “admit your need, by admitting you are a sinner and separated from God”; “be willing to repent, or turn from sin, with the help of the Holy Spirit”; all based on the “heartfelt belief that Jesus died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.”
Then it is appropriate to seal this experience with prayer.
There has been controversy about what some describe as a sinner’s prayer (in apparent reference to Luke 18:13 in which a tax collector cried out to God for mercy for him, a poor sinner). However, there should be no confusion about this prayer – by stressing that the prayer does not save anyone. Instead, redemption has resulted from the transformed heart, the changed heart of the “former” sinner. For that reason, I call this prayer, the “new believer’s first prayer.”
Remember a sinner and a saint are not defined by what they do but instead are either one or the other because of their relationship with Christ. A sinner does not have Him, and a saint does.
