Posted on 07/02/2011 10:05:14 PM PDT by bibletruth
Evangelism Approach By Way of The Bible. The Bible can teach us how to let GOD the Holy Spirit convict people who are lost or have been deceived by false doctrines. Learn how to use the Bible and Bible Scriptures and the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit as the evangelist preaches the grace message.
First off we let GOD the Holy Spirit convict people who are lost or have been deceived by false doctrines:
John 16:8-12 And when he is cone, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now.
Then the GOSPEL:
I Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all all that which I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures ; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures
And as instructed by the glorified Christ to the Apostle Paul for today, we are to preach the reconciliation of God to men:
II Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us ministry of reconciliation
And Christ instructs us through the Apostle Paul in Romans 2:16
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ ACCORDING TO MY Gospel.Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stabish you ACCORDING TO MY Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.
As an evangelist, we preach and communicate today that we are justified in God's sight by his grace. We are saved by simple faith and belief in Jesus Christ:
Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:We are saved by faith in His shed blood on the cross. There is not difference today whether the unsaved individual is either Gentile or Jew in origin, for with God there is no difference today:
Romans 3:25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Romans 3:22: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:It is imperative that we communicate to the unsaved and make them aware of their sin (John 16:8-12) and Romans 3:23:
Ephesians 1:7: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;It is imperative that we communicate to the unsaved that we are not saved by the deeds of good works or the law:
Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.Romans 3:21: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Absolute Assurance of Salvation - Nothing Can Separate Us:
Finally, salvation is an absolute assurance, never can we lose our salvation once we truly believe the Christ Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.Today, we do not "endure" to the end. Quite opposite to some of the leading denominational teachings who tell us that we must "endure"...
Nothing can separate us from Christ Jesus:
Romans 8:38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,We have a promise that is as good as Abraham's salvation (promise):
Romans 8:39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Galatians 3:14: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.We are permanently sealed for salvation, which guarantees our acceptance into Heaven:
Galatians 3:29: And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
Ephesians 1:13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promisePlease do accept the final salutation from Paul in Romans - all grace be with you.
Romans 16:24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Good post. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to anyone who believes. Take it viral :)
bttt
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
I Peter 1:5: Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Romans 4:16: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace
Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:2: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Good synopsis of the amazing grace of the Gospel. How prideful some people can be when they refuse to take God at his word and spend their entire lives fearful and worried that they might not be judged “worthy”. The good news is that NONE of us is or ever will be worthy of eternal life with the Lord so that is why we are not judged according to our sins nor deserve it based on our own merit but on the righteousness of God in Christ. Praise his wonderful name!
And since we find in that Romans 5:2: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. It follow Biblically speaking that this access by faith which we have represents access by faith together with Christ in Heaven during our believer-saint lives here on this earth. That alone is proof positive that if we have access by faith together with Christ in Heaven, then when our lives expire here on earth, our immediate and final destination is Heaven, not Hell (nor the so called purgatory). For Christ Jesus ONLY spoke about TWO destinations: Heaven and Hell.
Umm, which Bible? This article makes repeated mention of "the" Bible - as though there were only ONE. In actual fact, I've come across lots of different versions and translations. In fact, some versions lack certain whole books (the so-called "Apocrypha") which are included in other versions. So, before one goes evangelizing, and quoting numerous different passages from an unidentified version of the Bible, wouldn't it be better to first establish which version of the Bible you are using, and why that particular version?
Regards,
Oh, and one other thing: What do you mean by "convict people?"
You use the verb "to convict" more than once in the article, so I assume that it isn't a mere typographical or spelling error.
Is there perhaps some special theological meaning in this context of the verb "to convict?"
I don't want to put words in your mouth, but don't you mean "to convince people?"
Regards,
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Evangelism is not simply a soulish exercise. It is a spiritual communication gift given only to some believers by God the Holy Spirit, to communicate the Word to unbelievers.
A similar gift, pastor-teacher, is also a spiritual communication gift given only to some believers by God the Holy Spirit, to communicate the Word to believers.
Neither of these spiritual gifts are acquirable by anything a believer does to procure that power. They are gifts by His grace to some believers.
When exercising those gifts, which happens while in fellowship with God through faith in Christ, God guides what to communicate and one of the best tools He has made available to the believer today is the Bible translated into many languages.
Which version, other than avoiding obvious contradictory un-Scriptural versions, is somewhat irrelevant. Even the King James has some passages which had been translated from the Hebrew to the Greek in Old Testament times, and mistranslated in some New Testament passages, thereby differing from one another, yet both are in His Word, and both are usable by God the Holy Spirit in His Plan.
While it is academically laudable to seek a well translated version of the Bible, the real focus should be on studying His Word in fellowship with Him, allowing God to perform His work in us.
Sort of.
The relation of Scripture to the living magisterium, and of the living magisterium to Scripture:
This relation is the same as that between the Gospel and the Apostolic preaching. Christ made use of the Bible, He appealed to it as to an irrefragable authority, He explained and interpreted it and furnished the key to it, with it he shed light on His own doctrine and mission.
The Apostles did in like manner when they spoke to the Jews. Both sides had access to the Scriptures in a text admitted by all, both recognized in them a Divine authority, as in the very word of God. This was also the way of the faithful in their studies and discussions; but with pagans and unbelievers it was necessary to begin with presenting the Bible and guaranteeing its authority — the Christian doctrine concerning the Bible had to be explained to the faithful themselves, and the guarantee of this doctrine demonstrated.
The Bible had been committed to the care of the living magisterium. It was the Church's part to guard the Bible, to present it to the faithful in authorized editions or accurate translations, it was for her to make known the nature and value of the Divine Book by declaring what she knew regarding its inspiration and inerrancy, it was for her to supply the key by explaining why and how it had been inspired, how it contained Revelation, how the proper object of that Revelation was not purely human instruction but a religious and moral doctrine with a view to our supernatural destiny and the means to attain it, how, the Old Testament being a preparation and annunciation of the Messias and the new dispensation, there might be found beneath the husk of the letter typical meanings, figures, and prophecies.
It was for the Church in consequence to determine the authentic canon, to specify the special rules and conditions for interpretation, to pronounce in case of doubt as to the exact sense of a given book or text, and even when necessary to safeguard the historical, prophetical, or apologetic value of a given text or passage, to pronounce in certain questions of authenticity, chronology, exegesis, or translation, either to reject an opinion compromising the authority of the book or the veracity of its doctrine or to maintain a given body of revealed truth contained in a given text.
It was above all for the Church to circulate the Divine Book by minting its doctrine, adapting and explaining it, by offering it and drawing from it nourishment wherewith to nourish souls, briefly by supplementing the book, making use of it, and assisting others to make use of it. This is the debt of Scripture to the living magisterium.
On the other hand the living magisterium owes much to Scripture. There it finds the word of God, new-blown so to speak, as it was expressed under Divine agency by the inspired author; while oral tradition, although faithfully transmitting revealed truth with the Divine assistance, nevertheless transmits it only in human formulas. Scripture gives us beyond doubt to a certain extent a human expression of the truth which it presents, since this truth is developed in and by a human brain acting in a human manner, but also to a certain extent Divine, since this human development takes place wholly under the action of God.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15006b.htm
“1. Law To find or prove (someone) guilty of an offense or crime, especially by the verdict of a court: The jury convicted the defendant of manslaughter.
2. To show or declare to be blameworthy; condemn: His remarks convicted him of a lack of sensitivity.
3. To make aware of one’s sinfulness or guilt.
v.intr.”
This is from the online dictionary - Using the third meaning gives the understanding you are looking for. The Holy Spirit convicts us of guilt/sinfulness and henceforth our need for Christ.
Mel
Umm, thanks for clearing that up! Because, if you stop a hundred people on the street and ask them "Is Evangelism simply a soulish exercise?", 99 of them will answer: "Yes!"
Seriously: You are using many words - some of which are actually quite commonplace - with "special" (i.e., esoteric) meanings, which is bound to elicit misunderstanding. I'd bet that, even among FReepers, not one in a thousand has ever used the word "soulish" in his life.
Not just words like "to convict." If any ordinary person were to use such a word in the restricted (third) sense you (thankfully, upon request) provided, they would probably be aware of the fact that most people would need a "hint" right off the bat that it was not being used in the customary sense.
When a theological layman like myself reads a contribution like the one you posted, an article heavy with lots of "loaded" words and words used in peculiar, partially archaic senses, it can be quite formidable and "off-putting."
Maybe a contribution like yours would be better off being posted in a "closed" sub-forum, like one devoted to specialized religious questions. What do you think?
Regards,
God simply does not try to convince sinners to believe in His Son's resurrection. He convicts people of sin, righteousness and judgment.
II Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us ministry of reconciliation."
I suspect the meaning is that we are to preach to men, 'the reconciliation to God'.
God is never reconciled to man, but man is reconciled to God. I suspect we both agree on this and the comment probably had than intention, but could be easily mistaken otherwise.
The preaching I referred to as the reconciliation of God, it is Christ's finished work at the cross that God has made this reconciliation available, i.e., it is OF God that provides the only path which man can be reconciled to God to be forgiven of our sins by the redemption of the purchased possession - us!
No “sinners prayer”? How can it be genuine without a “sinners prayer”? You know, “Repeat after me...”
Faith is of things not seen, likewise, prayer is NOT required to be a public prayer, as in "follow after me....". A new believer must only have faith in their heart to believe, and having simply believed the gospel of I Corinthians 15:3-5, if they believe this in their heart, then they are saved eternally and sealed perfectly by the Holy Spirit.
The so called "sinners prayer" is not any official prayer in the Bible; it is often asserted to come from Romans 10:9, but as a model prayer for salvation, it is not directly from anywhere in the Bible.
Bible problems I find with the so called "sinners prayer" are twofold : associated with it are words like "invite Jesus into your heart", or "let Jesus into your heart"; secondly, it is often a public "follow after me" type of coaching.
First, the Bible teaches us in Isaiah that our hearts are desperately wicked, therefore it is impossible to invite Jesus into our desperately wicked heart, especially since the event of inviting occurs before our wicked "heart" is cleansed. Second, no public prayer is any evidence that someone is saved, let alone has just accepted Christ. I have first hand seen too many people that made a good show publicly but later in time were found in unbelief.
Today, I suspect 99% of those stopped on the street don't know the difference between soul and spirit, and of those who do, 75% might be more prone to worshiping the Adversary than Christ.
*** How prideful some people can be when they refuse to take God at his word and spend their entire lives fearful and worried that they might not be judged “worthy”.***
It was a Grace Believer who broke the chains of legalism and set me free back in 1973.
Till then I had been laboring to be “approved” and found “worthy”.
I have never looked back.
When my mom lay on her deathbead she cried in terror to her “preachers” that she was afrain she “had not done enough” to merit salvation!
I wanted to scream that “It is not what YOU HAVE DONE, It is what Christ HAS DONE for you!”
Her preachers declared she “had done enough”.
Bibletruth's posted articles all say that the only true Bible is the KJV bible -- all other translations like the NIV etc. are the work of the devil.
Only the KJV is to be used whether in the US or 16th century England or to the Khoi-san tribals -- it should remain in 16th century English. If 16th century English was good enough for Christ and His apostles it should be good for you too :-)
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