Tuesday, March 3, 2009

How do you help one of your friends come to know Christ?

First, let me state that only God can bring your friends to the point where they desire to become a Christian. We cannot manipulate people, talk people into or argue people into a true, saving relationship with God. Our friends who are not Christians are dead people according to Ephesians 2:1 (as we all were before God saved us). This is referring to their spiritual life. They are dead spiritually, and dead people don’t make decisions (unless we are living in some kind of crazed zombie flick and even then I have to ask if zombies really do make decisions). God has to work in their lives and awaken their spirits to a need for Jesus and until God does this your friends will not become a Christian.
Having said that, there are some things we can do that God will use in our friends lives to cause them to see their need for Christ.
First, we must live lives that show the transforming power of Jesus. If we call ourselves Christians and make all the same choices morally and ethically that our lost friends make then we show that there is no difference between Christians and non Christians. This also paints Jesus in a bad light. Almost everyone knows someone who will not come to church on the basis that someone at church or who goes to church treats them poorly. This is offensive to Jesus if we act without love towards others. Our lives must show the power of God to change a person and take a broken life and make it whole.
Second, talk to your friends about Jesus and try to answer their questions. Don’t shy away from talking about Jesus just because someone has told you they have heard it all before or because they say they don’t want to talk about it. Jesus is the most important person in your life if you are a Christian and them asking you not to talk about Him is like you asking them never to mention their boyfriend or girlfriend again in your presence. If you asked them not to talk about people who were important to them they would be offended just as you should be if they tell you not to talk about Jesus.
Third, share your story of how you became a Christian. Be able to answer these three questions in one sentence each: 1) What was your life like before Jesus? 2) What happened that caused you to believe in Jesus? 3) How has your life been different since trusting Jesus with your life? Being able to answer these questions will help you shape your testimony, or the story of How Jesus has changed your life. No one can argue with the fact that God has changed your life. They may try to argue that there is no God or that Jesus was just a man, but they cannot argue with the fact that Jesus has changed your life.
Fourth, you should pray for your friends that are not Christians. Since only God can save your friends then you should be constantly asking Him to do so. There are people who have prayed for friends and loved ones for years before God answered that prayer. In God’s infinite knowledge He knows how and when to answer our prayers in the best way. Pray for your friends and then trust that God will answer that prayer.
Also, let me say a word to those of you who say you don’t talk to your friends about God because you don’t think it is right to push God on someone. As a Christian, and stating that you are a Christian you are essentially stating that there is only one way to God. Jesus said in John 14:6 that no one comes to God the Father except through Him (Him being Jesus). If no one can come to the Father except through Jesus, then stating that you don’t talk to your friends about Jesus because you don’t want to offend them or push God on them is essentially looking them in the face and saying, “You can go to hell and I don’t care as long as you are not offended by me.” Not only is this passive stance in talking about Jesus cruel to your friends, it is also a disobedience and therefore a sin to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 that we are to go and make disciples, or Christ followers, of all those we come into contact with everyday. By not doing this we not obeying Jesus in the name of being politically correct. So who is your God, political correctness or Jesus? You can’t serve them both when it comes to talking to your friends about Jesus.
Lastly, to those of you who are still not convinced that you should talk to your friends about Jesus let me ask you this; what is so bad and terrible about Jesus? You are trying to introduce your friends to a God who loves them more than anyone else, will forgive their sins, heal their hurts, give them peace in life, guidance in life, and care for them, and will ultimately one day take them to heaven to live with Him forever. Yes that is your terrible agenda. Peace, joy and the unconditional love of God is the message that you are withholding from your friends.
You carry the gift of God in your words, and God can use your words to work in the life of your friends so be bold about Jesus, and talk to everyone you can about Him.

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