A persuasive discussion on the topic of life in Christ is not the same as presenting your personal religion. Christianity is not your personal faith or your personal interpretation of the gospel. Talking about faith that is born from a personal decision to believe in Christ can be an interesting discussion if the two parties who are discussing have completely opposite ideals, such as an atheist (not having any belief/faith) and a devout Christian. If you wish to discuss your personal relationship with Christ in faith with an unbeliever, it is very important to begin to approach this topic tactically and from a personal point of view. Don't argue or fight, but communicate your personal experiences and understanding of life in Christ, as well as your friends' views on what you have to say. Also, always give a friendly response.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Approaching the Conversation Topic
Step 1. Put yourself in the friend's shoes
Think about how you might respond if someone tried to persuade you to reject salvation in Christ. “Selling” new insights to others, especially with regard to faith, is not only difficult, but may even be pointless. If your friend is casually interested in discussing matters of faith in God and religion with you, do so gradually, on several occasions that are comfortable for both parties. Also, discuss your steadfast faith and your friend's curiosity in a private way. Never lecture someone who doesn't want to hear your point of view-it will make you look rude-and use unacceptable techniques in their presence. This should be avoided.
- Many atheists think that their personal unbelief does not define who they are. They are more concerned with the behavior, that they should behave properly, than with the faith or belief that underlies the behavior.
- Always share your views with love and to bring the good news, not in a judgmental way. Don't try to convert someone to your belief/religion by winning the debate. Christians believe that it is better for us to maintain an unconditional friendly attitude. It is this simple friendly and loving attitude that can attract others. We may think of “souls”, but they actually want to be valued and appreciated/loved, as lovely friends and family members.
Step 2. Choose a comfortable place and time to have a dialogue about matters of belief in God
Subtly persuading your friend to believe in Christian faith is not appropriate in the midst of an argument or argument. This is not the right time. Similarly, a work environment, a crowded dining table, or a large group are not the right places to discuss the good news you bring or to offer an unbeliever a new life. If this topic does come up in conversation, schedule time to discuss this very important matter next time ("Oh, that's interesting, this is a good thing to talk about over coffee, about how you and I view today's issues, the way we view success." and progress in anything… No. I'm not promoting anything. Not promoting goods or any type of money investment. How about we chat and discuss? No, we're not going to argue.") more depth (at the kitchen table at home, in a cozy bakery, in the garden, over coffee, or some other similar setting).
Never blind an unbelieving friend with your gaze, or attempt to quell his or her objections (don't ignore her protests: “I'm not ready for this… not now; hey, what do you mean?”). If the time is right, the topic will emerge by itself. But don't rush the conversation until the conversation becomes uncomfortable, confrontational, and unfriendly (seems like a trap)
Step 3. Have a genuine conversation while keeping your distance
Whenever you have a discussion about faith, it's important to keep the conversation sincere, not just bombard it with accusations, arguments, or preaching. If you want to convince others of your views, you must first be prepared to be calm while showing a genuine interest in that person's hopes and views about God and Jesus Christ. If you find yourself being too pushy and talking more than listening patiently, perhaps your interest in this person's conversion is not genuine, nor is it friendly and acceptable concern. So you don't have to bother. Don't let your efforts become like bombing new thoughts into "enemy" territory. These are ongoing conversations with people you care about enough that you want to share why you became a believer.
Always be open and honest. You can ruin a friendship beyond repair if you allow your overly strong feelings to interfere and determine the direction of the conversation. This conversation should always be appropriate, positive, and polite. Never interrupt him, accuse him of lying, use prejudice or use mean words, to get your point across. A topic becomes interesting to discuss if it is not accompanied by prejudice and indeed has benefits. Different tastes and opinions on various life issues, in a good way, shows that you have your own point of view and opinion
Step 4. Don't try to convert your friend or force your idea to be the most correct (don't push him to conclusions or throw him a heaven versus hell dilemma)
The best way to attract someone's interest to Christianity is to show faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God through your personal life as a follower of Jesus, which is filled with peace and joy. Showing the Christian life as peaceful, vibrant, and interesting will make others more interested and want to know more about how you live as a Christian.
You're not debating facts. You are discussing truth-based faith regarding the Son of God. This is the best thing you can do. The way to do this is not by trying to coerce or direct others to convert, or by proffering cornerstone conclusions in a heated debate about the truth of Jesus (however, you should still be prepared to answer questions about your faith and why it is not a debate about your faith). "defects" or right/wrong religions in the world or human civilizations in the past or in the present, including the figures of gods/gods worshiped in that civilization). Your faith is your own daily life in Christ
Part 2 of 3: Talking About Your Faith
Step 1. Tell your friends what Christianity means to you
Explain how your faith in Christ has helped you have a better life, and talk about what Jesus Christ means to you. It may also be helpful to tell stories about people you meet at church and about your community at church. Keep this conversation focused on the things you have experienced as a follower of the Son of God.
Why do you feel you can live each day better by being a Christian? In general, it is best to avoid talking about eternal damnation for non-Christians or atheists, which can turn into debate. If someone feels that you want to “save” him or her, you will come across as arrogant and this person will be frustrated by it
Step 2. Use the same language style
When discussing, it is best that you use the same language style. This means that you must use and utilize secular ways of thinking and terms to present the idea of divinity. It will be more useful if you discuss Christianity in terms of morality, practical everyday ways of life, and other general/secular matters.
Step 3. Don't try to argue about things that are too specific in the Bible
Discussions between believers and unbelievers need not be debates about science, or creation, or the way the world was described in Genesis. Discuss faith by talking about your church, the writings of the early church, and your personal experience with them. What does being a Christian mean to you? It has nothing to do with dinosaur bones or the age of the earth. Avoid these complicated topics.
- Many Christians have different relationships with the Bible, and you yourself may be quite knowledgeable about Bible studies and the history of its writing. However, many Christians place greater emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ as a fundamental aspect of their blessed life in Christ.
- An atheist may want to hear definitive evidence, not discuss your life in Christ, but a discussion of Christianity is not a debate about “science” versus “creation” or “intelligent design.” Doing this by arguing with an unbeliever will accomplish nothing. All you can really do is present that Jesus Christ you follow.
Step 4. Try to understand your friend's perspective
Have your friends really never believed all this time? Or, did something happen in his life that upset your friend, or felt that the religious leaders were hypocrites? Or, does your friend just believe things that have empirical and scientific evidence? Whatever the reason, you need to get to know your friend's core beliefs and try to understand them.
Don't assume that you know the answers to all the questions. Not all atheists feel “angry” at God, or believers who leave their faith, or suffer from depression because they don't have faith. When you ask a question, be prepared to listen and try to understand the major distrust within him
Step 5. Let your friend try to convince you too
Your friend may be curious about your faith, especially if he or she was not raised a Christian. If he's comfortable enough in his relationship with you, this can lead him to question and challenge you. The less you try to defend yourself, the more reasonable you will be. You need to be comfortable with your faith in God, and stay calm. If you enjoy this process, others will feel the same way.
If your friend constantly wants to discuss biblical flaws, or questions like "could God create a mountain that He couldn't move himself?", don't be tempted to argue. All you have to say is, “It's impossible to know, and I myself feel comfortable not knowing it. Not knowing it doesn't diminish my confidence in the slightest."
Part 3 of 3: Maintaining an Open Dialogue
Step 1. Take concrete action
If you want to tell how great your life as a Christian is, you have to prove it by action. Show love through your own life. Some people become atheists because of their view (which is often true) that Christians are hypocrites. However, you certainly know that this is not entirely true. Prove it.
Step 2. Invite your friends to come to church with you
The best way to introduce an atheist to your religion is to equate it with other forms of social relations. Emphasize the fellowship and friendship that exists, then invite your friends to come to events that are not in the form of worship / services, such as dinner together, or cooking together in the park.
If you invite an atheist to a religious event, say so. Don't try to trick people into attending a religious event by pretending that it's not a particular event. Do this quite often, and introduce your friend to other people who are usually present at your church. Help him feel comfortable with the people in the church and in this religion
Step 3. Be patient
See if this person is increasingly interested in attending your place of worship. It's okay to invite him to a worship service with you, but it's best if your friend comes alone because he's curious, comfortable, and in control of his own response. Don't be too pushy. The more your friends want to come to you, the more potential the results.
Step 4. Persevere
Show the practical side of Christianity through your own success and your friendships with Christians. If your friend really sees that being a member of the church means getting so many new family members who love and support one another, then he or she will know where to turn in times of trouble.
Know when it's time to stop. When talking about deeply held beliefs, a person can become emotional or even angry. If possible, try talking to your friend when she seems open and when you're both in a good mood. Some atheists prefer to discuss in writing rather than orally. Try discussing it in writing if one or both parties always get too emotional when you do it verbally
Step 5. If you want to pray for your friend, do it in private
Ending a conversation full of "I'll be praying for you" can come across as rude. Christians believe that in the end, only God can convince people to follow Him. Do not use prayer in public places/situations to demonstrate your piety. If God wills to answer your prayer and convert the atheist, He will do so with or without the atheist hearing your prayer.
Tips
- Listen carefully to the views and objections of non-believers. Try to understand why you don't believe it, then respond to each of those views and objections head-on. You need to use more proven truths, not unproven doctrines, then find out together what is true, with honesty and integrity. If you show an openness to understanding the friend's opinions and beliefs, he or she will appreciate/respect you.
- To reassure the person, ask him to consider accepting fixed concepts such as "good" and "evil." Your friend may not believe it, have doubts, or wonder. Therefore, it may take months or even years to convince him.
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The following materials are about communicating the Christian faith, and may be helpful in dealing with atheist students:
- “Help! I'm a Student Leader” by Doug Fields-with suggestions, ideas, beliefs, and examples as well as some notes that actual students have written at the end of each chapter, made during the book-writing process…. Publisher: Zondervan, ISBN: 0310259614.
- “Max Q” by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall-the title refers to the greatest stress the spacecraft's body experiences at the critical point of acceleration during its launch, which occurs due to gravitational and atmospheric pressure Wikipedia: Max Q. This book talks about the stresses of life, such as temptation and unbelief, which we experience as we keep trying to hasten the fulfillment of God's will and follow Christ. Publisher: Howard Books, ISBN-10: 1582291780. There is also a companion book available: “Max Q Student Journal”, which contains questions and suggestions for journaling.
- Some atheists will never become Christians. Imagine how you would feel if a friend tried to persuade you to convert.
- My church leader once said, “Don't just invite people to church once. Invite three times. Your friend may not come three times, but you need to convince him to come three times."
- Observe for yourself your faith and the reasons behind it.
- Atheism is not a belief. Atheism is doubt. This is very important for you to understand, when discussing Christ. Atheists tend to prefer to think based on evidence. Don't try to move him from one belief to another. However, imagine that you are presenting evidence about a belief. Just show the evidence, listen openly to the response, and accept the decision. The rest is up to God alone.
- Never trick people. Do not ever lie. When inviting an atheist to a Christian event, make sure that he or she knows how deeply connected the event is to religion. Is this just a get-together, or a worship service/service, or a Bible reading together?
- All of this takes time and patience. Don't try to pressure your friend even if you really want to.
- Listen carefully to what the atheist has to say to you. If you feel that he has a valid argument, don't reject it right away.
- Let your friend understand what your religion means to you, then ask yourself what atheism means.
Warning
- It's possible that your friend still doesn't believe it. Most atheists have a firm view of what they believe in, and while most of them are quite open to discussion, their chances of converting are actually very small.
- Don't try to bring up the topic of atheism every time the two of you meet. This will tire you both out, and your friend certainly doesn't want to be treated as the “pagan sinner” you are aiming to convert.
- First and foremost, remember that you will most likely fail to convince this questioning atheist. If you fail, don't be disappointed! You can keep trying or accept this person's point of view while remaining friendly and not breaking up. Take care that you don't lose your dear friend just because he or she believes or doesn't believe in God.
- Be aware that when you start discussing religious topics with an atheist (especially with the intention of converting him or her), many of the atheists you meet have either been raised Christian or are familiar with the Christian faith. Many of them were once believers, who were sincere and whole-hearted in their faith, were actively involved in church activities, and believed in all aspects of the Christian faith. At one point, these ex-Christians no longer held on to their faith, and instead turned their backs on it. Often, they have certain questions about religious life and want to find answers, some discussing with church leaders, fellow believers, and others studying the Bible, philosophy, the history of religion, and comparing religion to science. You may believe that you are bringing fresh and bright good news, which they did not know before, but they may actually have a broader academic knowledge of the ideas and topics of atheism, beyond your knowledge and understanding of Christianity. This state of wonder has made them give up their faith. Some of them have a background understanding not only about the Christian faith, but also about many religions, philosophies, history, and other sciences. In addition, if they have experienced it themselves, they know what it feels like to be a believer and join the church, and have experienced God's light and love. Many of them admit that they miss community and cultural life and the light they have experienced in the church and in Christianity, but adopting certain beliefs just because they want to get to those aspects is like hypocrisy to them. And, as atheists, they have a hard time pretending. So, be careful, and think twice before trying to convert your atheist friend. Talking about faith and God with your friend will trigger questions you may not be ready to answer, and can lead to doubt or confusion.
- Forcing someone to talk about or follow a certain religion will not work. Whatever your religion, everyone should be fully convinced, not treated as “outcasts”. Remember that everyone has the right to decide for themselves, "how will they hear about Him if no one preaches Him, and how can they tell Him if they are not sent?". Jesus said, “Peace be with you! (Don't worry!) Just as the Father sent Me, so I am sending you.” (John 20:21).
- After telling them that you are a believer in a friendly manner, don't push and push them because they will avoid you. Pray for them, and leave the continuation to God. God has called you, and He will call your friends too at His right time.
