In the life of a Christian, bearing witness to the truth of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ is often a difficult thing to do. In today's secular life, many people are very afraid to be witnesses of Christ, but this reason should not make the obligation to witness unimportant. Prepare yourself spiritually for this task, and prepare to be a witness, both by your actions and by your words.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Yourself
Step 1. Know where the power of witnessing comes from
The power to be a witness--and bear witness well--comes directly from the Holy Ghost. As Christians, it seems easy to remember this, but even the most devout Christians sometimes struggle to rely on God's strength instead of their own.
Think about it this way: if you're starting to get weak and wonder if you can still testify, there's no need to worry about the strength of your weary soul. The strength you need will flow through the Holy Spirit as long as you keep trying to do what God wants
Step 2. Stay focused
The power to be a witness comes from God, and glory must be given to God. Bearing witness to others is an act that must be done to spread the gospel-or the good news about God-so you should stay focused on this reason. However, you can slip up easily and begin to focus on reflecting your actions on yourself.
- In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the Apostle Paul basically defined the gospel, or "the good news of God," as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Meditate on this message and make it the centerpiece of any message you share with others.
- If you become aware of concerns about how other people view you or feel proud of your efforts and accomplishments, take a break and focus again on the central theme of witnessing as described above.
Step 3. Pray
Prayer is very powerful. By praying, you can communicate personally with God. Praying for strength to be a good witness can give you comfort, strength, and guidance.
- Pray for guidance at the start and during witnessing.
- Pray for those who will hear your testimony.
- Pray for guidance and strength even when you don't plan to testify to anyone because you never know when the opportunity to share the gospel will come.
Step 4. Be brave and keep faith
With the current state of the world, witnessing to others can feel very, not somewhat, frightening. More likely than not, you'll end up having to talk to someone who not only disagrees with what you're saying, but attacks you as well. However, remember that there is a source of strength that will always support you in every effort you make. This will not only make difficult situations easier or less scary, but will also give you the more strength you need to do this task.
Step 5. Prepare yourself beforehand
Your personal experience of faith will probably underlie most of your arguments, but there are times when someone you testify will ask questions that you cannot answer based solely on views that have emerged from your own experience. Therefore, you must have a fairly good understanding of the Scriptures.
- Of course you don't have to be a theologian in order to testify to others, but being a layman with sufficient knowledge of the Scriptures will certainly help.
- If you don't know what the answer to a question or challenge is, have this person read and learn about what is being discussed. Go ahead and answer the question by giving a view based on Scripture or other biblical sources.
Part 2 of 3: Witness through Deed
Step 1. Live your life in virtue
In other words, don't be a hypocrite. No matter what the world may tell you, there is never anything wrong with adhering to biblical principles about the right way to live and behave. But explaining the benefits of a “clean” life to an unbeliever who doesn't agree with that principle will be very useless if you are known as a person who likes to break this rule in your own life.
Philippians 2:15 encourages Christians "that you may be blameless and blameless as children of God, blameless in the midst of this crooked and perverted generation, so that you may shine among them like the stars of the world. " Living a holy life is more than just making yourself look good or trying to keep yourself from looking bad. By living your life in the virtues that you acquired when you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you can show the world that there is something about you that is good, different, and desirable
Step 2. Forgive others
Giving forgiveness is a difficult thing to do, but very important. Since you have been forgiven by God, you must also forgive others. Only by being willing to forgive others can you hope to convey the message of God's forgiveness to others.
Step 3. Apologize
If you have wronged someone, admit it honestly and apologize. Even if he won't forgive you, you're still fulfilling your duty. Admitting that you are not perfect will not weaken your position as a witness for Christ. On the contrary, by doing this, you will more easily demonstrate the need for divine forgiveness because you can use your own life as an example.
Step 4. Build personal relationships with people
You may testify to people you don't know, but as a generally accepted rule, try to build personal relationships first with the people you wish to testify. Show your genuine desire to know about their lives. If you only preach to people but don't treat them lovingly and individually, no one will want to listen to your message.
Step 5. Pass on the blessings you receive from God
God's forgiveness and blessings can help you through the tough times in your life, but those who don't know God do not have the same source of strength to lead them through life's difficulties. They may have their own way of dealing with problems, but even if someone seems “fine” without your help, still show a genuine willingness to provide support.
- Treat the unbelievers around you with the same care and love you would treat your friends at church, as well as the care and love you would expect from others.
- Don't force your good intentions on others. You can offer, but if this person seems uncomfortable or suspicious, don't force it.
Step 6. Look for opportunities to get people interested in your faith experience
If your church has community activities or if you have extra tickets to a good Christian concert, invite a friend or two of your non-Christian friends. Give these invitations as a way to let them know more about your life and the things that are important to you, not to make them feel guilty or pressure them into coming to the event.
These events and activities that your invited friends will attend do not have to be filled with messages about Christianity. Invite them to festivals at your church, but also invite them if there are secular concerts, ball games, and picnics together. Let them see you as a Christian among Christians living a secular life
Part 3 of 3: Witness through Words
Step 1. Talk to other people individually
You can testify to people in a group, but in order for you to have a fruitful discussion with someone, it is easier to do it individually. Even if you testify to a group of people, you must treat each person as an individual with their own desires, ideas, and opinions.
Step 2. Spread the gospel in a comfortable everyday setting
You don't have to schedule or set aside a specific time to witness to others. Instead, try to naturally discuss faith-related matters as part of casual conversation. For example, you could talk about God over lunch or during a gathering at home.
Try to raise this topic as reasonably as possible. For example, if a friend or acquaintance asks about your weekend, try talking about what happened at church. On the other hand, if your friend wants to talk about last night's soccer game, don't suddenly change the subject to something religious, as this may sound rude and unpleasant
Step 3. Discuss topics related to interest
People will be more likely to participate in conversations about Christianity if you can connect with them through discussions that interest them. For example, you could talk to an artist about art in Christianity today and in the past. On the other hand, someone who enjoys archeology may be more interested in conversations about historical objects in Christianity.
Try telling the story of Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42.) As this woman drew water from the well, Jesus told her about the "living water" He could give. Jesus got this woman's attention by communicating about the basic thing he wanted-water-and after connecting with this woman based on what she wanted, Jesus brought up the topic of salvation
Step 4. Say it in a simple way and don't use unfamiliar terms
If the person you wish to testify is well versed in the terms of Christian theology and culture, you can talk directly from the theological aspect. But for most people, you have to explain everything in everyday language. Don't use doctrinal terms like “substantial equality,” or Christian catchphrases like “born again,” unless you want to explain these terms one by one.
Step 5. Describe your personal testimony
Your most intense and deep understanding may come from your personal experience. Also share your experience of witnessing to others. Be brief, but precise, and make sure those who listen to you understand that your salvation comes from Christ.
- Basically, your testimony should explain your condition before accepting Christ, how you came to realize that you needed a Savior, how you finally decided to accept Christ as Savior, and how your life changed after that.
- It's best if your testimony is delivered in just a few minutes. If it's too long, the person listening may not want to pay attention to you anymore.
Step 6. Be fully present and open, but don't be pushy
You must be fully present for dialogue with people and be open about your faith. Have confidence in your faith, but don't come across as "pushy." Let those around you know that you want to talk to them about Jesus on an ongoing basis, but also include them in casual conversation once in a while so they don't feel pressured and make relationships less intimate.
Step 7. Break down barriers in a proper manner
If you want to talk to someone about Christianity, there are some natural barriers you might run into during the conversation. Only by passing the first obstacle can you face the second, and only after you get past the second obstacle can you face the third.
- Face the first obstacle by mentioning the name of Jesus. When you are chatting about sports, fashion, entertainment, or other similar things, you can switch the topic of this conversation and enter into a conversation about Jesus as easily as saying the name of Jesus. But for this seemingly easy thing, delivering an introduction to this topic can be a daunting experience.
- Break down the second barrier by introducing the gospel. After the conversation continues, you need to share the good news about God-that is, the gospel-with those you are talking to. The idea is to briefly explain who Jesus is, what Jesus has done for them, and why they should want Jesus in their lives.
- Break down the final barrier by asking this person to accept Jesus. Be aware that you may or may not be able to do this part of your first conversation with someone. Ultimately, however, you must directly encourage this person to turn to Jesus. You can preach the gospel until you can no longer do it, but your task of witnessing is not finished until you can directly encourage people to accept Jesus as their personal Savior.
