MY DESIRE TO PROCLAIM ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Part 2 of 3
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
In my previous writing I began by answering a question that someone asked:
“How can I, without appearing to be fanatic, easily talk to people about Jesus?
I burn with the desire to talk to people about Jesus but I never know how to begin.”
I am immediately going to jump in by continuing from where I left off.
What you must absolutely make sure of, if you want to be a confident and good witness for Jesus, is that you must have a good knowledge of the Word to help people, or that you are prepared, just in case you meet a person who is part of one or other false religion.
Remember the Word/Bible is the Christian’s weapon/sword, with which we defend ourselves during our battles with satan.
EPH 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
EPH 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Remember also when you are studying the Word:
2 TIM 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 TIM 3:17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Because we are human, it is good to be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while you work on a starting point that you will be able to use with an ease when connecting with people.
As an example I want to share with you what I use very successfully.
I have a general answer that I always use.
If someone contacts me telephonically or if they may have accidently dialled the wrong number, if someone asks me how am I, my answer is always the same.
Whether it is paying by a cashier, drawing money with a bank teller, or making an appointment with a receptionist at the doctor – It does not matter what the circumstances are but if someone asks me how I am my standard answer is:
“God is on the throne and all is well.”
Many times it has happened that the person with whom I am in talking to at that point in time, will start talking to me about our Lord, or will respond with a positive comment that then gives me an opening to respond.
Remember also that when you tell people about your salvation and what our Lord does for you and with all He helps you with, in other words, your daily walk with Him and they see it through your life, no person can say that you are lying or argue with you about your testimony. That is why it is so important to live your life as you are witnessing about.
Then I must also mention the following:
Many Christians want to convince people and use long reasoning about many things in a Christian’s life that ends up in hefty arguments, especially because that Christian does not live what they proclaim.
While all that we need to tell, together with the example of our lifestyle, are the following 7 points and the rest you leave to the Holy Spirit:
That God the Father sent His only begotten Son to earth to save mankind:
JOHN 3:16 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.
That Jesus Christ was born of a virgin:
MAT 1:23 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”.)
That He died on the cross for our sins:
1 PETER 2:24 He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 PETER 2:25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls..
That He rose from the dead:
ROMANS 14:9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
That He ascended into Heaven:
ACTS 1:9 After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
ACTS 1:10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
ACTS 1:11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
That Jesus will return:
ACTS 1:11 “… This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
That Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father and to Eternal Life:
JOHN 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
My great hero Paul summarises, in my opinion, what I have just shared with you beautifully when he wrote:
1 COR 2:1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
1 COR 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
I would like to share with you the third and last Thought from the Word about this matter in a few days.
Kind Regards,
Sakkie