Your Next Gospel Presentation

How will the careful handling of Scripture impact it?

 By Dr. Larry Moyer

You are about to witness to a lost acquaintance. How you handle Scripture will impact that conversation. How? Many ways, but two are paramount.

First, you will keep the gospel as simple as God does. The Bible is not the gospel; the Bible contains the gospel. The Bible is 66 books; the gospel is 10 words—Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4). Many Christians bring confusion in evangelism by sharing the Bible and not the gospel. Scripture handled carefully helps us identify and understand the distinct message we have for lost people.

Second, a careful handling of Scripture helps us know what to ask lost people to do. To answer this question, if we handle Scripture carefully, we will go to the gospel of John. This is the one book written specifically to tell us how to receive eternal life (cf. John 20:31). John uses the word “believe” 98 times in telling us how to receive eternal life. Believe means recognizing Christ died and rose again, and trusting in Christ alone to save. The moment we place trust in Christ alone, we can be certain we are going to heaven.

 A careful handling of Scripture prevents us from using confusing phrases (such as invite Him into your heart or give your life to God) or conveying that saying a prayer or walking forward in a church can save us. Instead, we make the issue what God makes it—trusting Christ.

Clarity in presenting the gospel. Clarity in presenting what God means by believe. If careful handling of Scripture only impacted you in those two ways, that alone would make it of eternal importance. It will also be one of the greatest favors you could extend to your lost acquaintance—making the message as clear as God makes it.