Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Lines that will make people think

About a month ago, someone asked me to give some lines that I usually bring out to people I witness to so that they will take seriously the message I share to them. In the past 3 years of sharing the gospel the way Jesus did, I have come across so many people who would mock the message and show me that they will never give what I told them any serious thought. I believe that whenever you share the gospel, you will always leave a seed in the hearts of people that God can use to cultivate to eventual repentance and faith on Jesus Christ. But leaving people heavy statements to ponder can also help in the process of their conversion.

Below are some statements I have used in the past to wake-up people regarding their sinfulness and the punishment awaiting them in Hell. Some of these lines, I have adapted from the witnessing encounters of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron shown in the Way of the Master TV show. Some, I believe, God, Himself, impressed to me during my own witnessing encounters.


“What’s more difficult? Deciding to turn away from the joys of sin or spending eternity in Hell as a result of your sinfulness?”
Often times, I encounter people who are convinced about the displeasure of God against sin and the need to repent of it but finds it so difficult to, once and for all, make a move to have no more business with it. The reason is simply because they enjoy indulging with it. Its lure is so powerful that at the first sight of it, they dive to it right away. Saying this line can be a wake-up call to their numbed sanity. When we witness to people, it is so important to make Hell a big reality. Testing the goodness of people against the Ten Commandments makes Hell so reasonable. After that, show them the way out of this punishment that God provided. Then, you make the person realize using this line that if there’s already a way out and you don’t use the solution, then, you are such a foolish person for not choosing to evade Hell.


With this line, you are also making the point that the joys of sin are only for a season but the consequence is forever. You are showing the person you are witnessing to that the enjoyment of sin is not worth sacrificing compared to the enormous payback. Whenever I use this line to people, I am conveying to them that the principle, “You only live once and therefore, enjoy it to the fullest (even if it’s sinful)” is a big foolishness. But instead, they should realize that they only have one lifetime to get right with God or else, Hell awaits them.


"If you are not ready to turn away from your sins at this very moment, God is likewise not ready to save you today."
This is a line I use to stress the significant role of repentance towards a person’s salvation. I remember making this statement to a group of homosexuals who have been going for several years in an evangelistic camp that asked our help in counseling attendees. The camp really frustrated us because it focused more on enticing unbelievers to go to Christian churches using “Christian rock music” instead of really showing attendees their sinful state, the punishment awaiting them and what God requires from them so that they can be at peace with Him. This, I believe, is the reason why even if these homosexuals have been coming to this camp for the last 3 to 4 years, no spiritual transformation has really happened in them. All they want is for God to love them and bring them to Heaven without Him meddling with their sinful lifestyle.


When the invitation for anyone who would want to “accept Jesus” into their hearts (without emphasis on repentance) was given out and these homosexuals came forward to the altar, I rushed in front so that I will be the one to counsel them. When I talked to them, I right away brought them to the mirror of the Law. I showed them their sure destination, what God did to save them and what He requires from them in return (repentance and faith). Then, I said this line. They weren’t that excited about Jesus anymore after that. So, was that encounter a failure? No, for I have made them realize that no amount of invitation for Jesus to come into their hearts will give them salvation if there was no corresponding intent to turn away from sin. I’ve laid down the whole deal for them and now, the choices are so clear for them. The ball is now on their court. When we witness to anyone, we should emphasize that it was sin that separated us from God and therefore, it is the decision to forsake sin, coupled with faith on God’s ability to save, that will allow us to be brought back to God’s family.


When speaking to an atheist or someone who does not believe in Hell --- "If one of us is wrong about the existence of Hell and God (you don't believe, I believe) and we both die, think of this. If I’m wrong, I just die and stay at my grave. But if you’re wrong, you have to face God’s eternal punishment for not preparing for the afterlife. . In that case, I’m in a better situation believing in God and Hell, than you, not believing in both."
This statement can make an atheist or someone who thinks Hell is unreasonable so, therefore, it should not exist, rethink his belief. After awakening the conscience using the Law, bring these "intellectuals" back to the intellect to make them realize that their stand on this issue is a not-so-intelligent one, and something that is so dangerous. If I tell someone that he has left the stove on and he believes that he didn't, isn't it reasonable that despite his belief, there's a need for him to go back to the kitchen to check it out just to be sure? Logic tells us that there's nothing wrong in being sure. This is what we're trying to make atheists and intellectuals do --- check out the assertions of the Scriptures just to be sure.


I have used this statement several times, even in organized events where there will be some brave guy that thinks he has a right to cut me in the middle of my talk just so he can show everyone his brave stand on this. For the times I’ve used this line, the reaction is always the same… silence. When they respond to you with a deafening silence, you know that you have made them think.


"When you face God on Judgment Day, and He tells you that you're bound for Hell because you did not repent of your sins and trust Jesus for your salvation, and as angels drag you out of God’s presence, we connect eye-to-eye, don’t ever dare accuse me of not warning you." I’ve used this line several times to people who show disinterest to the message I share to them and for people I’ve witnessed to several times and still have not gotten right with God. This statement moves the responsibility of a person’s eternal destiny from us (the Christians who need to share the gospel to unbelievers) to the person himself. In making this statement, we are not really abandoning the goal of winning the person to Christ. We should labor for each person’s salvation until our last breath. What we are doing here is making the person realize that because we have shared to him already how he can be saved, if he goes to Hell someday, he has only but himself to blame for that.


Despite the heaviness of this line, remember to always say this with enough air of love and care to the person this statement is directed to. And so, it will be good to also say after this line that you are saying this because you love the person very much that you don’t want him to make the mistake of ignoring the message you are sharing to him. I’ve used this line with a dear student of mine in the past. I’ve witnessed to her about 3 or 4 times personally and she has heard me speak of this several times in a large group setting. I really pounded her to the gut the last time I spoke to her. I said the line and told her after that she’s someone I care about very much and I can’t bear the idea of her suffering in Hell someday. I also told her before she left that I’ll be praying for her. I know that she respects me enough to think that what I shared to her is unimportant. I also know that the Holy Spirit will continue the work from where I left.


"Please understand that I stand to gain nothing in speaking to you. In fact, I swallowed a lot of my fears in asking to talk to you. If I went through this with nothing for me in return, then don’t you think that what I just talk to you about is really important?"
This is a statement you can use to emphasize the importance of your message. This is actually the same as one of the evidences that we point out to prove the truth about Jesus --- the disciples won't die for a lie. We are making people realize that if what we are talking about is not true, then we are being foolish in sacrificing for a lie. We can also see with this line the importance of actively seeking the lost, especially those that you really don't know. Your effort shows your care for others. Waiting for people to come to you so that you can witness to them is what I call an "evangelism of convenience." It's good that whenever God places someone beside you, you witness to them. But when people see that you actively seek them, they will see your faith in the message you have and the urgency you feel to deliver it to next person. When that happens, people start to open their hearts to your message.


"You say that you believe the Bible is God's Word. Then, you should believe that because of your sins, you’re definitely bound for Hell. I just told you what God said you should do to be saved from going to Hell. Then, do as you’re instructed."
A lot of people believe that the Bible is God's divine words to our world. They will never dare say that any declaration from the Bible is wrong. We should take advantage of this fact to bring to people’s attention their true standing before a just and holy God. This line can help you do that. If they truly believe in the Bible, they have to accept, that, just like all of us, they have sinned and fell short of the glory of God. They must also take with seriousness the declaration of the Scriptures that because we missed the mark so badly in terms of being good, we are all bound for Hell and that the only way out of this scary situation is the sacrifice of Jesus. Explain further that according to the Bible, the only way we can benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice is if we decide to turn away from our sins and place our trust on Him.


This line works well for Catholics and other people coming from religions claiming to believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Using this statement can also help you avoid debates about arguments of people that really do not have any biblical basis. For example, if someone who claims to believe the Bible tells you that he believes homosexuals will be accepted by God in Heaven, tell them that 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says the opposite and if they truly believe that the Bible is the Word of God then, they should stop believing that lie. The key is to know the background of the person you are talking to (does he believe in the Bible?) so that you’ll know if you need to use this line.


"Statistics say that 150,000 people die everyday around the world, and majority of these people dying really aren't sure if they'll go to Heaven. You can be part of that statistic any day from today. If that happens, can you confidently say that you’ll be in Heaven after you leave this world?"
Nothing scares a person more than the thought of death. People must be reminded that the ultimate statistic is that 10 out of 10 die. This world offers a lot that people can be caught up in the process of getting each and everyone of these, forgetting that there is life after this life. Even people who claim to be "Christians" are guilty of this. This line makes the potential of death as real as possible for the person you are witnessing to. You may further make death a reality by saying, "You could die on your way home after our talk", or, "Can you confidently say that you’ll still get to live tomorrow?". Death is scary especially if you have proven to the person you are witnessing to by the use of the Law that death will be his gateway for Hell. You can also tell the person that probably, a big reason why he has not yet been part of the ultimate statistic is because God is still giving him a chance to do what he must do. This will make a person think of the solution you offer from the Bible which the Holy Spirit can use to convict that person to repent and to put his trust on Jesus.


You're goal, whenever you witness to someone, is to make the person THINK. You need not see a person crying his heart out during your witnessing encounter. What you would want is to see a demeanor of seriousness in the person with what you just shared after you part ways. If you need to make the person feel a little bit of fear, then use it. Fear is a legitimate tool in showing a person of the need to get right with God. Fear was the very thing that made the psalmist in Psalm 116:3-4 to run to God for salvation --- “The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol (Hell) laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the LORD: ‘O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!’” I hope you can get to use these lines in your future witnessing encounters. May God bless you as you win souls for Christ.