Making the Decision: Sin and Its Penalty PDF

4 MAKING THE DECISION:SIN AND ITS PENALTY We now come to the vital fifth stage in Witnessing-making sk decision. Record thefirst four stages already discussed 1 2 3. 4. Suppose you have laid the proper groundwork by making a con tact with the person a...

4 MAKING THE DECISION:SIN AND ITS PENALTY We now come to the vital fifth stage in Witnessing-making sk decision. Record thefirst four stages already discussed 1 2 3. 4. Suppose you have laid the proper groundwork by making a con tact with the person and creating a friendship, you have stirred his interest and curiosity in the Lord, and the Holy Spirit has burdened his heart with a need for Christ. Now the to trust Christ. What do you do now? person wants Call my pastor? Unfortunately, many Christians don't know how to lead a person through the decision to accept Christ. Basically, facts the unbeliever needs to there are four understand: 1. Iam a sinner. 2.. Imust pay for my sin. 3. Christ paid the price of my sin. 4. Imust repent, trusting Christ by faith for salvation. This lesson discusses the first two points. TAM ASINNER Natuatralhisly, theownperson may have already realized this by an honest Jook he may simply want actions. Or as he's seen your life and witness, what you have in Christ. In your should show him what the either case,you at this Bible time. AperSon can only Says about his sinful condition truly realize his sinfulness by 32 comparing himself to God. God is holy, and He requires that be the same to fellowship with Him in heaven. The Character of God What brought Isaiah to confess his sin (Isa. 6:1-8)? An unbeliever must come to realize that all sin is an offense against God. How does David express his sin with Bathsheba in Psalm 51:4? Only when asinner sees himself guilty before God will he under stand his sinfulness. Therefore, our first responsibility as awitness is to show the sinner the true character of God. The Demands of God God's character involves holy demands. Aperfect, holy God will not accept anything less than holiness and perfection from His subjects. Read the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-26. Christ brings this would-be con vert first to see God (v. 17). How does He do this? Then He presents the demands of God upon him. What are they? This man thought he had kept all the commandments of God, but Christ knew better. Though the man was following the law outwardly, he was not keeping the spirit of the law. So Jesus chal lenged the man's determination. 33  What is the lst Commandment (Exo. 20:3) What is the 10th Commandment (Exo. 20:17)2 What did Jesus ask the man to do that faced him with these commandments? The ruler left, sorrowful. He might have kept the letter of the law, but he valued his wealth and position more than Christ. Does this story mean that we must keep the commandments to be saved? Of course not. Christ was only showing the rich young ruler his sinfulness. Christ did so by making the ruler compare his good ness to (1) God and (2) God's righteous demands as expressed in the commandments. But what Scripture can I use? Write and memorize the following verses. These can establish the person's sinfulness Romans 3:10-12 Isaiah 53:6 34  Psalm 51l:4 Jeremiah 17:9 Galatians 3:22 Romans 3:23 Ecclesiastes 7:20 Do Iuse all of these verses? That depends on how quickly the unbeliever sees his Christ and on the verses the Holy Spirit leads you to need of use. when a person is ready to accept Christ, only a couple ofUsually, verses are needed. But how do I explain these verses? Below are three suggestions for explaining whowants to accept Christ. Scripture to a person 35 1. Make the Verses Clear and Simple Explain what the verses mean. For example, Christians micls know the words righteous, unprofitable, sin, and righteousnesses, but these may be totally unfamiliar to others. In the back of this book is aglossary of terms. Memorize their definitions, and you'l be better equipped to explain some of the Bible's an unbeliever. terminologyto Explain Romans 3:10-12, 23 in your own words, as if you were dealing with a person who had little knowledge of God. Present the difficult terms in everyday language, using the glossary as needed. Verse 10 Verse 11 Verse 12 Verse 23 2. Make It Personal You can make apassage of Scripture personal by substituting ie person's name for such words as all and whoever. 36  So instead of reading "for all have sinned" say "for Richard has sinned"? Right. It's helptul tO read the verse once as it is in your Bible, and then ask the person what the word all or whoever means. He will answer that it means everybody. Then say, Well, that includes vOu. doesn't it?" When he answers in the affirmative, youcan say, "So let's read the verse again, this time putting your name in the place ofall" If you are sharing your own testimony, place your own name in the verses instead. Show the person what the verse means for you. 3. Make Sure the Person Understands Before Moving On After explaining the meaning of theverse and makingit personal, ask the person to tell youwhat the verse said. Ask: "Do you believe you've sinned?" Yes. Why do you believe this?" God's Word says Ihave. Once you are satisfied he understands the point, you can move on. IMUST PAY FOR MY SIN If you had just been shown youwere a sinner, what do you sup pose you would be thinking? l£ either be angry disturbed, or apathetic. Exactly. If the person is angry, he isn't ready to accept Christ at this point. But if hes emotional, the Holy Spirit may be convict so what ing His heart, and youcan proceed. And if he has a attitude, he is also ready for the second point. In fact, you should assume that the person is wondering, "So what?" For clarity's sake, ask that very question. Should I say "So you've sinned. So what?" sinned?" This Sure, or. "What difference does it make that you've trying to avoid helps the person realize you are honest and aren't 37 the issues. Then say, "Let's look at the problem with sin? Write and memorize the following verses so youcan use Spirit desires at the moment. whichever the Romans 6:23 Ezekiel 18:4 Luke 16:23 Revelation 20:15 How do I explainthese verses? It'sgood to point out that Romans 6:23 is not just talking about physical death, but spiritual death as well. Show the person what spiritual death is-the glossary includes a definition, if needed. He may ask why death is so terrible if even believers have to die. The answer is simple: even though believers die, they do not go to hell. It is the consequence of death that is important. Death is the gate to heaven for believers, but the gate to hell for the lost. If the unbeliever has questions about hell, you may want to explain how the Bible portrays it. It is real, unquenchable, and eternal. 38 Complete This Section Without Looking Back at the Lesson 1. Name the five phases of witnessing. 2. Name the four points a sinner needs to realize when making the decision totrust Christ-in order. 3. List the verses that showa person he is a sinner. 39  4. List the verses that show a person the penalty for his sin. 5. What are three suggestions when explaining verses? 6. What word or phrase means "separation from God"? Verses to Memorize Romans 3:10-12 Psalm 51:4 Romans 6:23 Revelation 20:15 40