PersonalEvangelism by Benjamin W e iss Co-Director, National Educators Fellowship H ave you hesitated when you had an opportunity to witness to someone about Christ? Did you feel inadequate because you might not be able to do this in a way that might bring results? Here are a few basic reasons why we are not ready to meet such opportunities.
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eral conversation raise some question that an alert counselor or witness can use. This requires a deep interest in the spiritual welfare of others and alertness to catch the opportunity. Lack of confidence and fear is one of the other commonly expressed hurdles to overcome. Often it is a fear of resentment by the person to whom they are speaking or fear of saying the wrong thing. If a person is led of the Holy Spirit to witness or to coun sel someone, he is acting as an am bassador. He is not speaking on his own behalf. This is his greatest source of confidence. There is now no need to fear. God has promised to supply the words we are to say. The Holy Spirit is silently speaking to the heart of a person while we are audibly speaking to him. Confidence comes from certainty in knowing that you have an important message to deliver. You are doing the inquirer a great service. He is not doing something for you by listening. Thoughtfulness and courtesy, however, are very im portant qualities. You need to present your message in a kindly way. You can develop your own conditions and build up the needed rapport. There are a number of other dif ficulties commonly expressed. One is to know for certain how a person is saved and how to proceed in a coun seling session or conversation. The Scripture itself gives the basic outline, (a) All are sinners, (b) belief on Jesus Christ as Saviour, (c) repen tance comes from willingness to ad mit and give up sin, (d) receiving Christ as personal Saviour, and (e) willingness to confess Him. These are the basic steps in becoming a Chris tian. There is adequate Scripture for each of these. The counselor’s know ledge of the Scripture and the ability to use it rightly is the key to the pro cess. These difficulties can be overcome by prayer and dedication to the cause of winning the lost. It is never easy. The occasion of bringing some one into a right relationship with God is not a simple, easy matter. It is the greatest thing that can happen. You are the ambassador. You are the one who points the way and helps the inquirer to find the Pearl of Greatest Price.
In training classes for personal evangelism, a number of basic rea sons have been given for this feeling of hesitation. These classes were com posed of Christians who had done some work in counseling or personal evangelism. In group after group they expressed the same causes for a feel ing of ineffectiveness and unprepared ness. The most common cause for hesita tion is a lack of definite knowledge of the Scripture on salvation. Some feel that they do not have a sufficient number of Scripture verses to meet all the problems that are raised. Others believe that they do not know the right Scripture to use for a certain problem or question. Some have a general idea of the Scripture but do not know where to find the verses which most adequately answer the inquirer’s problem or difficulty. The Scripture is the basic tool for basic evangelism. The counselor’s own opinions are valueless when the seri ous matter of personal commitment to God is considered. The Bible speaks with authority. The counselor, how ever, must have the ability to have an authoritative answer from the Bible. Lack of ability to use the Scripture in personal counseling is without a doubt the basic shortcoming or need for counselors in personal evangelism. How to begin the conversation is another often-expressed difficulty. It seems easier to talk about most any thing else but to start a conversation on Spiritual matters. Some feel they may be too abrupt and the inquirer will “ clam up.” Others are afraid they will say the wrong thing and present an additional difficulty. Remember this, a word of personal witness is always a good beginning. The counselor needs to be alert to the leading of the Holy Spirit in order to say the thing which will open the door for a conversation on this vital matter. The inquirer will often present his own problem or in a gen
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