Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, . . . was buried, and . . . rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor 15:3-4 NKJV)

The Problem 

If your life depended on it, could you articulate the gospel? Could you effectively explain how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, according to what you’ve learned in the Bible? 

If you are unsure, you’re not alone. The number of Christians unable or afraid to share the gospel is staggering. In a Lifeway study, many unbelievers said they would be willing to talk about faith, but 70% of the respondents said a Christian had never shared their faith one-on-one. 

The Reason (According to Research)

Why aren’t we having conversations, particularly with people who are interested?

Fear.

Fear of “messing up,” of saying the wrong thing, or of communicating in a way that causes others to take offense.

Should fear prevent us from bringing life-changing truth to those who don’t even know they crave it?

The Remedy (According to the Scriptures)

When I was in college, my grandfather often reminded me that God would bring memorized Scripture back to mind when I needed the words most.  He quoted Bible verses in daily conversation. 

We can follow Paul’s example of pointing back to the Scripture when we communicate truth. Keeping our words in line with (according to) God’s Word can help us confidently bring truth to those who would love to hear it. 

The phrase “according to the Scriptures” is important. We’re easily distracted. Many voices claim to know the truth, yet much of what they say contradicts Scripture. Rather than be swept up in the next new Spiritual fad or “prosperity gospel” iteration, our focus should be what God’s Word says. 

The Gospel—Good News—According to the Scriptures

• The incredible price of our freedom came at great cost, one Jesus willingly paid. 
• Christ died for our sins, was buried (to prove he really died), and rose again (the point on which our faith hinges). 
• God loves us so much he graciously gives us forgiveness for our inability to meet the requirements of perfection, if we will believe in Jesus, accept his offer, and trust God’s promise. 

Salvation is simple and free, yet sometimes not so simple to accept for humans who would rather prove our own worth. 

Our Responsibility (According to Penn)

If we truly understood the depth of the sacrifice Jesus made, learning to articulate it so that others wouldn’t miss their opportunity to know him would be top priority.

In a now-famous quote, Penn Jillette asked how much we “have to hate somebody” not to tell them about Jesus if we really believe what we say we believe. An atheist thinks we should be doing a better job.

Saying we’re afraid the other person might take offense or misunderstand or we might say the wrong thing and cause them to reject Jesus sounds well-intentioned. But do we do this with anything else? Do we simply avoid talking about things we don’t know—or do we learn what we need to know? In any other area of our lives, we practice. 

No one expects to hit the target with the first arrow, perfectly pronounce a sentence in Spanish the first time we try, or bake a cake exactly right without ever looking at the directions. We practice.

And yet if we can’t articulate the gospel to someone who has perhaps never heard the concept of sin or salvation, or heaven, hell, or Jesus, we shrug and walk away. Rather than preparing ahead or doubling down on our practice if we make an obvious error, the first time we bear witness of what God has done in our lives, we simply stop trying. 

Or maybe we don’t try at all, because we have ourselves convinced of the danger that this person will no longer be our friend.

The Challenge

We have GOOD news. Not scary or dangerous news, not hateful news. And although it can be polarizing, the greater number of people will be glad we approach them.

What if someone else’s life depended on our ability to explain sin, redemption, and God’s great love for people? 

Maybe it does.

If we truly believe what we say we believe, we should put the effort into learning how to talk to people about Jesus. 

The easiest way is by memorizing Bible verses that describe or involve salvation. John 3:16 is famous, but there are others. A simple online search can give you a list.

The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 seems relevant. Maybe we can start with verses 3 and 4, a concise explanation of the gospel, according to the Scriptures.

Which verse will you memorize this week? We’re more likely to accomplish a goal we share. Share yours below.