Thursday 10 May 2012

Leading someone to Christ using F.A.I.T.H.



There are a number of different frameworks or methods that churches and organisations use in order to explain the Gospel. In a previous blog I have gone through the “Roman Road” method which is extremely effective. It helps to keep a person on track and ensures that all of the important areas are covered.

Recently the Southern Baptist Church in America launched a new evangelism program that uses the acronym F.A.I.T.H. to help a person share and explain the gospel. Here are the points and the scriptures they link to them. It is very simple to follow.

F Forgiveness:  We cannot have a relationship with God without receiving forgiveness from Him. We have all sinned and there is nothing that we can do to earn or merit our entry into heaven. As the scripture below states, it is all about the grace of God. Where would we be without it? The shedding of His blood makes a way for anyone who wants to receive Him as Lord and Saviour. Put simply - if there was no cross and no blood sacrifice, we would all be finished.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:7

A – Available: Forgiveness is available for all who call on the Name of Jesus. It is not saying His Name like someone who says a prayer religiously, just repeating words – it’s about believing, trusting, accepting and having faith in Him and Him alone to save a person from a lost eternity. He gave up His own life to save us; we must ask for forgiveness, then believe we receive it and accept it in our hearts. When that happens a miracle takes place –we go from being dead in sin to alive in Christ.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I – Impossible: It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven; being the Holy God that He is makes Him unable to look upon sin. When the sin of the world (our sin) was placed upon Jesus, who was the spotless Lamb of God, He had to look away (my own words). It must have been awful for God to do that for us. It is what makes the message of the cross so incredible. God let His son pay the death of a common criminal by laying our sin upon Him. 

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5: 21

God allowed all of that to happen to pay the price for us to have eternal life. Incredible, isn’t it? That is why we should be witnessing for Him. It really is the least we can do!

 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

T - Turn: A person must turn away and repent from sin and follow God. This is fundamental. We must repent of our sin and wrong-doings. I know that some people like to cover this at a later date hoping to bring a person to the realisation that they need to repent later. However, the Bible says:

“I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Luke 13:3
Key Point: Don’t gloss over repentance, it’s a fundamental

I always include repentance in a prayer when I lead someone to Christ. I read this statement the other day. “Repentance is when we agree with God about our sinfulness”. What a terrific description!

When a person repents it means they are sorry for their sin and turn away from it and then start living their life in a way that pleases God. They stop doing stuff that is wrong and try to do the right thing. Like not lying, stealing, lusting and so on. We must repent and turn away from sin!

H – Heaven: Heaven is the gift of eternal life now and then in the hereafter. That means that we can have a blessed life now and an incredible time when we finally end up in Glory with the Lord. After being in heaven for a while we will one day return with Him when He comes to rule and reign.

He made a way for us go to heaven, a place which will be more wonderful than we can ever imagine! It is all about His sacrificial death on the cross. We need to explain it in a way that is simple and easy to understand.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10: 10
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” John 13: 3

I like this method because it revolves entirely around scripture, which is truth. It is the word of God that convicts hearts, the gospel’s power that leads to a person’s heart being convicted of sin.

Once you have led someone through these points, you can use the acronym F.A.I.T.H.  to help someone give his or her life to Christ. 

Forsaking All I Trust in Him





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