Evangelism
Truth isn't reached by convincing per say, its reached by argument and investigation.
Being around people more and raising the issue to make it a more frequent occurence is fine too.
Lead that way, we all might learn something
Truth is Christ; and the lost can only find it if convicted by the Holy Spirit.
Thomas60, I don't know if you've ever debated with hard-core atheists, but after failing in science, logic, and other evidence, they resort to their emotional side.
Truth is not reached by argument and investigation. It is reached through the conviction of sin by none other than the Holy Spirit.
And sitting back and just praying to God, and asking him that your friend will just change his mind is
not the right solution.
Instead, pray to God that he can use
you to effectively present the message to him.
So, how can you help someone hear the truth? Well, Paul tells us in Romans 10:17---
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Does faith come from reading the message?
Does faith come from arguing about the message?
Does faith come from hoping he'll suddenly accept Jesus?
NO! You can't do anything except tell him the Truth; it is God who convicts, and it is God who saves. Sit down with him, and get him to read the following verses OUT LOUD:
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
John 3:16
Romans 10:9-13
John 14:6
Revelations 3:20
Bonus: Ask him what he thinks those verses mean after he reads them OUT LOUD.
Now, if your primary motivation is to "win one over" for Jesus is so you can go out with him, I have to go:
"WHAT?"
If your main objective here isn't to serve God, and to obey his Great Commission, but is instead to have a viable boyfriend, then
I am disgusted. I am appalled.
When sharing the truth, you have to acknowledge you may offend whoever you're talking to. Truth will offend the corrupted and sinful mind!
Romans 8:6-8: "
The mind of sinful mane is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mindf is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
In fact, you may even be hated by the very person you are trying to be loved by!
John 15:18-27:
"“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.H e who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.""
