God uses Scripture to change people's lives. The next step in sharing your faith without an argument is based on two principles. The first is from Romans 10:17, "Faith comes from hearing." Hearing is the key. The second principle is in Luke 10:26, which I paraphrase, "What does it say to you?" The Holy Spirit will do the convincing and the convicting. You're just going to stand by and watch God do something.

1. Romans 3:23--"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

When I'm sharing, I take my Bible and I put it in front of the other person--on the table or on his lap. I point to Romans 3:23 and I ask him to read it out loud. Then I ask him, "What does it say to you?" When you do it this way, he can't say, "That's just your interpretation." He will read it and tell you what it says. Then he won't be able to say you told him. When you do that, the other person will be doing the speaking, the Holy Spirit will be doing the convicting, and nobody can start an argument with you about the interpretation.

After the person reads this verse and tells you what it says, if you feel that the person needs more clarification simply say, "Have you ever committed murder?" The person will likely say, "No, I haven't." You then say, "Well, have you ever hated someone or been angry?" He will probably feel a little defensive and say, "Yeah. Haven't you?" You say, "Sure I have." And then you could say, "Did you know that God says anger is the same as murder?" At that point you usually get silence, because suddenly he realizes that by God's holy standards he's a mess.

2. Romans 6:23--"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Ask the person to read the verse, and then ask, "What does it say." He or she will tell you it says that for one sin we die.

This verse can devastate a person's religion and his feeling that he's okay. In Romans 6:23, underline or circle the word sin. Then draw a line through the word death. In big letters near it, write the word hell. Then circle the word in. (Do this in your Bible before you talk with someone.)

There is a tendency in us to be harsh. We might want to tell a person, "Listen, stupid, for one sin you're going to hell. And your dumb religion isn't going to save you!" If you do that, it's not only unloving, but the person is not going to listen. You can get the message across in a more gentle way. The whole key is where you point.

After the person has read the verse and told you what the verse says to him, you can simply say, "Did you notice that in my Bible I've underlined the word sin?" (Point to the word.) He will say, "Yes." Then you say, while pointing to the word sin, "This reminds me that there's no s at the end of the word? God says for one sin He will send me to hell." You point to yourself, but the other person gets the idea.

Now suppose the person you're talking to is a churchgoer. You say, "Did you notice that I have circled the word in? It reminds me that Iam to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ, not in a religion." Right then his infant baptism, his confirmation, his church membership, or whatever other religious actions he was trusting just went out the window. With this verse you have politely shown him that he has no hope. And you've done it nicely.

3. John 3:3--"No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

As a reminder to yourself, in the margin of your Bible by John 3:3, draw a cross like the cross of Christ, and alongside of it write the question, "Why did Jesus come to die?"

Here is the one exception when you do not ask the person what the verse means to him. Why? Because he won't know.

The way to get into this verse is to turn to the person and say, "I know somebody like you who walked up to Jesus Christ and asked him how to get into heaven. This was a religious guy, but he knew that going to church didn't cut it. I want you to read aloud what Jesus said to him." And he will read, "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Do not ask him what it means to him. He won't know. We know from Scripture that Nicodemus was confused.

You can then say, "You're probably wondering what Jesus was talking about. Nicodemus thought Jesus meant he had to go back inside his mom. But no, Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth."

Now's the time to ask a question. Take out a pen and make the sign of a cross with your finger across your pen. Then ask, "Why did Jesus come to die?" Fifty percent of the people won't know. Listen for an answer. The person may say that Jesus had to or that He wanted to. Ask, "Why?" Eventually he may say, "Jesus came to die for sin." Say, "That's right. The wages of sin is death. You just finished reading that in Romans 6:23." Then say, "Jesus Christ hung on the cross and He took upon Himself all of your sins, and my sins, and the sins of the whole world. When He died on that cross, He died for me, for my forgiveness. That forgiveness is a gift from God."

Then take your pen in your hand, hold it out, and say, "If you want this pen, what do you have to do to get it?" In response he may say, "I'd have to thank you." You would say no. Then he might say, "I have to pay you." Say, "No, it's a free gift." Don't give him the answer. Eventually he will say, "I just need to take it, accept it, or receive it."

I don't know what it is, but people just hate to take anything that's free. But when they take it, that's when you can say, "Look, that's the same thing you have to do with the cross. It doesn't become your gift until you accept it for yourself."

4. John 14:6--"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

When you turn to this verse, ask the other person to read it aloud and then ask him what it says. The person will tell you it says that there is no other way to go to heaven to be with God except through Jesus.

Once in a while I'll say, "Do you see any other way to heaven except through Jesus Christ?" And I've had people angrily say, "No!" Why do you think they're aggravated? It's because they think it's a stupid question, which it is, because the verse is very clear. If they see it, they may give you an agitated "No!" What you are hearing is God at work.

5. Romans 10:9-11--"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.'"

One of the most difficult things for people to believe is that they can be forgiven. After you have asked the person to read Romans 10:9-11 and he has read it, ask him if the phrase "If you . . . believe . . . you will be saved" includes murderers, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc." You ask that, because if he believes God will forgive a murderer he will believe God will forgive him for adultery, alcoholism, drugs, unlovingness, or whatever. It's a key issue.

But let's suppose that when you ask him if it includes murderers he says no. Ask him to read the verse again. Let the Spirit teach him. Remember, this is the Holy Spirit's problem. It is not your problem to enter into an argument about whether or not God will forgive murderers.

6. Revelation 3:20--"I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."

As you did with the other verses, ask the person to read this verse out loud. Then ask, "What does it say to you?" He will say that when we open the door of our lives to Jesus, He will come in.

With this verse you want the person to realize that Jesus is eager to enter into our lives. The Lord longs for us to be in a right relationship with Him.

Now you are ready to move to the final step.

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