Iris poses the question:How do you witness? How do you go about it? Do you witness at all? Do you invite them to your home/blog?

In this post I said:

I believe it is important to be knowledgeable of the core of Christianity. We need to be able to present atonement, salvation, the Trinity, and the nature of God in general. And most important, the basic defense of the resurrection (without which, our faith is in vain!).

I believe there is no excuse for Christians not to be articulate in what they believe and why, and this means being informed about the foundation of your beliefs.

Now this is where some believers differ, some believe we need to “be fools for Christ and hit hard” and basically bop the lost sheep over the head with our words. Others believe we need to just be “examples” and not rock the boat. I believe we need to be somewhere in the middle.

I still believe this, but the question posed to me is how I go about witnessing to others. How do you witness? Are you bold? Are you gentle?

Brennan Manning presents a question to all of us, “If Jesus appeared at your dinning room table tonight with knowledge of everything you are and are not, total comprehension of your life story and every skeleton hidden in your closet; if He laid out the real estate of your present discipleship with the hidden agenda, the mixed motives, and the dark desires buried in your psyche, you would feel His acceptance and forgiveness”. When I witness to others I would like to say I use the same approach.

First I want someone to know they are loved and accepted. How do I go about that? By making someone feel special and loved. Isn’t that the first thing Christ did when He approached people in the bible? When Christ first spoke to the woman at the well, He made her feel loved and accepted (John 4:5-26).

Here she was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew; Jews did not talk to Samaritans. Also during this time men did not talk to women in public. Despite this, the first thing out of his mouth was not the judgment of her sin, but kindness. So many times Christians see the sin before they see the person, I try to see the person (see them how God sees them) before I see any sin in their life. Once someone feels comfortable around you and feels accepted then they are more apt to listen to what you say and weigh your words with thought.

If we just speak the Christian jargon we miss-represent who and what Jesus is and stands for. The first thing a non-Christian is looking for is a physical fix (John 6:26; John 4:15). Something that can tangibly help them; this is why Jesus used the example of water to the woman at the well.

Secondly, I try to tell others how I am a saved sinner. This is where grace and mercy come in. There are so many things I would like to be, ideals that I would like to live up to, but I know I fall so short of these goals. Christ dying for my sins does what I cannot do for myself. Jesus tells the woman at the well at that time, the water He is talking about is water of eternal life (John 4:14).

I try to direct them to Jesus and tell them what he has done for me personally. Through my life and my words, I hope to demonstrate this while witnessing to others. Paul in the bible says, “He loved me and delivered himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). Once a person feels love (first the physical fix), they are more in the place to accept love (spiritual fix).
I have already been forgiven. But repentance is something we do because Christ has forgiven us. So if there is sin in a person’s life, the best example is showing how Christ has forgiven me, and share some areas that I have fallen short. It is my job not to condone any sin, but it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict (John 16:8).

I have stood up and given my testimony, I have witnessed door to door with my church. These are things I don’t feel comfortable doing, but Christ stretched me in doing so. I find the way I witness the most is by everyday conversation. My goal is for someone to walk away from a conversation from me saying, “My life has been enriched by talking with you.”

You may find what I say next shocking, but I want to get along with sinners. I want them to feel comfortable around me. I do not excuse any sin in their life, but I don’t want to pretend to be anyone else than who I am…..a sinner saved by grace. I am no better than the next person. Their sin is no greater than my own. I want them to feel they are loved because they are loveable. NOT because of rituals, or because they do something to earn Christ’s love, or by giving money Christ loves them, but that God has loved them because they are loveable.

I want others to desire what they see in me, which hopefully is Christ’s love, forgiveness and grace. So sometimes I am the seed that is planted in someone’s life, and sometimes I am the words that Christ knows someone needs to hear. And Christ says, “Those who seek me will find me” (Deuteronomy 4:29).