What do you say?

Who is Jesus Christ to you? If they say, "I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God" that is not ghood enough. Mormons say that, yet believe Jesus is a created being and not God.

I might also ask, how does one get to heaven, what is the entrance way?

Have you ever recongnized the gap between a Holy God and your life?

 

I think that the best "opener" for evangelism is that I've ever used is the one I read in Evangelism Explosion:

If you were to die tonight and God asked you "Why should I let you into My heaven," what would your answer be?

The person's reply should pretty much tell you on what they're basing their salvation.

 

That is pretty good. I have a long way to go being really effective in house to house visitation. I have used some of the questions that agedman posted. Sometimes when I walk away from a house with a "see ya later" or angry response, I wonder if there was something else I could have said differently. I try to remember that each house I go to has a soul in it with an eternal destiny.

I get a lot of yes I am a Christian, but no, I do not go to church, and do not want to. I can worship God from right here. Then, of course, there is the ones who do not want to be bothered at all. To them, we might as well be Mormon.

Sometimes I wonder about my timing as to when to end the conversation. Sharpening skills in this area is a life long process, and I did not start this until later in life.

 

I ask; If you die tonight where will you spend eternity? I have an answering machine 24/7 and anyone who calls gets that message as well as directions pointing them to a web page where they can check themselves and see how to be saved and what it will be like in their life if they are before they can leave their message.

 

When I was living in Clarksville TN (1972-2004), I was involved w/ the bus ministry. Other than the military dependents from Ft. Campell, about 99% of the folks I talked to "we go to .......Church."

You'd think that if such was REALLY the case, why there's no way any of our buses could have made it through town for the traffic jams there'd be at all the churches these people claimed to attend.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE....Sunday morning traffic in those areas was relately light for some strange reason. :smilewinkgrin:

 

I usually like to discuss religious things in a "general way', just seeing idf they ever went to a church, know about god etc... get a feel for where they are at spiritually, and then ask them what they think about jesus, and explain then the Gospel, and ask if they would want to pray now to be saved...

 

Some of those have different meanings to different people.

I asked one woman if she was a Christian. Her reply was, "Of course, I'm an America." So her belief is (as it seems to be with many people) that this is a Christian nation, and ALL Americans are Christians. Yes, evidence really points to that doesn't it?

Another woman when I asked, "Are you saved?" replied, "My husband and I were both raised that way."

I read about the publisher of a porn magazine claiming to be "born again", and he was going to do an entire magazine on Adam and Eve.

I'm not sure who it was who one day realized, "I must spend eternity somewhere." I only know he is well known from the past.

So, maybe the question to ask is, "When you die, do you know where your soul will spend eternity?" Or something similar to that. Their answer will tell you the truth. Many people have the idea that God will weigh their good against their bad, and hopefully their good will win--not realizing that God sees us all as sinners and not good enough for heaven on our own. Many will say, "I'm a pretty good person", but "pretty good" will NOT get anyone into heaven. God expects and demands perfection, and only He can provide that perfection and did provide it on the cross.

 

Ten Cliches Christians Should Not Use

and Ten More

 

One good question to ask is "What do you think it takes for you to have a right relationship with God?"

The answer will tell you where to go next.

Sometimes you'll get the right answer. So you can ask if there was a time when they repented of their sins and trusted Christ for salvation.

Or, of someone says "I'm a Christian" or "I'm saved," simply ask them what they base that on. The answer will reveal their understanding, and tell you where to go next.

jon-marc is right: asking someone if they're a Christian is the wrong question.

 

I've been using that for nearly 17 years now.
BUT.. it is a one time question, if they let you discuss the issue with them.

However the initial answer will let you know what they 'understand' regarding salvation. I say it this way because there have been many times a person would state through Christ atonement and resurrection and being living a godly life. You HAVE to qualify what they mean regarding that last part by asking a few more questions. Many time I have found they never really understood the difference between Justification and Sanctification and when pressed on the issue, this group will tell you without reservation - Christ is the only way to heaven but we must live like we are believers, thus 'illustrating' through their life, they are saved.

At the same time, there are many more who are place their salvation partly in Christ and their works. But this question allows them to answer not YOU but to God, in their own minds. What would they tell - HIM. You will find MANY who will balk at having to give answer because they just don't know, even if they have been "quote' believers 'unquote", for Years.

Unfortunately, after the initial question and discussion, they know what you believe and can tell you what they think you want them to say. But what has always intrigued me is the people who come back to me later, saying they couldn't get that question out of their mind and it has been bothering them to no end - then I get to share the gospel either again, or for the first time (depending if they allowed me to initially).