How to Counsel for Salvation

The great commission of Christ is that the Gospel be preached to every creature. Every Christian can be involved in this exciting task. If you are to carry out your responsibility, you must have a practical method of presenting the way of salvation.

A lady once told an evangelist, “I don’t like your method.” He replied, “I’m not totally satisfied with it myself, what’s yours?” She answered, “I don’t have one,” to which the evangelist responded, “I like my method better than yours.”

The point is to start with a method. Change it if you wish, modify it if you must, but start with a method. If you do not have a method you will probably not witness at all. If you have a method, you will present the Gospel more often, improving, gaining confidence and becoming more effective each time.

After establishing a rapport with a person in a warm, friendly, tactful way, make the transition from talking about secular things to spiritual things.
Here are three suggested questions:

i. “Do you know for sure that you are going to heaven?” The response is usually, “No, I am not sure”, or, “I hope so.”

ii. Then ask, “Has anyone ever shown you from the Bible how you can know for sure you are going to heaven?” Almost always the reply will be, ~

iii. Ask, “May I?” Most often the reply will be positive. If in the extremely rare case they say “No,” respect their decision, but, keep the friendship open. Perhaps some time in the future you will have another opportunity.

If you are courteous and genuinely concerned, people are not offended, but willing to talk about spiritual things.

At this point you can proceed to open your Bible to Romans 3:23
Here are the four key verses you can use to outline God’s plan for salvation:

Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8 & Romans 10:9

Often in your bible, there is a space for you to write notes. In case you suddenly forget which verses you are supposed to turn to, you should do the following:

First put a bookmark at Roman 3:23.
At the space beside the first verse at Romans 3:23 in your bible, write ‘Romans 6:23‘. After that, beside Romans 6:23 write ‘Romans 5:8‘. Beside Romans 5:8 write ‘Romans 10:9‘. Beside Romans 10:9, write ‘1 John 5:11-12‘.

This is so that you will always remember which verse to turn to next.

As well as knowing the verses, it is vitally important that you know how to use them.

The following pages will guide you along as to what to say.