When God brings across your path a person who has come to see his need of a Savior and who sincerely longs to be saved, you are standing on holy ground. Do not rush, and do not lean on your own persuasiveness. Take him to Christ, step by step, and let the Word of God do the work. What follows is a simple order to guide that conversation — not a formula, but a path that keeps pointing away from ourselves and to the Lord Jesus.
I. Show Him Christ as the Sacrifice, the One Who Bore Our Sins
Before a burdened heart can rest, it must see where its guilt has gone. It did not vanish; it was carried. Show him that God Himself laid our sin on His Son.
The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
Christ became a curse for us.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” (Galatians 3:13)
Christ was made sin for us.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
II. Show Him Christ as the Risen Savior, the One “Who Is Able to Save Completely”
Show him that through faith in the crucified Christ we receive the forgiveness of our sins, but through faith in the risen Christ we receive deliverance from the power of sin. The cross settles our guilt; the empty tomb breaks sin’s grip.
Christ is able to save completely.
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
Christ is able to keep us from stumbling and falling.
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— (Jude 24)
The risen Christ holds all authority.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)
He has the authority to save!
We are guarded by the power of God.
who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5)
The gospel: Christ died — He rose again. Christ is not dead; He is alive!
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
III. Show Him Christ as Lord
It is not enough to know Christ only as Savior; we must know Him also as Lord. The One who died for us has every right to rule us.
God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah.
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36)
We must receive Christ as Lord.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. (Acts 10:36)
IV. Show Him How to Make Christ His Own Personal Savior and Lord
Now the great question becomes personal. It is not enough to admire Christ from a distance; he must receive Him. Show him what receiving Christ brings.
Those who receive Christ become children of God.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— (John 1:11-12)
“Whoever believes in Him” has eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
“Whoever believes in Him” receives forgiveness of his sins.
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43)
All who believe in Christ are justified.
Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)
V. Show Him the Need to Confess Christ Openly
The sinner’s conversion cannot be clear and settled until he has confessed Christ with his mouth before others as his own personal Savior. Faith that is real does not stay hidden; it comes to speech.
If you declare 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 profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
VI. Lead Him to Full Assurance
The new believer must be brought to the place where he can say with full assurance: “I know that I am saved; I know that I have eternal life.” Assurance does not rest on feelings, but on the promises of God, written down that we might know.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (John 3:36)
Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:10-13)
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— (John 1:12)
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)
VII. Give Him Instructions on How to Live as a Christian
The reason so many Christians live a life full of failures, of “falling and getting up” and the like, lies in the fact that when they received Christ they were never taught how to live as Christians. Do not leave the newborn believer without direction. Put into his hands the first steps of the walk of faith.
Instructions to Those Who Have Believed
Confess Christ constantly before others.
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32)
Study God’s Word regularly and keep it in your heart.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, (1 Peter 2:2)
Pray without ceasing.
pray continually, (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Surrender your will fully to God and obey Him in everything.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:32)
Work for Christ; bring souls to Him.
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. (Proverbs 11:30)
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19)
Pray that God would baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (Acts 1:4)
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:32)
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)
Attend the gatherings regularly.
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
Be a steady and generous giver to God’s work.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)
Do not look to people as your example, but only to Christ.
Think what Christ would think in your place, do what He would do, walk where Christ would walk.
Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” (John 21:18-23)