Preface

When I was starting out learning about the Bible, I would speak to people in such as way that it could turn them away from Christ rather than bringing them closer to Him. 

In this article, I’ll explain some of the mistakes I made and saw when talking about the Bible with others.

Useless Arguments

One day—just as an example—I heard one of my peers talking about the Bible, yet . . . what was that? Did I just hear them say something I mildly disagreed with even though I didn’t know why I believed what I did? How crazy is that?! 

I would enter the conversation, explaining what I believed and why they were wrong. I wouldn’t know what I was talking about half the time, but I still kept on talking and talking about the very minor issue whichI had no education on.

Why was this wrong of me? For several reasons:.

1. I was pulling things from out of nowhere to continue an argument I knew nothing about. If you have to argue about something, know what you are talking about; never pull things out of thin air.
2. I was arguing for the sake of arguing. If you argue with somebody with no clear goal other than winning, you will turn that person away from Christ, rather than toward him. A Christian’s goal should be to focus the conversation on Christ and not simply to win an argument. Arguing for the sake of it causes strife and turns the point away from Jesus.
3. Arguing about minor theological differences is never a good idea. I’m talking about issues that do not pertain to Salvation or how Christians should live. It is acceptable to gently correct somebody, but getting into heated arguments about concepts such as the age of the Earth is plain silly.

In this day and age, preaching Hellfire is not the best strategy

John the Baptist would go around preaching judgment on sinners, but that was then and this is now. People back then were more willing to accept this approach than they are today. 

While I do believe in Hell, I do not think it best to go on the street corner and scream how everybody is going to Hell if they do not repent this very moment. 

As Christians today, we need to focus on the love of Christ. Many groups in the world do not believe there is a God, and if there is, He would not love them.

I hear many Christians around the world seeming to only care about damnation, and not the Salvation offered by God. In this day and age, people are more sensitive, and so we must match our approach to reach more people about how Christ loves them and died for them.

Conclusion

God calls us all to tell the world—which is under Satan’s reign as of now—about Christ. He calls us to be prepared and speak gently with others (1 Peter 3:15). We must keep our sole focus on Jesus Christ and what He did for us whenever we are speaking to others.

If the conversation gets away from Jesus, reel it back. When you plead your case for Jesus and the person you are talking to is arguing for the sake of winning—this is a sign they are not willing to accept the Gospel. Stay on track and, if need be, walk away when the Gospel has been offered to them. We are planting a seed, and it may take many seeds to turn them towards Christ. Finally, as we plant, recognize that it is God that causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:7).