“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV)

 The Rev. Billy Graham tells of a time early in his career when he arrived in a small town to preach a sermon. Wanting to mail a letter, he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy had told him, Dr. Graham thanked him, and said, “If you’ll come to the Baptist Church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone how to get to heaven.”

“I don’t think I’ll be there,” the boy said, “You don’t even know your way to the post office.”

 The above story is funny, but it does make a serious point about showing someone the way to know God; why would anyone ever ask you for directions to find Him if you don’t seem to know the way yourself? 

If you were asked, could you?

If someone handed you a Bible and asked you you to show them what it says about how to become born-again, could you? If not, you’re not alone, most Christians can’t. That’s too bad, because if they could and if they freely shared the way to find Jesus, the world would be a different place. 

 The great commission is a command to all believers 

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

We are to be prepared to share 

The following are a few questions you can ask others along with some Bible verses to bring them into a relationship with Jesus. 

 Questions to ask others

• Would you like a new life with a new purpose?

• Would you like to know how to have a victorious, happy life, here and now?

• Have you ever thought about eternal life?

• Would you like forgiveness for the past and hope for the future?

If their answer is “yes” to any of the above questions. Share the following with them.

1. Realize that you have “fallen short” and are departed from God because of your sin. 

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

2. God’s free gift to you is eternal life. It was paid for you by Jesus Christ, when he died on the cross for you. 

 “For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

3. Christ died for you, taking your sin penalty upon himself, to bring you to God.

 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

4. You need to repent (change your attitude toward sin). Tell God that you are sorry for your sin and turn away from it. 

“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)

5. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you and ask him to forgive you of your sins. 

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

“In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14)

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raided him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

6. Pray to receive Christ 

Pray like this:  

“Dear God, I believe by faith that Jesus, your Son, died on the cross to be my Savior. I believe he arose from the grave to live as my Lord. I turn away from my sin. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to forgive my sin. I trust you as my Savior and receive you as my Lord. Thank you, Jesus for saving me. I pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and savior, Amen.” 

7. Assurance - God’s Word assures you that you now have eternal life in His Son, Jesus Christ.

“And this is the testimony, that God gave 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 that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

Quote:

“The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God’s plan to save His children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save His children.” - Max Lucado

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

This is undoubtedly the best-known promise in the Bible. You see John 3:16 posted prominently in many places, such as on billboard signs, on the sides of buses, on bumper stickers, and even painted on people’s faces and bodies, at televised sporting events.

But, sadly, most people don’t understand what it means!

Let’s define the words within the verse

– For God (the creator, Himself)

– So loved (cared for deeply and affectionately)

– The world (the whole of human civilization)

– That He gave (He freely transferred the possession of)

– His only (the only one He had)

– begotten Son (born son)

– that whosoever (whoever, anyone, any person)

– believes (truly accepts, wholeheartedly trusts, puts confidence in)

– In Him (the Savior, Jesus Christ)

– should not perish (not destroyed, not permanently lost)

– but have everlasting (eternal, endless)

– Life (intimate relationship with the living God)

Make it your personal promise!

John 3:16 is a very wonderful and personal promise! You can personalize it and apply it to your life this way: Add YOUR NAME everywhere you see an asterisk * below.

“For God so loved * that He gave

His only begotten Son, that if *

believes in Him. *  should not perish

but * shall have everlasting life.”

Signed in His Blood, Jesus Christ

Why God did this wonderful thing

Most people have heard John 3:16, but not the very next verse, John 3:17, which explains clearly why God sent His Son into the world.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17 NKJV).

God sent Jesus to save the world!

You must receive Him for yourself

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12 KJV)

It changed my life!

I received Jesus Christ into my life many years ago while driving down a busy road! I had just read a little gospel booklet that I had found in a glove compartment. It explained to me how to pray a simple prayer of faith to ask Jesus for forgiveness and to be my Savior.

I prayed, “Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me!  I believe in you and need you! Please forgive me of my sins and come into my life. I invite you to be my Savior! In Jesus Name, Amen!

That simple prayer changed my life dramatically forever that day! 

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“For you were bought with a price.” (1 Cor.6:20 ESV)

The maiden’s price paid in camels 

I heard an old story, supposedly true, about a rich young man in a far eastern country who was making arrangements with a young maiden’s father to marry her. Marriages in that country were always arranged and based solely upon the prospective groom’s ability to pay the required dowry (the price for her). The dowry was usually paid with camels. An average maiden would usually be valued at one to two camels, an above average one would be two to three camels, and an exceptional one could be as much as four camels, tops! But, a four-camel maiden would have to be exceptionally beautiful and would have to possess many other valuable skills and attributes, to ever be worth that much.

Nine camels!

The young man met with the father and said, “I offer you nine camels for your daughter!” Nine camels! This amount was unheard of! No one had ever paid more than four camels for a bride before! And this man was offering to pay nine camels for his daughter! The father immediately accepted the offer and was thrilled to receive such a high dowry amount for his daughter! He then set out to publicly announce the upcoming marriage along with the amount that was paid. Nine camels!

The story soon spread far and wide. 

People asked, “Who is this remarkable woman, who is worth so much? She must be exceptionally beautiful! She must be an extraordinary woman in every possible way, far above any other!”

Everything changed for the bride to be!

The father said, “I must have failed to notice how beautiful, wonderful, and valuable my daughter is. But not anymore! From now on, she will be treated as royalty in my home! She will sit at my right hand, the best place at my table! She will be served first. She will be given the best food. She will be clothed in the finest garments. All her needs and wishes will be taken care of by my servants.” Everyone in her village began to treat her differently, too. When she would arrive, people would say, “Here comes the beautiful nine-camel woman!” And they would admire her! Instantly she became valuable! The maiden was the same person as before, yet everything had changed for her! In an instant she became valuable. It was because of the price that was paid for her!

The highest price was paid for you!

In the same way, you have been bought with a price! (1 Cor. 6:20). And that price is the most valuable payment that has ever been paid! You have been paid for “with the precious blood of Jesus Christ”! (1 Peter 1:19).

Therefore…

YOU are valuable because of the price that was paid!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” (Eph. 2:8 ESV)

“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV)

“Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matt. 19:31 ESV)

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14 ESV)

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“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13 KJV)

This is a wonderful and very powerful promise!

First, it says, “For Whosoever”! Wow! That means ANYONE who calls upon the Lord SHALL be saved! And, this promise is MUCH BIGGER than it looks when you define the last word in this promise “saved” in the original Greek language. That word for “saved” is “sozo” (σῴζω – sózó).

Here is the Greek translation: (you can look it up yourself in Strong’s Concordance):

• Saved from destruction,

• Healed from disease,

• Rescued from the penalty of sin, and

• Protected from danger.

Therefore!

So, what does this familiar promise say now that you know the Greek definition of the word “saved” (sozo) that is used in this promise? Let’s look.

“For whosoever shall call upon of the name of the Lord shall be saved, healed, rescued, and protected!

And, on top of this, the Greek word sozo (saved) is found 108 times in the New Testament! Now that’s something to get really excited about!

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“He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.” (Job 12:22)

Before I had personally prayed to commit my life to Jesus I had been attending church on Sunday mornings with the family I was living with. I wasn't interested in religious things really, and was only going to church because I felt duty bound to do so because they were committed to it.

A simple prayer changed everything!

Then, one afternoon while driving, I prayed a simple heartfelt prayer and asked Jesus to come into my life and help me. I had been struggling with alcohol and prayed the simple prayer in a fit of desperation. Afterwards, I felt a great sense of relief.

A big difference

The following Sunday I was back in the same church as usual, but something was very different! The pastor seemed to be preaching much better and clearer than before! He was interesting! I could understand what he was talking about! I enjoyed it! Afterwards, I complimented him on his “new and improved” style of preaching. I told him I was glad he changed his preaching style and hoped he continued to preach this way instead of the boring way he usually did. He just looked at me and said, “Mike! I haven't changed! I spoke exactly the same way I always do! So, if it isn't me, something obviously must have changed with you!” I then remembered that I had prayed to invite Jesus into to my life.”

The light had come on with me!

Jesus is “the light of the world” and after I had received him, he brought his light into my life. That's why I was suddenly different. I was a new creation in Jesus! I had come to see the light!

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12 NIV)

“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” (Psalm 68:11 KJV)

What are gospel tracts?

The dictionary defines a tract as “a piece of writing expressing a strong belief, usually about religion or politics.” Therefore, gospel tracts are pieces of writing expressing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Fulfilling God’s command to “preach the Word” 

We’re commanded in 2 Timothy 4:2 to be ready to “preach the Word” at all times. People usually think of preaching as a spoken sermon, but there are many preaching methods. One way to “preach the Word” is through the use of gospel tracts which is the gospel message in written form usually on a small piece of paper or a pamphlet or booklet. I found one of them in a glove compartment while out partying with some friends over 50 years ago. We had stopped at a liquor store to get some beer. While my friends were in the store I rustled through their glove compartment for some matches to light a cigarette. I didn’t find matches, but I did find a small booklet with the title on front that said, “This Was Your Life!” It explained how Jesus had died on the cross for my sins and how I could pray and receive Him as my personal savior. I prayed that prayer and instantly my life was changed! I don’t know how that booklet got into my friend’s glove compartment (he wasn’t a Christian) but I’m glad it had been put there, because God used it to bring me to Jesus Christ. 

Where to get gospel tracts

• Chick publications: https://www.chick.com/ 

• Good News Tracts / American Tract Society: https://goodnewstracts.wordpress.com

• Gospel tract: “People Can Be Recycled, Too!” Below is link to a gospel tract I put together for the automotive recycling industry which I had worked in for many years in a business capacity. It’s called, “People Can Be Recycled, Too!” Many thousands of them have been printed and distributed broadly. Many automotive recycler companies include one in every product shipment. Even though created with auto recyclers in mind, they are used by many others who like the concept of people being “recycled to a new purpose” by Jesus. The digital version can be easily shared with anyone electronically. Feel free to share the link!

https://www.mikefrench.com/recycledpeople

Therefore…

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

Today’s Promise to Memorize* 

“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.” (Rom. 10:9)

You must believe in your heart

I have “believed” in Jesus all my life. That is, I believed that there was once a man named Jesus, who was born in a place called Bethlehem with parents called Joseph and Mary. In other words, I believed in the basic Christmas story. But I didn’t have a clue why that was important or what it meant personally. I didn’t understand that simply believing that Jesus existed isn’t enough to be saved. The demons believe that and tremble, yet they aren’t saved (James 2:19). The above passage says you must “believe in your heart” (that’s personally and deeply) two things: 1) that Jesus is Lord, and 2) that God raised Him from the dead. And there is listed one more step: You must declare it with your mouth! The next verse explains why that’s important. 

“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.” (Rom. 10:10 NIV)

How it happened to me

One day I found a little gospel booklet that explained my sin nature and told how Jesus had died on the cross and shed His blood to pay for my sins. It told how He had risen from the dead, is alive today, and that He is the only way to be saved from hell. The booklet included a little prayer to receive Christ: “O God, I am  a sinner. I’m sorry for my sins. I’m willing to turn from my sins. I receive Christ as Savior. I confess Him as Lord. From this moment on I want to follow Him and serve Him in the fellowship of His church. In Christ’s Name, Amen.” I prayed that prayer and immediately I was saved!I then began telling everyone about Jesus! 

Additional References 

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.” (John 13:13 ESV)

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” (John 11:25 ESV)

“Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’” (John 6:29 ESV)

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:15 ESV)

A Reminder

*Over the next few days I am posting Bible promises every believer MUST know (and commit to memory) to be fully equipped no matter what they are faced with. Meditate on them and memorize them. 

Proven ways to help memorize:

1.     Hand write it on 3x5 card.

2.     Always include the Bible reference at the beginning and repeat it again at the end. 

3.     Read it through several times and think about what it means (mediate on it). 

4.     Say it out loud a few times.  

5.     Refer to it throughout the day and say it to yourself (a few words at a time if necessary) until you can say it correctly without looking.