One of the biggest fears that Christians face when it comes to sharing the gospel is the fear of not knowing what to say. Many evangelistic training courses seek to resolve this problem by equipping believers with an outline for sharing, but something most courses have in common is that they recommend quoting or using Scripture in evangelism. If you want to be effective in sharing the good news, then the best words you can share are the words of God.
The Christian who carries God’s Word in his or her heart (Psalm 119:11) is better equipped to proclaim the truth with their mouth.
In open-air work, we are often required to speak without much preparation. One minute we could be speaking with a cultural Christian or churchgoer, and the next we could be speaking with someone who has no concept of Christianity. It is very hard to prepare for all the different possibilities on the street, so the best way we can prepare to share the truth with everyone is to memorise Scripture. This will be a resource the Holy Spirit will draw upon as we point sinners to the Saviour (John 14:26).
1) Scripture is Powerful in Evangelism
Sharing the gospel is not about clever arguments, a charming personality, or the power of persuasion. We aren’t called to be slick salesmen trying to sell Jesus. No, we are simply called to share the truth. The best way to do that is through Scripture.
God promises to bless the sharing of His Word.
Romans 10:17 – “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Isaiah 55:11 – “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Scripture is the means God uses to make people understand salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). Since this is the case, we should see it as our powerful resource for sharing the good news.
2) Scripture Keeps Us Focused on God’s Message
In open-air work, you will face many questions. From “Why does God allow suffering?” to “Is there really only one way to Heaven?” and “What about the other religions?” When questions like these arise, it is easy for us to give our opinions or fall back on an argument we have heard from someone else. A much better response would be to show the questioner the answer from Scripture.
A story is told about the American evangelist, R.A. Torrey, who was once conducting a series of evangelistic meetings. Attending these meetings was a local Unitarian minister who denied the Trinity and the truth of the gospel. Each day, he would come to Torrey to argue, but Torrey would politely decline and simply quote Scripture in reply. For days this continued: a question asked, and Scripture given in response. Eventually, the Unitarian minister came to saving faith. The truth of Scripture had answered his questions and shown him the way to Christ.
The best way for us to evangelise is not to rely upon our own wit and knowledge, but to share God’s truth. Scripture stored in our memory helps us stay focused on God’s message.
3) Scripture Equips Us for Spiritual Battle
Sharing the gospel in the open-air can, at times, be discouraging. There have been many times when I have come home from an outreach and thought, “Surely, a nice little country pastorate would be better than this!” In those times of discouragement, the best way to answer and be built up is to remind myself of God’s Word.
There are also temptations that Satan throws at us, so, like the Lord Jesus in Matthew 4, we should respond with Scripture. We must take the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17) and fight back. Memorised Bible verses are ready weapons to help us in our spiritual battles.
4) Scripture Enables Us to Minister Anywhere at Any Time
You may not always have a Bible with you (though with smartphones you can!), and you may not even have any tracts. Perhaps you are going about your daily life, and a gospel opportunity arises. What do you do?
Well, you can share the good news with the Bible you have memorised.
When having my haircut, my barber started talking about spiritual matters. It turned out that he was a former Jehovah’s Witness and had many questions. As he cut away, he asked me what I thought. At that moment, I couldn’t pull out a pocket New Testament, but I could share with him different passages from the Bible and then ask him what he thought of those verses.
The Bible memorised will help you share in all situations.
Conclusion
Scripture memory isn’t about impressing others with knowledge; it is about knowing more about the God who loves us. By committing Scripture to memory, we can be more faithful in our proclamation of Christ.
In the next article, I will give you some practical tips and resources on how to memorise Scripture.