How To Present the Gospel

How to Effectively Present the Gospel to a Lost Sinner is part one in a two-part series written by Pastor David Dickerson to encourage Christian evangelism.

The Romans Road

The Romans Road is so called because it is a presentation of the gospel from the Book of Romans. Paul did not establish the church in Rome. The church was most likely started by new converts from the day of Pentecost who returned to Rome along with the help of Aquila and Priscilla.

When Paul started a church, he would teach the new believers the doctrine of salvation in detail. The content of the Book of Romans is what Paul taught all the churches he started. Since Paul providentially did not start the church in Rome, God no doubt purposed to teach all of us the doctrine of salvation, through divine inspiration in the preserved Word of God. The Book of Romans is the doctrinal book of the New Testament and is one of the best ways to present the gospel to a lost sinner. 

Salvation is by Grace Through Faith

Upon presenting the gospel ( euangelion in the Greek and literally means “The Good News”) the soul winner can learn what the lost person knows about the gospel by asking him, “In your own words explain what it takes for one to be saved.” By asking this, you will learn a great deal about what he believes about salvation.

It is very important that the soul winner be able to show the lost sinner the way of salvation from an open Bible. Remember, it is not the preacher’s sermon, but the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, that God uses to bring sinners to the end of themselves in repentance and faith. Salvation is of the Lord! It is not of human ingenuity, intellectual wit, or the church. Salvation is a miracle of grace. Salvation is by divine revelation (Matthew 16:16-17).

God uses the born again believer to present the gospel to lost sinners. God has not relegated the responsibility of evangelism to angels. Let me remind you that an angel instructed Cornelius to send his servants to fetch Peter, so he could declare the gospel to Cornelius and his household (Acts 10). The Great Commission was given by Jesus to the disciples so that they might go into all the world and make other disciples. The first step in making disciples is they must be born again (John 3:1-16). 

The Steps of Evangelism

True Evangelism Begins with Prayer and Holy Spirit Filling.
Evangelism is witnessing-Acts 1:8 (1 Tim. 2:1-f, Acts 1:8; 4:31-f, Luke 24:49)

Mark Your Bible.
That will make it easier for you to find your proof text when sharing the Gospel.

Memorize Key Verses.
Memorize the key verses and their location in order of the salvation presentation.
Key salvation verses in order:
Romans 1:16; 3:23; 3:9-12; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-11

Engage the Lost Person in Conversation. After showing yourself “friendly” to the lost sinner you may ask him, “Can you explain to me what it takes for one to be saved?”. Using a question like this will reveal what the lost one understands about the true gospel. The true gospel does not include keeping the law, doing good works, baptism, or church membership. Being born again (lit. Gk. “born from above”) is a miracle of the Lord. It is by divine revelation. It is God revealing Himself to the lost sinner. It is an experience of grace; whereby, God makes a dead sinner alive unto God by regenerating grace.

He saith unto them, but whom say yet that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 16:15-17

Explain Key Salvation verses to the Lost Sinner.

• Man’s Need of Salvation: Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
  • What is sin? (the Greek word, hamartia) It means to “miss the mark”. 
  • What does it mean to “come short of the glory of God”?
    The glory of God is the manifestation of God’s character or attributes. Most people call God’s most outstanding attribute- love. It is true that God is a God of love, but it’s not His most outstanding attribute. God is first and foremost Holy. Out of His essence of holiness comes all of His attributes. His love is holy. His hatred is holy. His judgment is holy, etc. 
  • “All have sinned”. In other words, we are all guilty of sin acts or deeds which point out we are sinners by nature. Sinful man has missed the standard of God’s holiness.
    
• Man’s Condition Under Sin: Romans 3:9 “…they are all under sin.”
  The Greek words “Hupo” mean under sin and “hamartia” which means to be controlled by. Jews and Gentiles are all “under sin” or “controlled by sin”. It means we are all sinners by nature. Sinners sin sins. Our sin acts reveal that we are sinners by nature. i.e. What makes a pig a pig? Is it because a pig loves slop and mud holes? No, a pig is born a pig! He has a boar and sow as his parents.
  Sinners are born of Adam and it is from Adam we receive our sin nature. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” At our physical birth, we received our sin nature. We must be born again to receive our new nature. That which is born of the Spirit is the spirit of man. Our second birth is a spiritual birth called “regeneration.” (John 3:1-8, 15-16)
  
• The Lost Man’s Condition: Romans 3:9-19
  What does it mean to be under (controlled by) sin? The lost man’s condition is described in Romans 3:9-19. The lost man is dead spiritually toward God. Ephesians 2:1 tells us sinners are spiritually dead in trespasses and sin. 
  • Man is a sinner by nature “under sin” or “controlled by sin”.
  • “There is none righteous, no, not one.” 
  • “There is none that understandeth”.
  • “There is none that seeketh after God”. 
  • “They are all gone out of the way”. 
  • “They are together become unprofitable”. 
  • “There is none that doeth good, no not one”. 
  • “Their throat is an open sepulcher”. 
  • “With their tongues they have used deceit”. 
  • “The poison of asps is under their lips”.
  • “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”. 
  • “Their feet are swift to shed blood”. 
  • “Destruction and misery are in their ways”. 
  • “The way of peace have they not known”.
  • “There is no fear of God  (godly reverence) before their eyes”. 
  • “All the world may become guilty before God”.
    
• Sin’s Penalty is Death. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There are 3 deaths taught in the Bible:
  • Physical Death: Sin’s payday is physical death. After Adam sinned death set in. 
  • Spiritual Death: Spiritual separation from God. Adam & Eve hid from God.  No lost man seeks after God on his own. To be spiritually dead is “to be dead toward God”. (No God consciousness). Man is at enmity with God. “Enmity” lit. means “deep-rooted hatred”, or “hostility”. The lost man is at war with God. Cf. Genesis 3:15; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16; Romans 8:7; Man must be reconciled to God. When a man is “born again” his war with God is over. He is reconciled to God. He is at peace with God (Romans 5:1-2). 
  • Eternal Death: Hell is the immediate destiny for lost sinners at death. The lost will be required to stand before the White Throne judgment and afterward, death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death in the lake of fire. The payday for sin is eternal death. It is eternal separation from God forever.

• God’s Provision is Jesus’ Substitutionary Death: Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth (demonstrated) his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
  The penalty for sin is death, but the gift of God is salvation through the vicarious or substitutionary death of Christ upon the cross. Jesus paid our sin debt.
  
• Man’s Responsibility: Romans 10:9-10
  • “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus…” The word “confess” means “to say again what God has already said.” Lordship salvation includes one’s total surrender to Jesus Christ as his Lord as we see in Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. The gospel is good news and the goodness of God bringeth men to repentance, Romans 2:4.
    Confession in Romans includes several things:
    • One confesses with his heart that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9). 
    • One confesses with all his heart that he believes the gospel. It is implied in the words “raised from the dead” or resurrection. (Romans10:9, 1 Cor. 15:1-4). 
    • One confesses with his heart and mouth. “One believes unto righteousness”.
    • One confesses with His mouth unto salvation or deliverance (Romans 10:10).
  • “…and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 4:24-25). Jesus was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification.
  • They that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
    “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” Righteousness comes by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” It is man’s responsibility to confess. Confession is to be made with the mouth unto salvation (deliverance). Romans 5:1-f.
    

We do not want to press a sinner into a decision without the true work of God’s regenerating grace. A sensitive appeal should be given after presenting the gospel. It is vital for the witness to be controlled and dependent upon the Holy Spirit. We must ever remember in evangelism there are three parties involved; there is the witness, the lost person, and most importantly the Holy Spirit. 

We do not want to be guilty of word only witnessing. “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Paul was confident that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). We must pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish regenerating grace that produces the fruit of repentance and faith in the sinner’s heart. For the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.