I prefer the words “point someone to Christ” rather than “win someone” or “lead someone to Christ.” Those expressions are not necessarily wrong, but they can make it sound as though we have the power to save someone or control their decision.

We do not.

We cannot change a heart, forgive sin, or give eternal life. Our part is to point people to Jesus Christ, explain the gospel, and tell them what God has said. God works in the heart, and the person must respond.

Many believers have never personally explained the gospel to another person. They may invite someone to church and hope the pastor will do it. Inviting people to church is good, but it is not the same as sitting with someone and showing them from Scripture how they can be saved.

What would you say if someone asked, “How can I be saved?”

You do not need a memorized speech, a Bible degree, or the answer to every question. You do need to understand the gospel well enough to explain it in simple words.

A good place to begin is by asking, “What do you believe makes a person right with God?”

Then listen.

Their answer may show that they are trusting in being a good person, going to church, being baptized, helping others, or belonging to a religion. Once you know what they believe, you can show them what Scripture says.

The first thing they need to understand is who Jesus Christ is. Jesus is not merely a teacher, prophet, or good man. He is the Son of God, God who came in the flesh, the Lord and Savior.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).

Peter said, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Jesus is not one way among many. He is the only way to God.

The next thing a person must understand is why they need salvation.

Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Sin is more than doing bad things once in a while. Sin is disobedience to God. It includes our actions, words, thoughts, desires, and refusal to live under God’s rule. Every person has sinned. No one measures up to God’s holiness.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Wages are what we earn. Sin earns death, separation from God, and judgment. Eternal life is not something we earn. It is God’s gift through Jesus Christ.

A person may say, “But I am a good person.”

Do not argue or insult them. Ask whether being better than someone else makes them innocent before a holy God. We are not judged by comparing ourselves with other people. We are judged by the truth of God.

Then point them to what Christ has done.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus did not die for people who had already made themselves worthy. He died for sinners.

Paul explained the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Christ took the punishment sinners deserved. He truly died, He was buried, and He rose from the dead. His resurrection proved that death was defeated and that He is who He claimed to be.

Salvation cannot be earned.

Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Good works, religion, baptism, and church membership cannot erase sin. Those things may have a proper place after salvation, but none of them can save.

God commands people to repent.

Acts 17:30 says, “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.”

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

Repentance is not merely feeling bad about sin. It is a change of mind that causes a person to turn from sin and turn to Christ. It is agreeing with God about our guilt and surrendering our right to rule our own life.

The person must also believe in Christ.

When the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Believing is more than agreeing that Jesus existed or that the Bible is true. It means trusting Him as Savior and bowing to Him as Lord.

Romans 10:9–10 says, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Saving faith is from the heart. It confesses Jesus as Lord because the person truly believes in Him.

This is where we must be careful about what is often called the sinner’s prayer.

Scripture never gives us a special prayer for an unbeliever to repeat. We should not feed someone a set of words and then tell them they are saved because they repeated them.

A person may certainly cry out to God in prayer. They may confess their sin, ask for mercy, and call upon Christ. But the words do not save them. Christ saves those who repent and believe.

John 3:36 says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Believing and obeying are connected. Obedience does not earn salvation, but a life that never changes gives no good reason to believe the faith is real.

Genuine faith begins a changed life. The person will still struggle and sometimes fail, but they now belong to Christ and desire to follow Him.

An ordinary believer could explain the gospel like this:

“You and I have both sinned against God, and our good deeds cannot remove that guilt. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. God commands us to repent and believe in Christ. You cannot be saved by being good, joining a church, being baptized, or repeating a prayer. You must turn to Christ, trust Him, and surrender your life to Him. He alone can forgive you and give you eternal life. You should also read God’s Word and obey it, learning to follow Him daily as Lord.”

You may say it in different words, but those truths must be there.

Use Scripture. Speak plainly. Listen carefully. Be honest when you do not know an answer. You can say, “I do not know, but I will look at what the Bible says.”

Do not pressure someone into making a quick decision. Do not try to produce tears or force a prayer. Explain the truth clearly and trust God with the result.

You are not responsible for saving anyone. You are responsible for being faithful.

Before you point someone else to Christ, make certain you truly know Him yourself.

Have you repented of your sin? Are you trusting Christ alone? Have you surrendered to Him as Lord?

A person cannot point others to a Christ they do not know.

So, could you point someone to Christ?

One day, someone may ask you how they can be saved. Be ready to give them more than an invitation to church. Be ready to open the Bible, explain the gospel, and point them to Jesus Christ.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.” – Dean Butler

This work may be shared for ministry or personal use, but please credit the author when doing so. © Dean Butler | The Other Side of Amen | All rights reserved.