https://youtu.be/sVvecXhnNYQ
Rom 1:16; Expanded Translation: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the capacity and ability of God for providing salvation to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ; both to the Jew foremost, and also to the Greek (Gentile.)"
This brings us to a brief study of the Doctrine of Evangelism or witnessing.
There are three categories of evangelism that incrementally began to function after Adam and the woman were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and children were born.
Personal evangelism conducted by all believers, evangelism through the function of the spiritual gift, and national evangelism through client nation missionary activity.
Personal Evangelism or witnessing has three characteristics described in 1Thes 1:4-7; Verbal witnessing in the power of the Holy Spirit through the filling of the Spirit and passing the categories of testing as a life testimony.
Effective evangelism requires spiritual growth because the evangelist must have impersonal love, humility, and an accurate understanding of the subject of the Gospel. The greater the spiritual growth, the more effective is personal witnessing, and the more effective is the spiritual gift of evangelism or the testimony of one's life.
God the Holy Spirit is the sovereign executive of witnessing. Since the unbeliever has no human spirit, the Holy Spirit acts as a human spirit to make the Gospel understandable to him, John 16:8-11;
The only sin that is an issue in witnessing is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ. Personal sins are not the issue in evangelism. Rejection of Jesus Christ results in judgment and condemnation at the Great White Throne. John 3:16,18,36;
Common grace is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in making the Gospel clear to the thinking of the unbeliever. Efficacious grace is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in making the nonmeritorious faith of the unbeliever effective for salvation.
According to 1Cor 2:14; the unbeliever can NOT properly understand the Gospel apart from the ministry God the Holy Spirit.
The weapon in witnessing is the doctrine of the Gospel that is comprised of the relevant Bible doctrine Rom 1:16, "The Gospel is the power of God for salvation;" not pleasing personality or persuasive presentation of the Gospel. 1Cor 1:18; 1Cor 2:1-5;
Every member of God's royal family has the responsibility to witness.
The witness of the life is found in 2Cor 3:3; 2Cor 6:3; and of words in 2Cor 5:14-21; 2Cor 6:2;
The believer must witness in the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he must exclude every system of human salesmanship so no false motivation is involved.
The believer must understand the doctrines of Christology and salvation, with emphasis on the doctrines of reconciliation, redemption, propitiation, imputation, justification, and atonement.
The ability to witness depends on correct understanding of the Gospel, especially the doctrine of reconciliation, Eph 2:14-17; Correct and accurate information aka truth is always the basis of effective power.
Our passage in Rom 1:14-16; explains our responsibility and mental attitude in witnessing.
Believers must have assurance of their eternal security; this provides stability in the Gospel presentation, Rom 8:38-39; 1Pet 1:4-5;
Witnessing is the function of the royal ambassadorship. The motivation for witnessing comes from our priesthood and our love for God, 2Cor 5:18-21;
The ministry of reconciliation described here belongs to all three categories of witnessing: personal witnessing, the function of the evangelist, and the function of the missionary
A great disaster in witnessing is failure to clearly make believing in Jesus Christ the only issue. Jesus Christ is the only issue; not renunciation of sins, or giving up bad habits or taboos. All of that is a false "gospel" that is based on salvation by works.
Changing one's behavior pattern, personality, or personal sins accomplishes nothing toward salvation. Feeling sorry for sins, and being baptized are false issues in salvation. Avoid using gimmicks which confuse the issue, such as emotional begging, public invitation, walking of aisles, raising hands, etc.
Effective witnessing depends on the ministry of the Holy Spirit in His convicting and convincing ministry.
The Holy Spirit makes the presentation of the Gospel understandable and real under common grace; this is the spiritual inhale.
Efficacious grace is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in making effectual the spiritual exhale of faith in Jesus Christ and the person who believes is born again into spiritual life.
Rom 1:16; Expanded Translation: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the capacity and ability of God for providing salvation to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ; both to the Jew foremost, and also to the Greek (Gentile.)"