Sometimes it seems difficult to communicate the love of Christ to others. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer weight of Biblical data and become tongue-tied when trying to share how one can know Christ. Here are three ways to share God’s plan for salvation with others. The first is from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and looks forward, anticipating what Christ would do when He came. The second is from the Gospel of John, which is the only New Testament book specifically addressed to unbelievers (John 20:30–31). The third is from Romans, a letter Paul wrote to believers so that they could truly understand “the mercies of God” (Romans 12:1).
We find in each of the three contexts seven basic principles regarding the need, provision for, and results of salvation:
(1) God is the holy and righteous Creator, and He has sovereign rights over His creation.
(2) Humanity is sinful, and is consequently separated from fellowship with God, and is under His judgment.
(3) God loved the world, sending His Son Jesus to die in order to pay the penalty God requires for sin.
(4) Jesus died, and rose from the dead – proving that He was qualified to pay the penalty.
(5) Whoever believes in Christ has eternal life.
(6) There is no condemnation for those in Him.
(7) As recipients of God’s grace, it would be only reasonable that we should desire to know and please Him.
It is worth mentioning here that points 1 and 2 are vital backstory, and points 6 and 7 are important implications of the Gospel, but according to 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 the content of the Gospel is Christ’s death for sins, His burial, and His resurrection, all according to the Scriptures. Points 3,4, and 5 here specifically represent these truths.
From the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament):
(1) God is the holy and righteous Creator, and He has sovereign rights over His creation.
…Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory. – Isaiah 6:3b
Whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. Listen to this, O Job, stand and consider the wonders of God. – Job 37:13-14
Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. – Psalm 90:2
(2) Humanity is sinful, and is consequently separated from fellowship with God, and is under His judgment.
…for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die. – Genesis 2:17b
…to dust you shall return. – Genesis 3:19b
The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. – Isaiah 64:6
(3) God loved the world, sending His Son Jesus to die in order to pay the penalty God requires for sin.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. – Isaiah 53:5–6
(4) Jesus died, and rose from the dead – proving that He was qualified to pay the penalty.
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced… – Zechariah 12:10a
(5) Whoever believes in Christ has eternal life.
Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. – Genesis 15:6
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. – Psalm 1:6
…And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice…He asked life of You, You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. – Psalm 21:1b and 4
(6) There is no condemnation for those in Him.
How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit! – Psalm 32:1-2
(7) As recipients of God’s grace, it would be only reasonable that we should desire to know and please Him.
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. – Psalm 42:1
So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90: 12
From the Gospel of John:
(1) God is the holy and righteous Creator, and He has sovereign rights over His creation.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. – John 1:1–3
(2) Humanity is sinful, and is consequently separated from fellowship with God, and is under His judgment.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. –John 1:10–11
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. – John 3:5
(3) God loved the world, sending His Son Jesus to die in order to pay the penalty God requires for sin.
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. – John 14:6
(4) Jesus died, and rose from the dead – proving that He was qualified to pay the penalty.
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”– John 20:27
(5) Whoever believes in Christ has eternal life.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:12–13
Truly, truly, I say to you, the believing one has eternal life. – John 6:47
…and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. – John 10:28
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:30–31
(6) There is no condemnation for those in Him.
Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” – John 13:10
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. – John 14:1-2
(7) As recipients of God’s grace, it would be only reasonable that we should desire to know and please Him.
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. – John 17:3
From the Book of Romans:
(1) God is the holy and righteous Creator, and He has sovereign rights over His creation.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. – Romans 1:20
(2) Humanity is sinful, and is consequently separated from fellowship with God, and is under His judgment.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness… – Romans 1:18
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… – Romans 3:23
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned… – Romans 5:12
(3) God loved the world, sending His Son Jesus to die in order to pay the penalty God requires for sin.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16–17
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction… – Romans 3:21–22
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:6–8
(4) Jesus died, and rose from the dead – proving that He was qualified to pay the penalty.
He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. – Romans 4:25
…knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. – Romans 6:9
(5) Whoever believes in Christ has eternal life.
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. – Romans 3:28
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” – Romans 4:3
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23
(6) There is no condemnation for those in Him.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… – Romans 5:1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1
(7) As recipients of God’s grace, it would be only reasonable that we should desire to know and please Him.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? – Romans 6:1–2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1–2
A Concluding Thought
Finally, it is important to recognize that sharing the love of God isn’t just about saying the right words – it is about demonstrating love and care in other tangible ways also. Consider two principles: (1) it is important to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Either love without truth or truth without love results in imbalance. (2) The “great commission” isn’t about evangelizing, it is specifically about making disciples. This means investing time in people’s lives.
Do we love people enough to invest in them? God did.
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