What does the Bible say about how to lead someone to Christ?

The first moments of the Holy Ghost's presence here on earth were employed in sweeping into the circle of blessing thousands of souls. Those disciples, in fervent love to their Lord and Master, began to fulfil His command that day. Empowered by the Spirit of God, they proved themselves to be His friends, worthy to be trusted with the precious gospel. But how do we stand? The gospel is just as dear to the Lord's heart as ever, and the power of the Holy Ghost is just as great. But are we proving ourselves to be His friends in this line of His work? If we are near to Him we shall. Andrew went and found his own brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. The woman of Sychar went forth eagerly to bring others to the One in whose company she had been. Had the apostles held their peace it would never have been recorded that "they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

If such was the way the Lord acted in the midst of Israel to draw hearts to Himself, how did those who came after Him attempt to spread the faith? Did they try to create enthusiasm for Him as the victim of Jewish malice, by expatiating on His goodness, acts of kindness, and mighty works? Peter at Jerusalem, and Paul at Antioch and elsewhere, preach Christ, but a Christ for sinners, and what, believing on Him, the soul can receive from God. At Pentecost, at the Beautiful gate of the temple, before the council (Acts 5), in the house of Cornelius, in the synagogue at Antioch, or at Corinth, the plan pursued was always the same. Successful then, it will be successful still; and, whatever people may say of the beautiful moral picture exhibited in the life of the Lord on earth, and however they may endeavour to account in their own way for the spread of Christianity, what Scripture sets before us as the grand secret of engaging the heart, and drawing disciples after Christ, is just simply to preach as Peter and Paul preached, and imitate His example, who proclaimed that He could meet the deep necessities of fallen man; and that in Himself they had what nowhere else could be found, the answer to death and judgment — all that man dreaded, and that inexhaustible fountain which quenches for ever the thirst of the soul.

They preached the Lord Jesus. They preached the One who suffered on the cross that men might be saved, exalted now to the throne of God on high, administering from that place in glory the grace of God for the blessing of men. What was the result of that preaching? A great number believed. That was the first thing, and having believed they turned to the LORD. They believed the glad tidings that God sent them, those wonderful tidings of the full and free salvation, and the result of believing those tidings was, they turned to the LORD. A great many people profess to believe who never turn. It is not a bit of use professing to believe if you do not turn. The result of real faith is that you turn.

Evangelists, as their names would suggest, are heralds of the glad tidings, preachers of the gospel of the grace of God, who awaken the careless and win souls to Christ. It is not every one who is an evangelist, though all should have the love of souls, and be ready to point the sinner to Christ. But men who are evangelists by gift have a true passion for souls, true longing and travailing in birth for them; they are instructed how to present the gospel, how to gather in the souls, to distinguish true anxiety from false, and reality from mere profession. It is their joy to bring sinners to Christ, to see those who were in the world brought into the Church. The evangelist is a man of prayer, for he realizes that the work is all of God, and that "methods" are but of little worth. He is a man of faith, who counts on the living God. He is a student of Scripture, that he may present only the truth to souls. He is a man of courage, not fearing to go even where "bonds and imprisonment" may await him, that he may carry the glorious gospel of the blessed God to the perishing. He is a man of energy, instant in season, out of season. He is a man of perseverance, not discouraged if he fails to see immediate fruit from his labor. Lastly, he is a man of humility, glorying in another, saying from the heart, "Not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

If they make a practice of giving out gospel tracts, or of speaking to others of Christ when an occasion arises, this may lead to an opportunity of having a Bible study in a home along gospel lines, with people who may have never before had a real knowledge of the gospel of grace. Then if the Lord should give the deep joy of leading someone to Himself, this may work in giving a better understanding of the need of such people after they are saved.

Through the mercy of God, you and I are not bound to anyone with a coupling-chain, but we are daily brought into contact with many. We go to school, or to the shop, or office, we do our shopping, the baker calls or the postman: I wonder is it manifest to each that we belong to Christ? Are these daily contacts for the furtherance of the Glad Tidings? Were Paul in our place, they surely would be. God may use even a child for this work. I recall a boy of 12 or 14 who was used to lead a man to Christ, by giving him a tract each time he left his films to be developed: at first the man laughed at him, but he told me himself, that child was really the means of winning him to Christ: and after he was won, he used to open his shop in the evenings for Gospel meetings, and who knows how many others were won?

"And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by the river-side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake to the women which resorted thither." They had not much light, but they were anxious clearly, to get the gospel, and God's messengers very wisely sat down, and spake to the women. I sometimes say, I think the gospel got into Europe in the character of an after-meeting. I mean, in what should be the character of an after-meeting. There was no preaching. I do not find that either Paul, or Luke, or Silas preached. They "sat down and spake to the women." Do you know, if you Christian young men were to go in a little more for that conversational evangelising, you would be amazed at what would be the outcome. I was talking to a young man coming to the meeting tonight. He has only been converted six weeks, and he said to me, "Doctor, I think we who are turned to the Lord, ought to be showing our light" "Yes, certainly," I replied. "And do you not think we should try to turn others about?" "Most surely," I answered. "Well," he said, "it strikes me that Christians do not do that very much." I replied: "You are quite right. We should bear testimony to other people, but I am afraid we are too much inclined to relegate our testimony to other people, — people called preachers, — and think that it is their duty alone to do so." But that is not so; if you know Christ and love Him, you will tell anybody you know about Him. That is the way to spread the gospel, and it is wonderful how it will spread.

But some one will say, probably, 'What can I do? I cannot preach. I do not feel qualified for the work.' Perhaps not. Still there is much work to be done besides preaching the gospel. We can seek to bring our friends and neighbours to the gospel services, for instance, so that they may hear the words of life. It would be well also if we cultivated a more implicit faith in the power of the word alone to reach the hearts of sinners. Again, a tract may be given by the way, or a word spoken to some weary heart, which may result in eternal blessing for the soul, and bring glory to the name of the Lord Jesus. Thus every Christian may be used in some way, if not in the same way, in proclaiming the message of salvation to all, through Christ.

It is such testimony that God owns and blesses. And it is within the reach of all to speak the simple word pointing out the direction in which salvation is to be obtained, backing up the word with a faithful life. Very few are able to explain to audiences the doctrine of justification by faith and expiation by blood. But everyone can point the sinner to Christ, and say, "That is the One to save you." Only you must give others to see that you have been to Him yourself, and that He has given you something not to be obtained anywhere else.

For the Christianizing or converting of the world much may be needed in the way of arrangement. For the taking out of the nations a people for Christ's name, the divine process indicated, though most simple, is most efficacious. Souls are drawn out of the world to Christ by the faithful presentation of Christ Himself in the way of testimony. Granted that such faithful witness to Christ is maintained, it is only further necessary that immediate and personal dependence upon Christ as Leader and Lord be found with each servant for the service to achieve its object.