If you ask a typical Christian what they need to do in order to grow in their faith the usual answer is,
“Study your Bible, pray, and go to Church.”
That answer doesn’t satisfy me at all! I have seen too many Bible reading, prayer saying, Church going Christians who year after year increase their Bible knowledge while their faith remains stagnant in a swamp of apathy and indifference to the lost world around them.
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In order for your faith to grow it must have all the elements necessary for growth. Unfortunately, too often our efforts to grow our faith take a consumerist approach. We look for the right book, the right preacher, the right method of Bible study, or the right church, anything that can finally give us that spiritual break-through. Yet, if spiritual growth came by just listening to good sermons and studying your Bible our churches would look a lot different today.
So what element of growth is missing in the lives of many Christians? Simply put, they don’t share their faith!
- Faith unshared is a faith untested
- Faith unseen is a faith unreal
- Faith unheard is a faith unbelievable
What I said above about Bible reading, prayer, and going to Church in no way means that those are not vital elements to our faith, they are! Nevertheless, they are not enough.
If you want to strengthen your muscles you know that you must eat healthy, drink lots of water, and get your rest. You also know that if that’s all you do, your muscles will never get any stronger! The missing element is exercise. Your muscles must be put under stress, they must do hard work, they must be pulled and pushed and brought to exhaustion.
Faith, like a muscle, needs exercise for growth. One of the best ways we can exercise our faith is by sharing it with others and I’m convinced that it is the lack of this type of exercise that so often leads to spiritual stagnation in the lives of many believers.
Here are a few ways sharing your faith, strengthens your faith.
1. To share your faith you must know your faith
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1Pe 3:15
Yes, Bible study is important and one of the reason it’s important is because it gives you knowledge that you need to share your faith. Many unbelievers have asked me questions over the years that I couldn’t answer immediately, so I went home and studied up on it and gave them an answer later.
Knowing that tomorrow or next week I’ll have the opportunity to share the gospel with a particular person drives me to God’s Word so that I can answer their questions about Jesus, about God, about sin, about life and death from the Bible.
2. When you share your faith you will encounter difficulties that will strengthen your faith
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Phil 1:12-13)
If you don’t want to rock the boat, if your more interested in living an uneventful life, or if your main goal is to avoid all uncomfortable situations, then by all mean never ever share the gospel!
However, if you believe so deeply in the message of Jesus Christ and if your hope in Jesus is so profound that you want others to have it too, then you must share the gospel. Soon you will encounter difficulties, resistance, and possibly persecution. It is precisely these difficulties that God can use to strengthen your faith.
3. To share your faith you must trust in the power of God
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1Co 1:17
I didn’t even know how weak my faith was until one day as I was preparing to share the gospel with some Ukrainian soldiers and a small thought crept into my head,
“Caleb do you really think these guys are going to believe all of this stuff about the Bible and Jesus?”
My first reaction was to think,
“Why would they? Who am I to come in front of them and tell them they have believed a lie and need to change their core beliefs?”
I realized that my confidence in God’s power and the truth of the gospel wasn’t nearly as strong as I thought it was. That’s when I reminded myself of Scriptures that tell me that the gospel is a display of God’s power and not a display of my own power. How often I need this reminder! The practice of sharing the gospel not only brings me back to this truth but strengthens my faith when I see God giving a positive faith response to the Good News.
4. To share your faith you acknowledge your own weakness
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2Co 4:7
Not only do we see God’s power as we share the gospel but we also acknowledge our own weakness. A true understanding of our weakness and humility before God is vital to spiritual growth. I know of few things more humbling than sharing the gospel.
- It’s humbling because I know that I have no power to change the heart of the person I’m speaking to.
- It’s humbling because I realize that I am not the smartest, most attractive, or best spoken person, and yet God chose me and is willing to use me.
- It’s humbling because I might lose respect or lose a relationship as a result of sharing the gospel.
5. To share your faith you must pray
And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel. Eph 6:19
Yes, I know if you’re reading this article that you probably pray. If you’re like me then you daily pray for the regular stuff of life. You pray for your loved ones, you pray for health and safety, you pray for God’s blessings. Unfortunately, sometimes those prayers can feel routine and blasé. I say them almost as if I know everything’s going to be OK so I mutter out a quick prayer, cover all the important bases and then I’m on with my day.
I found that I as I began to share the gospel my prayers took a different form. I wasn’t just trying to cover the bases any more. I realized that I really needed God’s help, I knew there was no way that I could do this on my own. I prayed with greater passion, more dependence upon God, and less rush.
6. To share your faith is to exercise the truths of God’s Word
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 1Ti 4:15
Paul knew that young Timothy would no grow in his faith without practice. So also we need to practice and exercise our faith if we want to strengthen it. Sharing your faith is one of the greatest ways you can exercise the truths of God’s Word and see them in action as you communicate the gospel.
Give it a try
Friend why don’t you give it a try?
- Pray about what gospel opportunities you have in your life now.
- Make a plan for how you are going to begin gospel conversations with ________.
- Study up in God’s Word so you’ll be prepared to give an answer.
- Pray some more.
- Share the gospel!
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