The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one God who eternally exists as 3 equal and distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Many Christians find this difficult to explain, but here are some Scriptures that will help you explain it to people where they can understand it.
The Whole Godhead is physically manifested to people in one Passage of Scripture
Matthew 3:16-17 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus (God the Son) is standing in the water
God the Holy Spirit physically appears as a dove
God the Father Speaks from heaven
This is the best Scripture to show that God eternally exists in 3 distinct persons.
Best Scripture to show that God is one.
1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
This verse is taken out of many other Bible versions except the KJV including the NIV. Therefore, these other versions weaken the doctrine of the Trinity. This is a serious error because a person cannot be saved without believing that Jesus is God.
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
1 John 4:2-3 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
2 John 1:7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
Jesus is the Word. John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
For many Christians the thought of sharing the gospel with others seems to be a daunting task.
Some may feel that they are inadequate to share the gospel with others and fear they will make a mistake. Others may feel that salvation is a personal matter, and that sharing the gospel with someone else would be too intrusive into the other person’s personal life.
However, Jesus commanded us to share the gospel with everyone.
Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
So, how can Christians overcome their fears and effectively share the gospel with others?
Probably the easiest way to share the gospel with another person is to give them a gospel tract. Always pray before sharing the gospel with someone and if possible have another Christian with you.
Make sure the gospel tract includes the whole gospel including repentance.
I have found many “gospel tracts” that do not say anything about repentance. A person cannot get saved without repenting of their sins. To read more about repentance see my page “How To Get To Heaven.”
And especially do not pass out something that just says “Pray this prayer and be saved.” With no Bible verses or explanation of true salvation. I have seen things like this. These kind of things give people false hope. They think they are saved just because they said a prayer, but they are still lost and on their way to hell. A person does not get saved by saying a prayer.
One of the best salvation tracts that can be passed out to anyone is “This was Your Life” by chick publication. You can order these at www.chick.com. (I do not receive anything for recommending this). All tracts from chick.com include repentance.
I have found some tracts from Fellowship tract league that do not mention repentance. So if you want to order other titles, please read the whole tract before ordering.
Here are some ways that you can use gospel tracts to share the gospel with others:
Just hand them to people. If you are shy, this can be done very simply by just walking up to someone on the street and saying “Hello may I give this to you,”and then hand them a Gospel tract. In addition, you can leave a gospel tract in places like on your table (with a good tip) at a restaurant.
Start a conversation with someone and then give them a gospel tract. If you are more outgoing, you can strike up a conversation with someone before giving them the gospel tract by introducing yourself to them, asking them if they go to church anywhere, telling them where you go to church at, inviting them to your church, and then giving them the gospel tract. It is also a good idea to ask the person if there is anything that they would like for you to pray with them about.
Use a gospel tract as a script. You can also use a Gospel tract as a script to help you personally lead a lost person to Christ. After you introduce yourself to the person, tell them which church you go to and ask them if they go to church anywhere, you can then ask them a question like “If you died today would you go to heaven?” If they give you an answer like “I hope so” or “No,” then you need to ask them if they would like for you to show them how they can know for sure (1 John 5:13) that they are going to heaven.
If they say that they would like for you to show them, then you can read the gospel tract to them. After reading the Gospel tract to them, then ask them if they believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and arose from the dead 3 days later, if they are willing to repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ, and want to pray and ask God to forgive them of their sins and save them.
If they say yes to these questions, then you can have them repeat a prayer after you. You can use the prayer on the back of the tract as a guide or just have them pray it word for word. The words of the prayer are not what saves, it is the belief and repentance of the heart.
In addition, if someone tells you that they know that they would go to heaven, then you need to ask them how they know that. If they say something like “I’m a good person, or I go to church” etc. then you need to explain to them that salvation is of faith and not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). You also need to take them through the 10 commandments and show them that in God’s eyes we have all broken His laws and no one is good. You can learn how to explain this in detail by reading my article entitled “How to get to Heaven” You can print this out and use it as a Gospel tract or script if you would like to. After showing the person that they cannot be good enough to go to Heaven, then show them how they can be saved and lead them to Christ.
However, if at any time the person you are talking to says that they do not want to hear what you have to say, politely ask them if you can give them the gospel tract and tell them that you will be praying for them. It is not our job to argue with people, or to convince anyone of anything. It is our job to try to share the gospel with others, love them and pray for them and most importantly we need to share the gospel with others by our actions and not just by our words.
The world can spot a hypocrite a mile away, and hypocrisy turns more people away from the gospel than anything else. It is important to go out and share the gospel with others, but you should treat others and live your life in a way that causes others to come and ask you what is different about you. Then you have an open door to share the gospel with them.
God command’s everyone to share the gospel with others, and gospel tracts make it easy for anyone to obey this command.
Revelation 14:11a “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth
up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,”
Jesus said there is fire in Hell.
Mark 9:43-44 “ And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it
is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into
hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.” These verses mean to get rid of whatever is
stopping you from getting saved, so you do not go to Hell, even if it is a
physical body part.”
If you go to Hell, you will never get out, you will be tormented there forever!
The phrase “their worm dieth not” in the passage of
Scripture given above is simply saying that people will not die in Hell, but
that they will be tormented in fire forever.
Man is referred to as a “worm” in Job 25:6 “How much less
man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?”
Jesus said that people will die in their sins and go to
Hell if they do not believe in Him.
Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can
ye escape the damnation of hell?” If you read the few verses before this one
you will see he was speaking to the religious leaders who did not believe in
Him.
John 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in
your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” If
you go to this passage in the Bible and look at verse 13 you will see that he
was talking to the religious leaders who did not believe in Him, just like He
was in Matthew 23.
So, yes, Jesus said that people will die in their sins
and go to Hell if they do not believe in Him.
Now look at these verses:
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Revelation 20:14-15 “And death and hell were cast into the
lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,”
Jesus
said that if people did not believe in Him then they would die in their sins
and go to Hell, the wages of sin is death, that death is the Lake of fire that
hell is cast into. Therefore, if you do not believe in Jesus, you will die in
your sins, and go to hell and then the lake of fire.
You will be tormented in Hell and then in the lake of
fire (remember Hell is thrown into the lake of fire) for all eternity, you will
never get out.
Revelation 14:11a “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,”
You will not even have the comfort of a single drop of water to cool your tongue in Hell!
Luke 16:19-31 “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
This is not a parable. This is a true account. Jesus used Lazarus’s name. Jesus never named anyone in parables. That rich man really went to Hell, and he is still being tormented in that flame today, and he has never received any comfort from his torments, not even a single drop of water!
Now, Jesus has risen from the dead. Will you listen to Him and be saved from Hell?
What is worth going to Hell for?
Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul?”
Whatever you are thinking of exchanging your soul for,
you will realize was not worth it! Once you are burning in the flames of Hell!
You are not promised another minuet of life! You could die
and fall into Hell at any moment!
God gives life; therefore He can take it whenever He
wants too! God does not answer to us, we answer to Him! He is God! We are like
worms!
Once you die that is it! Nowhere does the Bible promise
another chance to get saved after death!
No!
The Bible says after death you are judged!
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment:”
And as shown earlier, if you die in your sins by not believing in Jesus then you go to Hell, and Hell is not a party!
What does it mean to believe in Jesus?
Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
To believe in Jesus does not mean to only be fully persuaded
in your mind of who Jesus is and what He did.
The
word “believe” in Romans 10:9 in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance roots
backwards twice to a word, which means “obey” (the word believe is Strong’s #
4100 in the Greek, which comes from # 4102, which comes from # 3982, which
means obey and also yield).
This shows that true faith is rooted in obedience.
Therefore, in order to fulfill the requirements of salvation in Romans 10:9 you must be fully persuaded in your mind of who Jesus Christ is (God in the flesh John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 3:16, and 1 John 5:7; Born of a virgin Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:30-35) and what He has done (died on a cross 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and arose from the dead in a flesh and bone body Luke 24:39), and your heart must change from wanting to sin to wanting to obey God. This is an immediate change of your heart (meaning desire and will).
It means that you yield (submit) your will to God’s will.
That is repentance of sins, and it is required for you to receive forgiveness of your sins.
Luke 13:5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall
all likewise perish.”
God does not want you to go to Hell! He wants you to get
saved!
Ezekiel 18:23 “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should
die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and
live?”
Ezekiel 18:23 agrees with 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.”
In addition, Matthew 9:13 says “But go ye and learn what
that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Your actions may not change immediately after you get saved,
but you are going to be so convicted over your sin, when you mess up, that you
are going to cry out to God to help you to change.
This is the only way you can go to heaven.
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
If you have never believed in Jesus and repented of your sins, please do it now. Here is a prayer that you can pray word for word or use as a guide to tell God that you believe the gospel, repent of your sins and ask Him to forgive you of your sins.
The prayer does not save you.
The decision to believe in Jesus and repent of your sins
is what saves you.
The prayer just helps you tell God that you have made these
decisions.
Here is the prayer:
“Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and bodily arose from the dead 3 days later to pay for my sins. I repent of my sins. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to obey you and live for you for now on. Please take me to heaven when my life on this earth is over. Thank you for saving me. In Christ Jesus name, Amen.”
As I wrote above, you could die at any moment, and whatever
you are thinking of exchanging your soul for, you will realize was not worth
it! Once you are burning in the flames of Hell!
In
addition, you will always remember this time when you could have been saved by
simply believing in Jesus and repenting of your sins, but refused too, and that
will torment you worse than the flames!
Some people, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, will tell you that Jesus never claimed to be God.
However, there are many verses in the Bible which show that Jesus did claim to be God. Today we are going to study some of these verses.
Jesus Claimed to be God, when He applied God’s Personal Name to Himself.
John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
Exodus 3:13-15 “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
Jesus claimed to be God, when He said that He and God were one. The Jews even tried to stone Him for saying He was God.
John 10:30-33 “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would be God in the flesh, the Son of God, and that He and the Father are one.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (also see Luke 1:35 and John 5:17-18 KJV)
Jesus claimed to be God, when He forgave sins.
Mark 2:5-12 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.”
The man being healed proved that Jesus was God and could forgive sins.
Jesus proved His claim to be God, when He raised Himself from the dead.
John 2:19-22 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.”
John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
Jesus claimed to be God, when He appeared to John in Revelation.
Revelation1:13 “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. “
Revelation 1:17-18 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Jesus claimed to be God by allowing people to worship Him and call Him God.
John 20:26-29 “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Jesus commended Thomas for finally believing that He was God. If Jesus was not God, He would have corrected Thomas on that point.
Many times the Bible shows that Jesus both claimed and proved that He is God.
Therefore, when you witness to someone who does not believe that Jesus claimed to be God, then you can show them these verses and help them get saved.
A person cannot be saved without believing that Jesus is God.
2 John 1:7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
1 John 4:2-3 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (see also John 1:1-3 and John 1:14 KJV)
A person who is saved, has the Spirit of God and will say that Jesus is God.
If you had not believed that Jesus was God until now, then you are not saved.
