Sharing the Gospel is the most important thing any believer can do. At one point, we didn't know Christ until somebody told us about the death, burial, and resurrection as the only means of salvation (1 Cor. 15:1-4). That person loved you enough to tell you how to go to Heaven. As the saying goes "pass it on".
Sharing the Gospel should be pretty easy, right? We show them what the Bible says and let them decide whether or not they want to believe. If only things were that simple!
When Jesus sent out His 12 Disciples, He told them to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16). That is the mentality we need to have when telling people about what Jesus did for us on the cross.
What I'd like to do in this blog is give some tips on how to witness to people of other faiths. Going through every religion would not be practical, so it would be wise (there is that word again!) to study other religions, denominations, and arguments on your own.
No matter who you witness to, you should only rely upon the Word of God. The Bible is what discerns the intentions of our hearts (Heb. 4:12). Do not rely upon your own intellect or charisma. You cannot talk anyone into believing in Christ, and you will eventually come upon somebody smarter that will put you to shame.
MORMONISM
If you ask a Mormon whether or not they are a Christian, you will most likely get a response along the lines of "Mormons are Christians. We just know more because God chose to reveal more information to the prophet Joseph Smith".
A common tactic that many people use is persuasion. They will try to convince the Mormon that Joseph Smith was a fraud... and they will fail. The counter argument is quite simple: look at the Apostle Paul. He was a murderer that God revealed Himself to. Don't go that route because you will focus on a man instead of Jesus Christ.
Think about it logically. Would you enjoy somebody telling you that what you believe is wrong and that you don't know the truth? Of course not. Only focus on what the Bible says.
Notice what the cover says: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Show the individual that you are speaking with what the Bible says a testament is.
"For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." - Hebrews 9:16-17
Ask the person "when did Jesus die again?" Then show the individual these two verses to show that Christ only died the one time and there remain no more sacrifices for our sins:
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." - 1 Peter 3:18
"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." - Hebrews 10:26
Each testament dealt with the issue of salvation and the remission of sins. The Bible states that there is no more atonement for sin.
JUDAISM
Jews, similar to Catholics, have become so caught up in traditions and rituals that they have lost the meaning behind them. However, the most important aspect of Judaism has been lost: the remission of sins. Remember that the Jews believe that they are still under the Mosaic covenant; this covenant requires sins to be covered.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." - Leviticus 17:11
Most likely the Jewish person that you are speaking with will respond with something along the lines of "we cannot offer a sacrifice because we no longer have the temple". That is when you can ask them where they will go when they die.
Some Jews do not believe in a literal Heaven or Hell. Before showing them Old Testament verses on Hell (Lesson on Hell), have them question the purpose of sin atonement if there isn't an afterlife.
From there, you can tell them that the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the future-Roman Emperor Titus just as Jesus stated in Mark 13. Then, you can walk the person through that chapter and its ties to the book of Daniel to show that the New Testament is connected with the Old Testament and for a reason: to show that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
By taking this route, you've made the person truly think about what the Bible says about sin and the afterlife. You've shown them that the Old Testament teaches Hell. You've shown them that the New Testament states what the Old Testament says. Finally, you've shown them that Jesus is the Messiah and shared the Gospel with them.
CATHOLICISM
Witnessing to a Catholic is probably the most frustrating group of people to witness to. Hollywood has done an amazing job at putting forth the Catholic Church as the face of Christianity. The Catholic Church has done an incredible job at emitting such authority that it is rarely questioned. A typical Catholic building will have a statue of Christ crucified, there is prayer and Communion, worship songs, and an authoritative figure speaking about the Bible. On the surface and combined with decades of film influence, it would seem that going to a Catholic church would be wise.
In addition to wading through the stereotypes of Christianity that the Catholic Church displays, they also do teach the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem, which is where the difficulty comes in, is that Catholicism puts faith in works over the blood atonement of Jesus Christ.
Here is an article where the Pope placed baptism over belief for salvation: click here
The Bible states clearly that it is solely through His grace that we are saved and not by any single work (Eph. 2:8-9). Works include going to church, baptism, tithing, etc. The Bible states that we are solely justified by His blood (Rom. 5:9) and that we did nothing to earn His work on the cross (Rom. 5:8).
The Catholic Church has done an amazing job at being a trusted voice which is why it is so difficult to break through that voice and lead someone to salvation. The normal mentality of life is for us to work for what we want. The Bible states that we cannot do good works to get into Heaven. None of us are good enough (Ecc. 7:20, Lk. 18:19).
CONCLUSION
I hope that these tips help you in your witnessing efforts. Never stop grounding yourself solely in God's Word and you will not fall victim to damnable heresies. Knowing what the Bible says will allow you to help a person become a Christian through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ - not just Christian in name.