What’s Keeping Your Family From God?

The Fear of Seeming Ignorant

Remember Tom and his brother, William? Tom was intimidated
by his brother’s intellect, and he feared saying the wrong thing or not
being able to answer his brother’s questions. The truth is that none of
us have all the answers for all the questions people may ask us.

But living by these simple truths will help us deal with
this fear:

Avoid arguing about religion. Some will try to
debate trivial matters or religious doctrines or traditions. We don’t
need to get caught trying to defend ourselves or our church. The focus
of our discussion must be Jesus. One’s personal relationship with Jesus
is the main thing—everything else is secondary and pales in significance
(see 2 Tim. 2:24-26).

Study God’s Word, and witness about what Christ has
done in your life. Though Tom did not believe he was William’s
intellectual equal, he did know much more about the Scriptures than
William.

Tom was without excuse if he didn’t know what Jesus said
about Himself as the Son of God. He should and could know the promises
of salvation just by studying the Bible (see 2 Tim. 2:15-16).

We should also be able to tell others what Jesus has done
in our lives. Scripture instructs us to “be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks [us] a reason for the hope that is in [us], with
meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15, NKJV).

Don’t be afraid. The Holy Spirit will put the right
words in your mouth. Often the Holy Spirit inspires me to say things I
had never thought of before. What He guides me to say is always just
what the unbeliever needs to hear (see Luke 12:12).

Sharing about Jesus cuts through all the religion, dogma
and ecclesiastical blunders from the Crusades and the Inquisition to the
fall of present-day televangelists. Don’t fight with family about
religion. Focus your conversation on the only One who matters—Jesus, the
Christ.

The Fear of Being Shamed

We may fear being put to shame—or even bringing shame to
Christ—when we share the gospel. While we may fear losing face or having
our reputations smeared, the fact is that we have already confessed our
shame and lost our reputations.

So when the wall of fear threatens to block your witness,
remember these important insights:

You have nothing to fear. What can mere humans do
to you when God is on your side? There is nothing your loved ones can do
to harm or hurt you (see Rom. 8:31-34).

You have nothing to lose. You have already lost
your life. You have been crucified with Christ.

Your body is already a living sacrifice. And you have
surrendered all your possessions and rights to Christ. You are simply a
steward of His boundless resources (see Luke 17:33).

You have nothing to hide. Though your lost family
members may know about your rotten past—and may condemn you for it—you
have already repented of everything and been forgiven by Christ.

When you are accused of past sins, you can simply say:
“That’s true. I admit it. But I have quit doing that. I am forgiven of
my past sin by Jesus Christ. I ask you to forgive me, too. Will you?”

Tear Down the Wall of Fear

I once heard a Bible teacher claim that Scripture says
“fear not” in its various grammatical forms more than 365 times. After
checking a concordance, I don’t doubt his assertion. He also said that
one reason Scripture talks so much about fear is because we need daily
assurance that we have nothing to fear from either God or man.

Make the decision now that you will not let fear silence
your witness. Take God at His Word, and fear not.

Allow God to be your sure defense; trust Him to give you
the right words to say and the right things to do as you live for Jesus
in front of your lost family members. God’s power and strength will back
you up, because “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power
and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Here are a few of the practical steps you can take to rid
your life of fear when sharing Jesus with your family:

• Look up the promises in Scripture dealing with fear and
begin to trust God to remove every apprehension.

• Bind the spirit of fear in prayer, and bind yourself to
the will of God before sharing about Jesus. Loose the fruits of God’s
Spirit in your life so that your witness will reflect His fruit (see
Gal. 5:22–23).

• Memorize key scripture passages to share with family
members who are lost. This is sometimes more effective than giving
opinions or explaining personal doctrines. It’s also effective to
paraphrase these scriptures in your own words. Start with these: John
1:12; John 3:16; John 10:28; Acts 2:38; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:1-2;
Romans 5:6–10; Romans 10:9,13; 1 John 5:11–13.

• Find another believer who will help you role-play a
conversation with your lost family member.

These steps will help you develop an effective witness for
Christ and will build your confidence. Trust God’s Spirit to teach you
what to say, how to react and how to overcome fear in witnessing to your
family (see Heb. 10:35).

You can dismantle the wall of fear and reach out to your
lost loved one. Pray and trust God’s power to destroy the wall of fear
in your life.

Remember to focus on Jesus. Don’t allow yourself to be
distracted by arguments, confusing doctrines or traditions. Learn who
Jesus is through His Word and share that with those who are lost.

Go beyond your fear. Know that your family’s salvation is
eternally more important than the possibility that they might reject
you.

Secure in Jesus, you have nothing to fear, nothing to lose
and nothing to hide. Let your loved ones see the new creation Jesus has
made of you. Fear not!

Larry Keefauver is a pastor, teacher and author. This article is based on his book,
Lord, I Wish My Family Would Get Saved, from Creation House.