A Simple Illustration for Sharing the Gospel

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There are many wonderful ways we can share the Gospel with others. I firmly believe we all can effectively share our faith with God’s enabling.

When I was writing my first book, Our Knowable God, the Lord gave me the following illustration which simplified the Gospel message for me. I have often used it in sharing God’s love with others. I hope it will be beneficial to you as well.

A Simple Illustration for Sharing the Gospel

Anyone can have a relationship with God, but we must do it His way and not our way. And His way is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let’s go back to the beginning of time. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a beautiful garden, where they experienced a perfect relationship with God before they sinned. But when they disobeyed God in eating the forbidden fruit, they and their descendants (us) became spiritually separated from God. That is because God is holy and pure and cannot associate with the ugliness of sin (Is 59:2; Ps 5:5; Hab 1:13).

But God, our Creator, couldn’t leave us in that state—eternally separated from Him. He loved us and created us to have a relationship with Him. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, as a perfect, sinless sacrifice to pay for our sins so that we could be reconciled and our relationship with Him could be restored. Consider the following illustration:

♥ Picture a spotless, white, beautiful tablecloth. This represents our God and His purity, righteousness, and holiness.

 

♥ Next picture a filthy rag, one that has all types of disgusting stains, dirt, oil, and puke. It stinks! This rag is so repulsive that you don’t want to even get near it, let alone touch it. This represents us, our sin, and even our righteous acts (Is 64:6). Even our good works are like filthy rags!

Now just as we wouldn’t put a pure spotless cloth on a filthy rag, lest it get soiled, neither would God associate with us sinful creatures.

Unless, of course, there was intervention.

♥ So God Himself intervened and sent His Son, Jesus, as a go-between. Jesus, God Himself, became one of us (Phil 2:6). He lived a sinless, spotless life in order to be the perfect sacrifice.

You see, wrongdoing demands punishment. Justice must be done (Rom 6:23), and since our God is loving, He took the just punishment for our sins. When Jesus died on the cross, He bore every sin—past, present, and future. He was our substitute—our scapegoat. He willingly shed His precious blood as a payment for our sins, and three days later He arose victorious from the dead.

♥ Now picture the blood of Christ washing your filthiness completely away.

♥ Then picture another pure, spotless, white cloth over you. This white cloth represents Jesus’ righteousness placed upon you (Rom 4:22-24, Jas 2:23).

Now there is no problem with the two cloths coming into contact with each other. Not only are our sins removed, but replaced with the righteousness and holiness of Christ! We have become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).

That means you and I can be close to God, both now and throughout eternity in heaven.  You who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13)

In order for you to have a personal relationship with God you must apply Jesus’ blood to your life.

You must choose to accept this free gift of eternal life. Simply admit you are a sinner deserving of eternal separation from God and believe on Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone (Rom 10:9, 13; Jn 3:16; Eph 2:8-9)!

If you have never expressed faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, I urge you, I implore you, to do it! You will never regret your decision! And when you accept God’s forgiveness for your sins through Jesus, you will become His child (Jn 1:12) and enter into the most awesome relationship, which you can’t even begin to imagine!

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My friend, I pray you found this word picture helpful. The Lord will give you the opportunities and the right words to say when you want to share His love. Trust Him. It’s exhilarating to be used by God! But remember—all the glory goes to God!!!

My friend, I hope you will use this word picture to share God’s free gift of eternal life with others. I know the Lord will give you the opportunities and the right words to say when you want to share His love. Trust Him. It’s exhilarating to be used by God! But remember—all the glory goes to God!!!