Bible Question:  I was talking to a friend about being a Christian and all the basics. For someone who is a Christian to try to explain it to a non-Christian is hard, even when the person is trying to understand. What would be some good scriptures to tell them to help them understand and realize it's not just a made up story?   Bible Answer: There are two reasons why your friend may be having difficulty understanding what you are saying. The first reason is that he/she is not a Christian. The second reason is that he/she may be confused about what he/she has heard.      Natural Man. It is important to understand that it is impossible for a non-Christian to really understand what it means to be a Christian unless the Holy Spirit is helping him/her to understand. They may understand some parts of what you are saying, but it is impossible for them to understand it all. God says that the “natural man” or non-Christian cannot understand the real truths without the help of the Holy Spirit.     But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (NASB) 1 Corinthians 2:14   The natural man considers spiritual things to be silly, stupid, and foolish. We should not be surprised when the world says Christianity is a religion for the weak, young, women, and the older generation. We should not be surprised that people think Christianity is a myth for the uneducated. Nor should we be surprised that the world hates Christians - the righteous (Ps. 37:12). Jesus said that He did not come for those who thought they were good people. He came for those who believed and knew that they were sinners and had offended God.     I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. (NASB) Luke 5:32        Jesus told His disciples that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts non-Christians of their sins and their need to be forgiven. Without that, they will not come to Jesus.     And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me . . . (NASB) John 16:8-9   The Holy Spirit must give them understanding. This means that you should pray that the Holy Spirit will help your friend to understand what you are saying. It is not up to you to make your friend believe in Jesus. You cannot make one understand. It is impossible.      The Message. So what should you say to your friend? First, answer his or her questions as well as you can. Second, explain to your friend that God loves them even though he/she is a sinner. Ask, "What is the real meaning of Christmas?" Then explain that God became a man so that He could die for them some day. Jesus was both God and man. Then ask, "What is the real meaning of Easter?" Explain that Jesus died on the cross in order to forgive our sins and then returned to life. At some point your friend should ask, "Why did He have to do this?" If he or she asks, now is the time to volunteer the information that He did this because we sin. We lie, steal, murder, get angry, lust, have sex outside of marriage for example. God is holy, and He does not do any of these things. God came and died for us so that we could spend eternity with Him and not in eternal punishment. There are some great scriptures at the following link that you could share with your friend: "We Have A Need."   Conclusion:  Pray before you share these things and pray after you share these things. Be prepared to tell them again and again. Only the Holy Spirit can help one know that this is "not a made up story." Pray!
	Copyright © Like The Master Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Q & A