Sharing your faith is one of the main responsibilities you have as a Christian. The following Scriptures provide a good foundation for understanding the importance of telling about and leading others into God's Kingdom through Jesus Christ. A mature Christian can explain the importance of faith, repentance, and baptism, as well as forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The following list of Scriptures serves as a beginning foundation for sharing your faith with others. After the listing of scriptures I will offer my recommendation.
From Jesus
Mark 1: 15
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Mark 7: 20-23
He [Jesus] went on: "What comes out of you is what defiles you. For from within, out of your hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile you."
Matthew 4: 23
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 11: 2-4
When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
Matthew 10: 32-33
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
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Matthew 16: 13-16
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 28: 18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Mark 8: 38
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Acts 1: 7-8
He [Jesus] said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Other New Testament Passages
Acts 2: 36-41
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 4: 8-10
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 5: 41
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 8: 9-13
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
Romans 1: 16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 3: 21-23
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 6: 1-4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Romans 10: 14
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
1Corinthians 9: 19-23
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Philemon 1: 6
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
1st Peter 3: 15-17
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Philippians 2: 14-16
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life
1Thessalonians 1: 6-8
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
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Old Testament Background
Psalm 73: 28
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
1Chronicles 16: 8
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
1Chronicles 16: 23
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
1 Chronicles 16: 24
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Isaiah 52: 7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.
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Practical Application
Sharing your faith in Jesus Christ is one of the most important things you can do as a Christian. If you will pray about this you will be surprised how many opportunities to share your faith will come your way.
There are some very important things that we as Christians should let people know when we are sharing about Jesus Christ. In a full presentation to someone about becoming a Christian here are some very important things to include.
The Importance of Faith
The way that we become Christians is through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Faith is more than intellectual assent. Faith is more than agreeing with the proposition that Jesus is the Son of God. Faith means turning over your life to Jesus, who you believe is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Faith means surrendering your life to Jesus, trusting that he died for your sins on the cross, and accepting his leadership and authority. When sharing your faith in Christ with someone you can help them to express their faith by asking this simple question: "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and do you accept him as your Lord and Savior?" Romans 3:21-23 is a good passage to refer to when sharing with someone about the importance of faith.
The Importance of Repentance
Placing your faith in Jesus requires you to turn away from, or repent, from anything that doesn't belong in your relationship with him. To come to Jesus means to turn away from any thought or behavior that runs counter to Jesus' will for your life. Faith and repentance cannot be separated. Just as when a man marries a woman he turns away from all other women, when a person places their faith in Christ he or she must turn away from thoughts and behaviors that don't belong in this relationship. This does not mean that if the new Christian slips up and commits a sin that he or she is no longer a Christian. However, becoming a Christian by placing your faith in Christ means that you commit up front to giving up all behavior that runs counter to having Christ as your Lord and Savior. It also means that, should you fall into sinful behavior, you will repent and turn away from it. When you're sharing your faith with someone be sure to explain to them the importance of repentance. Mark 7:20-23 is a good verse to point to in showing someone the things that don't belong in a relationship with Jesus. Acts 2:38 also shows the importance of repentance in the beginning of the Christian life.
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The Importance of Baptism
Baptism is the formal action in which we identify ourselves with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Just as a man and woman go through a marriage ceremony after they have decided to be married to each other, a new believer in Christ is baptized after they decide to give their life to Christ. Just as the marriage ceremony formally marks a couple as being married, baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit formally marks a person as a Christian. When sharing your faith with someone it is important to show them the significance of baptism.
Baptism also signifies that the new believer has died to sin and is now living for Christ. The word "baptize" means to dip, or to immerse. Therefore any person who is becoming a Christian and is seeking to be baptized would do well to find a church where they can be baptized by immersion. This is not to say that other forms of baptism, like sprinkling with water, are invalid. However a good argument can be made that baptism by immersion best symbolizes our spiritual death, burial, and rising to new life we go through when we come to Christ. In the sixth chapter of Romans there is an excellent description of this by the apostle Paul. Baptism by immersion best captures the meaning and symbolism Paul teaches about here.
Finally, it is important to be clear that baptism is not what saves us. Faith in Christ and what he did for us on the cross is what saves us. Baptism is not important because it "makes us saved." Baptism is important because it is what all saved persons do out of obedience to Christ and his command that all of his followers would be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19) Acts 2:38 also shows the importance of baptism in the beginning of the Christian life.
The Importance of Forgiveness of Sins
When we give our life to Christ by placing our faith in him (which is demonstrated immediately by our repentance and eventually by our baptism), we receive the forgiveness of our sins. When we place our faith in Christ then God transfers our guilt to Jesus and we are declared to be innocent of sin in the eyes of God. This is very important to explain clearly. Sometimes new Christians get the idea that their salvation is based upon their ability to lead perfect lives, as if their salvation will be cancelled if they fail to be perfect. However, our forgiveness of sins is not based on how good we are now or how good we will eventually become in Christ. Although it is important to for us to grow to be more and more like Christ in character, our forgiveness of sins is based on how good Jesus is -- and Jesus is perfectly good!
The Importance of The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Another important thing that happens to us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior is that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. One of the main jobs of the Holy Spirit is to lead us on to maturity in Christ. Some new Christians are not aware of the role and purpose of the Holy Spirit. Becoming sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit will be one of the first and most important things the new Christian should learn to do. The presence of the Holy Spirit in someone is definitive proof that they are in fact a Christian. So the presence of the Holy Spirit is a sign that someone is a Christian. The Holy Spirit leads a person through their whole life as they become more and more like Christ in character. This is called the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.