One thing many Christians struggle with is sharing the Gospel with their lost friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Many feel unprepared, insecure, or fear they will be yelled at by people that don’t want to hear about Jesus. Regardless of the reasons why we often don’t share the good news with others, the fact remains that we are called to do so an need to intentionally find ways to witness to others.

As the homosexual movement becomes a more prominent issue in our society Christians need to be prepared to share the Gospel with those identifying as gay. Every person, created in the image of God, is lost in their sin without the redemptive, saving grace of Christ. That means that whether someone is a drug addict, a thief, homosexual, or a really nice person that simply doesn’t know Jesus; all are lost and in need of the Gospel.

For anyone that is wondering where to start or how to go about sharing the Gospel with someone that is gay, help is on the way. The reality is that you really only need to be honest, loving, and allow the grace and truth is Scripture to speak through you. You don’t need a theological education, or be skilled in debate, you just need to care enough to speak and be willing to allow God to use you.

But in case you need a little something extra to serve as a confidence booster, The Gospel Coalition has posted an article to their blog with some practical ideas. Here’s the seven things the article says to remember:

1. Hope in Jesus’ power to help you. “As with anyone we share the gospel with, we fear how they may perceive us, and we may be tempted to think they’d never listen. The fear of man is a snare (Prov. 29:25). So rather than getting entangled in it, we must hope in Jesus’ strength in us—not in our adequacy to bring the message (John 15:5; 2 Cor. 3:5).”

2. Hold Jesus as supreme. “Ask if you can tell him why you view your identity in Christ as supreme. In the end, we aren’t trying to make people straight; we want people to be saved. While we never want to minimize sins that keep us from God, we want to magnify the one who brings us to God. Jesus came for sinners of all kinds, and we must keep that message central.”

3. Have Jesus-like compassion and conviction. “Have Jesus-like conviction and speak the truth in love. Share what the Bible teaches about homosexual activity (Mark 7:21; Rom. 1:24-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:10). Warn about the terrible judgment for those who reject Christ (Rev. 20:11-15). Explain the great cost in following Christ as well as the great hope of forgiveness and freedom for those who do (Mk. 10:28-30).”

4. Keep Jesus’ church central. “Jesus said people will know we’re his disciples by our love for one another (John 13:34-35). As you build relationships with gay friends, invite them into your life that they may hear the gospel, but also let them see it portrayed through the life of your local church.”

5. Help answer their questions. “There are always objections to the gospel that few of us ever feel ‘fully ready’ to answer. But God calls us to give a defense for our hope in Jesus (1 Pet. 3:15).” Here are a few questions:

• Why do you believe some verses in the Old Testament and ignore others?
• Why did God make me gay if he condemns it as a sin?
• Why is it wrong for two loving people to be in a committed relationship?
• Do I have to become straight to become a Christian?
• Why didn’t Jesus say anything about homosexuality?
• Can I become a gay Christian?

6. Have patience. “Impatience can tempt us to give up quickly when we don’t see results. But people are people, not projects. We often won’t see what God is doing in their lives. View yourself as part of God’s means to help them see and hear the gospel of Jesus. Love is patient (1 Cor. 13:4). Show love by entering the relationship for the long haul.”

7. Hope in Jesus’ power to save. “The gospel is God’s power for salvation (Rom. 1:16-17). The good news for a gay man or woman is the same good news for a straight man or woman. Homosexuality isn’t the chief sin; unbelief is. The Lord Jesus died for all types of sins for all types of sinners.”

I encourage you to read the entire article as it contains additional thoughts not shared here. But hopefully this simple, practical tool will give you the encouragement needed to engage that friend, neighbor, or co-worker that is gay or struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions.

The bottom line is that Christians and the church should not try to hide from this issue. It’s not going away and will continue to reach into every corner of society. Christians need to be prepared to share with gay people the love and truth of Scripture that awaits in Jesus Christ. If we truly believe that Jesus is the Savior of all mankind and able to save from any sin then why would we hide Him or keep Him from homosexuals that need the redemptive, transforming power of Christ?

Our primary fear should not be whether someone will yell at us for sharing Jesus. Our primary fear should be that someone might die and go to hell for eternity if we don’t share Jesus. Every sinner deserves to hear the good news of the Gospel and it should be our mission to share it.