1. “I am not a great sinner”
Answer: God says we are all sinners. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
2. “I am a Baptist…a Methodist…a Catholic, etc”
Answer: Church membership does not save anyone- you must be born again. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, 1:12)
3. “There are too many hypocrites in the church”
Answer: Yes, there are, but there will be no hypocrites in heaven. You will not be judged by what someone else did, but by your own life. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)
4. “I would have to give up too much”
Answer: If you are not willing to give up your sins, you will be lost forever. Is it worth this? Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world but lose his own soul.” (Mark 8:36)
5. “I am waiting until I become better”
Answer: you can’t make yourself better. The Lord Jesus tells us to come to Him just as we are and promises to receive us. “He that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:33)
6. I am afraid I can’t live the Christian life”
Answer: No one can- until Christ comes to live His life in you. He enables us to live the Christian life. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
7. “I am too great a sinner”
Answer: Jesus came to save sinners. He will save anyone who comes to Him. The Apostle Paul said, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)
8. “I am doing the best that I can”
Answer: We are not saved by our good works, but through faith in Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; it is not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
9. “I think one way is as good as another as long as you are sincere.”
Answer: You may be sincere, but you may be sincerely wrong. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) “Jesus Christ is the only Savior- the only way. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
10. “Maybe later”
Answer: It is dangerous to put off so important a decision. This is a life and death matter! The Bible says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1)
11. “I don’t want to give up my sins”
Answer: Then you will be lost forever. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:5)
12. “I don’t believe in hell”
Answer: This does not change the fact of hell. The Bible says, ‘But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all lairs- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” (Revelation 21:8)