A person once said to me, “My one neighbor claims to be a Christian but doesn’t talk much about his faith. My other neighbor says he is an atheist. It is easier witnessing to the atheist.”

If you have spent much time in evangelism, you can certainly see what he means. Sometimes witnessing to a person who seemingly could “not care less” is harder than witnessing to one who could “not care more,” even if his convictions are different from yours.

So how do you witness to what is often called a nominal Christian–one who perhaps knows the language but not the Lord?

First, there is one way that witnessing to a nominal Christian is no different than witnessing to anyone else. God has to provide both an open door and direction. So, pray for the open door Paul refers to in Colossians 4:3. There he said, “Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open for us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in chains.” Then ask God to direct your conversation. Always take comfort that God is more concerned about that person coming to Christ than you are. So, pray with expectancy.

Then be careful to avoid questions that use words which sidestep the issue: questions such as, “Are you a Christian?” or “Have you become a Christian?” What he understands as being a Christian may not be the biblical definition of a Christian. But to go any further may appear like you are disputing his word. Instead use the question, “If you were to stand before God and He were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’  what would you tell Him?” Regardless of where they are in their thoughts and attitudes, they need to both ask and answer that question. Usually, a nominal Christan will give answers such as, “I live a good life,” “I try to do what is right,” “I am a member of a church,” or “I don’t do a lot of things wrong.”

At that point you can proceed by saying, “Has anyone ever taken a Bible and shown you the only answer that God will accept?”

In explaining the plan of salvation, here is the caution I would give. Many nominal Christians understand that they are sinners, even if they underestimate how serious sin’s consequences are in terms of eternal separation from God. Many nominal Christians also understand that Christ died on a cross and rose again.

Caution though.

They often understand that Christ died on a cross, but they fail to understand that His Son’s death was a substitutionary death. That is, had He not died, we would have. He did not die to show us how to die–putting others first. He died in our place.

But the place where they have missed it entirely is what God is asking them to do–trust in Christ alone to save them. They often believe that Christ was the one He said He was, and they often believe that Christ died on a cross. They fail to understand that because He died in their place taking the punishment they deserved, they have to trust in Christ alone to save them. The passage I have used the most with them is Ephesians 2:8,9.

I then conclude by asking, “Have you ever understood that before?” Normally they answer, “No, I don’t think I have.” Then I offer to lead them in prayer in which they tell God that they are sinners and are now trusting Christ alone to save them. I always remind them that it is not saying a prayer that saves them but trusting Christ that saves.

The bottom line is that a nominal Christian is often willing to talk.

But sometimes they are more willing to talk than listen. By asking questions that do not allow them to give a trite answer, you can probe into what they have not understood about the plan of salvation.

Always remind yourself as you are talking that your job is the bring Christ to them. Only as you talk and the Holy Spirit works, can God bring them to Christ.

Do your part as you whisper a prayer that God will do His.