To be able to convert one, we should first know what they believe. We should not strive to understand it, but to just know about it so that we are not taken unawares.

MUSLIMS

Muslims have six main beliefs.

1. Belief in Allah as the one and only God
2. Belief in angels
3. Belief in the holy books
4. Belief in the Prophets…e.g. Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus). And that Muhammad is the final prophet
5. Belief in the Day of Judgement…The day when the life of every human being will be assessed to decide whether they go to heaven or hell.
6. Belief in Predestination…That Allah has the knowlege of all that will happen. Muslims believe that this doesn’t stop human beings making free choices.

It is pretty easy to preach the gospel to a Muslim using number 5 above. Simply ask them if they think they will go to Heaven on Judgement day. If they say “Yes” or “I don’t know/Only Allah knows”, take them through the 10 Commandments Test to see how “good” they are and show them how they fall short and therefore need a saviour Jesus Christ. If they say “No” your job is easier because God has already started working in them to show them their sinfulness. Water the seed by pointing them to Jesus as the only way to obtain forgiveness for their sins or shortcomings.

HINDUS

Hindus have six core beliefs.

1. Truth is eternal
2. Brahman (their god) is truth and reality
3. The Vedas (their sciptures) are the ultimate authority
4. Everyone should strive to achieve dharma (righteousness?)
5. Individual souls are immortal
6. The goal of the individual soul is moksha (release from the cycle of death and rebirth?)

It would be best to minister the gospel from the angle of their 4th core belief (achieving righteousness). Ask them how well they are doing in that regard. Then ask to take them through the 10 Commandments Test. Show them where they have fallen short and introduce Jesus Christ as the only one who can forgive sins and empower a person to live righteously in this present world.

BUDDHISTS

Buddhists believe that human life is one of suffering and that meditation, spiritual and physical labour and good behaviour are the ways to achieve enlightenment or nirvana.

To minister to a Buddhist simply take them back to their own beliefs. Ask them how well they are doing in the area of “good behaviour’. Then take them through the 10 Commandments Test. Tell them of how God saw that we are helplessly sinful and how He came in the person of Jesus Christ to die and provide forgiveness and sanctification for humanity.

JUDAISTS

Judaists have three main beliefs.

1. Monotheism: that there is one God – Yahweh. That He is a unity and cannot be divided into parts
2. Identity: that all people are made in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect
3. Covenant: Jews believe that God made an agreement called a “covenant” with Abraham, the ancestor of the Jewish people. The Bible says that God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants if they worshipped God and were faithful to him.

Jews still wait for the Messiah to come. They believe that this will be a person. Other Jews believe in a future time when justice and peace will come through the cooperation of all people and the help of God.

To minister to a Jew, take them through the 10 Commandments Test and tell them about Jesus sacrifice for sinners. Trust God to reveal Himself to them in the person of Jesus Christ.

Whatever you do, DO NOT ARGUE (2 Timothy 2:24)!