This is the easiest way to share the gospel- in 3 minutes.

To prepare, simply memorize Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

In many ways this verse sums up the entire story of the Bible, how God created us for relationship with him, how that relationship was broken and how it can be restored through Jesus Christ.

Once you have that verse memorized you are ready to share the basic Gospel.

You could simply share it by speaking, but it is especially helpful if you can sketch on a piece of paper or even a napkin, so you can leave it with your friend after sharing.

Ok, here’s how to share the Gospel using Romans 6:23:
Begin by writing out the verse at the top of the page.
Then draw two sides to a deep canyon like this.

As you focus on each key word circle it and write it into the diagram.

What are wages?
Wages are what you are paid for your work. You earned them, you deserve them!
This verse is talking about some unusual wages: the wages of sin.
Yes, you get wages for sinning!

What is sin?
Sin is breaching God’s perfect standards. It is anything we say or do or think that is contrary to him.
No matter how hard we try we often sin, we sometimes do wrong. We don’t even live up to our own standards of morality.

It says here that the wages of sin is death.
This is talking not just about physical death, but spiritual death, separation from our Creator, a broken relationship with him. If we die physically in that state of separation then the spiritual death continues forever.
These are very severe wages. But we’ve earned them, we deserve them.

Fortunately that’s not the end of the story. There’s a turning point: But.
But the gift of God is eternal life.

What is a gift? It’s something you are given.
How is a gift different than wages? You don’t earn and don’t necessarily deserve a gift.
Good parents give their children gifts even when they don’t deserve it! I know mine did!
God is the ultimate parent, the ultimate father. And his gift is amazing.

“The gift of God is eternal life.”
Eternal life isn’t just living forever, it’s living with the quality of life for which we were created, living in a right relationship with God. It’s a quality of life that can start right now and then continues forever.

So there’s a big difference: The wage of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life.

By default we are line to receive the wages of sin. But this verse explains how to access the gift of God: “The wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Who is Jesus? The Bible explains that Jesus is fully God and fully human. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross to pay the price, to take the wages, for our sins. He died in our place.

So how do we get from the wages side to the gift side?
There are two steps: repentance and faith.
Repentance means we admit we have done wrong, that we are sorry, and so we turn from our own way of living to follow Jesus.
Faith means we trust in what he did, that he died in our place to clear the way for a relationship with our Creator. It means we know we aren’t good enough to fix the broken relationship on our own.

Ask: Have you ever heard this before?
Ask: Do you have any questions?

Is this true for you? “I admit that I have done wrong, and I’m sorry. I want to turn from my own way of living to follow Jesus. I trust in what he did when he died on the cross in my place.”

If it’s true for you, you can sign off on letting Jesus take care of the wages and accepting God’s gift!
---------------
There you have it!
The basic Gospel in just a few minutes using one simple but loaded verse.
Of course this interaction with your friend might take place over several meetings, there might be some questions, but please understand that when we share the Gospel using the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is also involved. You might be surprised by what he does in the heart and mind of your friend when they hear this basic Gospel.

The Bible says in 1 Peter “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Learning to share the Gospel with Romans 6:23 is a significant step in being prepared.

Now pause and ask God to guide you to the next person he wants you to share the Gospel with.

​