Little, Paul E. How to Give Away Your Faith, rev. ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008. 202 pp. $15.00.
Introduction
How to Give Away Your Faith, Paul Little’s practical guide to personal evangelism, was first published in 1966 by InterVarsity Press. This is the publishing arm of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), a ministry marked by its long-standing commitment “To know Christ and to make Him known,” particularly through campus evangelism and discipleship initiatives. Paul Little served with ICVF for twenty-five years, traveling extensively throughout the United States and five continents until he was killed in an automobile accident in 1975.
In addition to his work with InterVarsity, Little also served as associate professor of evangelism at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and authored additional books such as Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe.
Summary
Operating on the assumption that his readers already wantto witness, Little described his publication as “a book on instruction rather than exhortation” to witness (13). What he does not assume, however, is that all professing Christians are truly saved. So he spends the first chapter emphasizing genuine faith, which involves an initial personal commitment to Jesus Christ and is accompanied by an ongoing love and obedience to Christ as Lord and Savior.
Having been reconciled to God, the committed Christian does not live in isolation from the world. He understands that he is God’s representative and that “the greatest favor [he] can do for others is to introduce them to Jesus Christ” (41). This requires relationship building, which can be fostered through good listening skills, eye contact, a positive attitude, and hospitality. Prayer also is essential for witnessing opportunities and stimulating compassion for the lost.
In chapter three, Little sets forth Jesus’ example in witnessing to others, particularly the Samaritan woman in John 4. Drawing from this encounter, the author presents eight principles: “Meet and know non-Christians personally; establish a mutual interest in conversation, arouse a person’s interest by life and word; gear explanations to people’s receptiveness and readiness for more; accept and even compliment rather than condemn; stay on the track; and persevere to the destination” (75).
Following these guidelines, says Little, will improve one’s witness and add zest to life.
Having laid out a general strategy for witnessing, the author then deals with some of the social barriers that believers regularly encounter as they rub shoulders with unbelievers. The key to one’s response in any given situation is to remember that his role is that of an ambassador, and therefore his goal is to reconcile people to God who alone can “transform hearts and behaviors” (79). Rather than condemning or correcting unbelievers, Christians should be winsome, making use of the casual touch, maintaining a healthy sense of humor, and offering helpful alternatives to activities that are sinful or don’t interest them. The point is to relate to others in such a way that a platform is created for sharing the gospel in a loving and understandable way.
Speaking of the gospel, Little devotes chapter five to clarifying the Christian message. Articulating the gospel is essential to avoiding unnecessary confusion in the minds of unbelievers. At the heart of the gospel is Jesus Christ--who he is (fully God and fully man), how he views the human condition (sinful to the core), and the salvation he provided for mankind through his death and resurrection. These gospel truths can be expressed through a variety of simple evangelistic outlines (e.g. Romans Road, Four Steps to God, Religion versus Christianity) but must never be presented mechanically. For those who end up professing faith in Christ, follow-up is essential. Babes in Christ need to be assured of their salvation through the promises of God; they need to know how to read their Bibles, to pray, and to deal with sin in their lives; they need to be enriched by fellowship with other believers while continuing to maintain healthy relationships with non-Christians. Those further along in the faith can and must encourage new Christians in these areas.
In chapter six, Little delves into apologetic matters, insisting that “unless we are fully persuaded in our own minds that Jesus Christ is the truth, we will never effectively communicate the gospel to someone else” (111). In defending the faith, Christians must avoid two tendencies. The first is to adopt an anti-intellectual attitude that fails to respond to people’s objections and questions regarding the Christian faith (e.g. the exclusivity of Christ, problem of evil, reliability of Scripture). The other tendency is to rely too heavily on such answers as though they themselves can bring people to salvation. God alone can transform hearts; the evangelist must rely on him.
In the closing chapters, the author reiterates the relevance of Christ to the world today, while stressing the need for Christians to abstain from worldliness, the essence of which is self-indulgence. Genuine spirituality is looking at life from God’s vantage point, and living one’s life by faith to God’s glory. “The key” to victorious Christian living, says Little, “is being totally sold out, without reservation, to Jesus Christ” (179). As goes one’s walk, so goes his witness.
Critical Evaluation
Little set out to write a book designed to instruct Christians, rather than to exhort them, on witnessing. Yet the manner in which the author presents the material is highly motivating. He models in his writing the very traits he wants his readers to cultivate in their witnessing (48). For instance, he establishes common ground by identifying with the reader’s desire to witness but ignorance regarding how to go about doing it (17). He also conveys enthusiasm in presenting the material. One can sense his genuine excitement over sharing the gospel with lost people. Furthermore, Little makes himself interesting, particularly through his lavish use of illustrations and analogies. For instance, he compares Christians unsure of the content of their message to a student who understands a mathematical problem when the professor explains it in class but then has trouble articulating what he learned to another student who missed the class (92). Analogies such as this arrest the reader’s attention and help him relate to, and remember, any given point. The author’s winsome spirit and writing style no doubt contributed to the popularity of his book.
The content itself was also solid and went far in accomplishing the author’s objective to write an instruction manual on witnessing. Little is to be commended for his emphasis, from start to finish, on the Christian’s personal walk with God. In chapter one, the author sets forth the “startling possibility” (29) that one’s faith may not consist of true commitment to Christ but may be the product of one’s Christian upbringing or surroundings. This is followed by a recitation of Jesus’ warning, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21). In closing the book, Little emphasizes once again the need to feed one’s personal relationship with God. Knowing Scripture is not enough, for “the Bible’s purpose is to bring us into contact with the living God in Jesus Christ” (190). Indeed, developing this “secret life with God is essential for an effective witness to a world who has yet to meet the God who alone can satisfy their every need” (198).
Within this framework of one’s personal relationship with the living God, Little does an exemplary job in outfitting his readers with practical tools for presenting the gospel. One of the most helpful sections was the “seven basic questions” (though Little actually lists eight) in reference to the Christian faith (116-135). These are the issues Little encountered most in his countless interactions with people over many years of witnessing. By proactively raising and responding to such questions, Little provides immense help to those who are timid about witnessing in light of issues which may arise in the course of conversation. By giving simple solutions to these oft-asked questions, the author ably equips his readers to be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asks them to give a reason for the hope that they have (1 Pet 3:15).
Another compelling feature of this book was the inclusion of repentance in the gospel presentation. Little writes, “The essence of sin is living independently of God--going our own way rather than his way” (100-101), then proceeds to declare, “The substance of repentance is the repudiation of our self-centered lives and making Christ and his will the center of our lives” (101). This call to repentance in sharing the gospel is both biblical and encouraging, especially in the midst of an evangelical culture that has largely downplayed repentance and the lordship of Christ.
At times weakness has been described as strength taken to an extreme. In his attempt to promote personal evangelism, Little fails to stress the importance of the church. He mentions it as a matter of follow-up, i.e. helping new Christians to find fellowship (107-108). But the church is also a powerful source of witness to the world as its members express worship through personaltestimony (1 Cor 14:24-25) and acts of loving service toward one another (John 13:34-35). Had Little emphasized the evangelistic components of church life, he could have iterated all the more its importance in light of Scripture and also further supported the evangelistic thrust of his book.
Conclusion
How to Give Away Your Faith has withstood the test of time, and, with over a million copies in print, continues to demonstrate that it is a valuable resource (if not “the classic guide”) to personal evangelism. The practical nature of the book as well as the energetic writing style of the author renders it useful both to new believers and also to those further along in the faith who want to “put feet to their theology” by heralding the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ.
