What Are the 4 Spiritual Laws that Every Christian Should Know?
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In 1952 Campus Crusade for Christ produced a booklet titled, Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws? Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of CRU, authored this pocket-sized evangelism resource to provide Believers with a means to introduce Christ to the unsaved world. Since then, CRU has distributed over 2.5 billion copies of the beloved booklet that hit the world by storm and revolutionized evangelism for the westernized world.
What Are the Four Spiritual Laws in the Bible?
The term “Four Spiritual Laws” does not appear in Scripture, but the principles do. CRU’s goal was to create an outreach tool that would organize biblically based steps for salvation into a straightforward, easy-to-understand format. The introduction included in the little booklet states that “Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God.”
This four-point evangelistic model has been used by Believers for decades to introduce the plan of salvation to anyone who hasn’t yet heard about Jesus. What makes this method different than similar witnessing tools is that the steps begin on a positive note.
Law #1 of the Four Spiritual Laws focuses on God’s nature and his intent toward humanity. Using John 3:16 as a reference, this first law describes God’s love for the world, as demonstrated through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus. This law also emphasizes God’s favorable plans for mankind through salvation. “I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Many believe this biblical representation of God is an essential part of effective evangelism. The idea that our Creator loves us and has good plans for the world may seem like a no-brainer to Believers, but it’s likely a foreign concept to many who were raised in other religions. God’s loving nature and benevolence also may come as a surprise to an increasing number of unbelievers who have only seen and heard about God through warped representations in secular media and cynical culture.
The first section of the pamphlet concludes with the question, “Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?”
Law #2 answers the question with a definitive statement. “Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for his life.”
The pamphlet cites Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” then expands upon the Scripture’s truth by defining sin in real terms and explaining the consequences associated with sin. According to this law, humanity was created to experience a close and loving fellowship with our creator. But because we preferred our own will to His, our rebellion caused a rift in the sacred relationship that ultimately led to a death sentence (Romans 6:23).
A simple diagram in the pamphlet illustrates the first law by depicting God’s holiness as opposed to humanity’s sinfulness. The gulf between the two points seems impossible to bridge because man has no means of reaching God through any human effort.
Law #3 shows the reader that the only way fallen mankind can ever reunite with a Holy God is through Jesus. “Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him, you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.”
Using Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, and John 14:6, the third law not only shows the reader the Way to God, but also explains the Truth about the cost of our salvation, and the Life it required—all pointing to Jesus.
The diagram accompanying this law illustrates Jesus as the only bridge for the eternal gulf that separates God from man. His Son died on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
Law #4 is the action step that provides readers with practical instruction to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This law uses John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9, and John 3:1-8 to explain what it means to receive Christ through faith and what it means to be born again.
Next, the fourth law reveals Christ’s invitation for salvation (Revelation 3:20). Through the use of another diagram, repentance and surrender are emphasized as crucial prerequisites for salvation, and a clear warning is issued about emotion-based or half-hearted decisions. “Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, it is an act of the will,” the pamphlet explains.
Finally, this last law informs the reader that if salvation is the sincere desire of a person’s heart, they can receive Christ immediately by faith, through prayer. A sample prayer is provided as a template.
The last five pages of the booklet offer Scriptures about the assurance of salvation, explain what happens to a Believer after they’re born again, and give suggestions for further spiritual growth.
Although religious tracts have been published for centuries, Bright's booklet has become what is considered to be the most widely-disseminated religious booklet in history. When Dr. Bright died in 2003, the Rev. Billy Graham commented on his friend’s evangelistic motives and accomplishments by saying, "He has carried a burden on his heart as few men that I've ever known. A burden for the evangelization of the world. He is a man whose sincerity and integrity and devotion to our Lord have been an inspiration and a blessing to me ever since the early days of my ministry."
How Do You Share the Four Spiritual Laws?
Effective witnessing begins by taking the time and initiative to share the Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit. We can’t force someone to receive Christ, only the Spirit of God can transform a heart. But in What Is Evangelism, Jessica Brodie reminds us that, “Jesus was clear in His directives: We are to love God, love others, repent of our sins, and believe in Him, and spread this Good News throughout the land. God’s salvation was never meant to be a secret.”
CRU suggests three ways a Believer can use The Four Spiritual Laws for evangelism. First, a Christian can read through the booklet with someone who is seeking spiritual answers. As an icebreaker, the Believer can begin by asking the seeker, “Have you heard of the four spiritual laws?” If the seeker hasn’t heard about the laws, the Christian can ask if they’d be willing to read the booklet with them and offer an opinion about the content. The goal is to help clarify the four-point outline of the Gospel and communicate God’s plan of salvation effectively while helping guide them to the truth of Scripture.
Another way a Christian can utilize the pamphlet as a witnessing tool, according to CRU, is to memorize the content and use it as a frame of reference in everyday organic interactions. They suggest that Christians can draw the diagrams on the back of napkins while sharing a meal with an unbeliever or discuss the four laws in the context of the Believers own testimony. After friends, co-workers, and acquaintances have heard a Christian share the booklet in a casual way, they may be more likely to accept the pamphlet for further reading.
The final option suggested by CRU is one that Dr. Bill Bright would often use on business trips. After a short introductory greeting, Dr. Bright would distribute copies of the tract to select people he met during the course of his travel. He would introduce himself to an airplane seatmate, a taxi driver, or waitperson and say, “The things this booklet talks about changed my life. If you are interested, I’d love to talk to you about it. Would you like a copy to read yourself?” If the individual chose to read the booklet, he would engage in the topic with him further, as time allowed, and always follow the conversation with prayer.
Is There Only One Way to Do Evangelism?
Evangelistic methods evolve with time. But Truth stands firm, even in the midst of change.
Gospel tracts, bullhorn-toting street preachers, and scripted evangelical programs are being methodically replaced with more organic outreach that focuses on hospitality and trust-building within communities.
All these methods for sharing the Gospel can be effective if implemented with the correct motives and under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The Apostle Paul had such a desire for lost souls to know their Savior that He became “all things to all people so that by all possible means [he] might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23). Yet Paul never sacrificed truth on the altar of tolerance. He prayed earnestly for boldness to make the mystery of the Gospel known (Ephesians 6:19).
Who knows what kind of evangelistic methods will emerge from our isolated post-pandemic reality? But one thing remains clear. Regardless of the means, the Way is still desperately needed.
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