(2 Cor. 3: 3) Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
(4) And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward.
(5) Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
(6) Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
First Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 9-16 Paul says,
(9) "But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
(10) But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
IT CAN NOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH HERE: YOUR ABILITY TO SPEAK FOR GOD DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU PRAY. NOT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD.
THE DEVIL KNOWS GOD'S WORD BETTER THAN YOU DO.
WE MUST KNOW GOD'S WORD, BUT WITHOUT AN ABUNDANCE OF PRAYER OUR KNOWLEDGE IS EASILY DEFEATED BY THE DEVIL.
(11) For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. <GIVEN WHEN WE PRAY
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
(14) For but the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(15) But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
(16) For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." <WHEN WE PRAY (1 Cor. 2: 9-16)
"We have the mind of Christ" means, He makes known to you what He thinks about everything, as long as you bring it to Him in prayer. And since He Himself is Truth, how well you receive what His thoughts are, about anything, will be determined by how truthful you are with Him and yourself. Some people are not even true to themselves, much less anyone else. They are more willing to believe the lies they tell themselves, rather than hear the truth from God. But that's another subject.
Unless a person is born again, and has the Spirit of God living in them, they are not going to be able to make sense of things spoken to them about spiritual things. At least not things pertaining to the Holy Bible. Some religious people see good things in the Bible. But the deeper mysteries of the Word remain hidden to them.
2 Cor. 4: 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost;
1 Cor. 2: 14 "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
2 Cor. 4: 4 In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
So trying to reach the "Lost" can not be done by showing them "what the bible says".
We reach them by "how we live our lives daily."
God would have all to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2: 4)
Everyone gets called to receive the salvation of God. Those who answer the call receive power to become the sons of God (John 1: 12). With this power we are given His Righteousness, His Royalty, His Holiness. He equips us (gives us His Grace) to show others His goodness in our lives (1 Peter 2: 9), so they too can have faith in the salvation He has provided through His Son Jesus. And since faith works (or is produced) out of love (Gal. 5: 6), then as we show others God's goodness by how we love them. Then, when we tell them about the power of God to be saved, their faith will come as they hear the good news about Jesus (Romans 10: 17).
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