Romans 1 tells us that we do believe in God. Everyone believes in God. Everyone knows that there’s a God because he’s clearly seen in creation. And yet, we suppress that knowledge, pretend that it’s not there. Everyone knows there is a God.
And the fact is, actually, there’s not that many people who actually say they don’t believe there is a God. Most people believe in a kind of god or gods or at least a higher power. The much more important question is, which God do you believe in?
Of course, there are a few people who say that there is not a God, and these people have suppressed the knowledge most because they hate God. That’s what you do to someone who you really hate. You pretend they don’t exist. And listen to them speaking and you’ll see they’re angry with God.
And when they speak they prove that they do believe in God. They often love animals. Or they love space. Or they love science. They definitely know there’s a God.
But in terms of getting your friends to become Christians, that’s a completely different matter because you can’t make someone become a Christian. Only God can do that.
The Bible tells us that the most powerful thing in the world is the gospel, the good news of the Lord Jesus. So, if you want to see your friends changed, then you need to tell them the gospel. Good news is the most likely way for them to believe, and if they believe, they will be changed. So, tell them, tell them that they’ve sinned against God. Tell them that I said everyone deserves help. Tell them that Jesus has come to die instead of them on the cross. Tell them to trust Jesus, tell them to repent of their sins, and to believe what Jesus says, which is that anyone who comes to him will never be turned away.
Invite them to church on a Sunday. Open up the Bible with them, but remember, you don’t have to tell them the gospel. I have conversations with young people, and they say to me, “My friends hate it when I talk about Jesus.” So, we say to them, “Don’t tell them about Jesus then, but at the very least, ask them if they want to hear about Jesus.” That’s a very fruitful thing to do because if you ask them, “Do you want to hear about Jesus?” then they will either tell you, “No, I don’t want to hear about Jesus,” and then you know you don’t need to bother trying to tell them about Jesus. You might as well give pearls to pigs, as Jesus says, and not tell someone who doesn’t want to hear about Jesus about Jesus.
This is a precious message, but then you might have some friends, and I know people who’ve had this experience where they actually say, “I do want you to tell me about Jesus, maybe once a week. Don’t go on about him, but I will hear a little bit.” You can tell them, and some want to hear all the time until you can tell them all the time about Jesus. You know where you are with your friends, of course, unless they believe in Jesus like you do, and they’re not really your friends, are they? True friends believe the same thing as you, but they are your acquaintances, and they are your fellow school students. So, it is important that you give them an opportunity to trust Jesus.