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Understanding the Five Thresholds of Faith: Walking with Your Friends and Family on Their Journey to Jesus
Let’s face it: talking to friends and family about Jesus can feel like tiptoeing through a minefield. Some people seem open, even curious. Others are skeptical, defensive, or flat-out uninterested. It’s easy to get frustrated, to think, “Shouldn’t sharing my faith be simpler than this?” But here’s some encouragement: most people don’t cross the line into faith in one giant leap. Personal belief is a journey, and there are real steps people usually take before they say “yes” to Christ.
InterVarsity, a ministry known for its thoughtful campus evangelism, describes this process as the Five Thresholds of Faith. Picture these as doorways people walk through on their way to Jesus. Knowing these thresholds changes how we pray, share, and walk alongside those we care about. Here’s what they are, with some “real life” translation thrown in for good measure:
1. Trusting a Christian
Distrust ----------> Trust
The journey toward Jesus almost always begins with trust. Before a non-believer cares about what you believe, they want to know if you’re real. Are you honest? Are you judgmental, or are you actually kind? Who you are matters as much as what you say. If you’re worried your faith sharing is going nowhere, start here: be someone worth trusting. Genuine friendship softens more hearts than slick arguments ever could (see 1 Peter 3:15-16).
2. Becoming Curious
Complacent ------------> Curious
After trust comes curiosity. This looks like someone asking questions: “Why do you go to church?” “Why did you forgive her after all she did to you?” Curiosity isn’t always polite or even easy to spot, it might sound skeptical or even hostile. But curiosity is the Holy Spirit’s invitation to deeper conversation. Don’t be afraid of tough questions. This is where patience and honesty matter. Give space for people to express doubts, you’re not the Holy Spirit, just the messenger!
3. Opening Up to Change
Closed to Change ---------> Open to Change
Curiosity, when watered, sometimes grows into something deeper: openness to change. This is the tipping point when someone starts to realize, “Maybe my way isn’t working. Maybe I need something more.” It’s scary—it can even feel like the ground is shifting under their feet. Your job here is to create a safe environment, not to rush or manipulate. Share how Jesus has changed you, with humility and honesty. Model what a surrendered life looks like (Romans 12:1-2).
4. Seeking After God
Meandering --------> Seeking
Here’s where the “hunt” turns serious. A seeker is someone who’s actively looking for God’s truth. They might start reading the Bible, coming to church, or asking pointed questions about Jesus, sometimes even before they believe He’s real. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple invitation: “Want to read the Gospel of John together?” “Want to come to Easter at our church?” These are the moments when God often moves in powerful ways (Acts 17:27).
5. Entering the Kingdom
Darkness ----------> Light
This is decision time. Having built trust, grown curious, wrestled with real change, and sought after God, a person comes to the point of embracing Jesus, repenting (turning away from old ways), believing, and surrendering to God (Romans 10:9-10). This, friend, is new birth. And God gets all the glory.
Why This Matters
Too often we push for an “answer” before someone’s ready. But evangelism isn’t about closing a deal; it’s about walking with people, respecting what God is doing in their hearts, and trusting His timing. The Crossings must be a church where people can take every step of this journey.
So, as you pray for your loved ones, ask: “What threshold are they at and how can I help them move to the next?” Is it time to build trust? To spark curiosity? To create space for questions and doubts? Or is God preparing them for something more?
Whatever the step, walk with them in love, serve them with humility, and remember, you’re never alone in this. The Holy Spirit is working, and Jesus is still the Savior who meets us on the road, one threshold at a time.
Pastor Justin |
