SOUL WINNING
Should Christians win souls to Christ? “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The purpose of Christ coming to earth was not that we might have a better economy, better lifestyle, or bigger home but that we might be saved and then win others. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).
For this reason, God calls a man who wins others to Jesus Christ “wise,” for such a person understands the purpose of God for others here on earth. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). One of the “fruits” of a Christian is winning another person to Christ. Romans 16:5 says, “Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ…” (love, joy, and peace are not fruits of a Christians but fruits of the Spirit; Galatians 5:22). The Bible says, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). Would you like to glorify our God? Then win as many people as possible to Him before you die. It brings joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:10). And as Christians, we receive some of this joy when we win someone to Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:19–20). When Christ called the apostles into His ministry He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Things work better with a plan. “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Here are four things you can share with others that can lead them to salvation in Christ Jesus. You may want to write them down in your Bible and even memorize the verses so as to be able to share them with others at any time or place.
1) God loves us even though we have all sinned. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
2) Our sins have separated us from God. Isaiah 59:1–2 says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you.”
3) Christ is God’s only plan of salvation for mankind. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Salvation comes not through good works or religion but through the person of Jesus Christ. “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). Jesus died in our place and rose again from the grave. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1–4).
4) Each person must individually ask Christ Himself to save his soul. No one else can do this for you, and there is no universal salvation (Matthew 7:13–14). John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Good questions to ask the one you are witnessing to are: “Do you believe you are a sinner and in need of God’s forgiveness?” “Do you realize you are without the ability to save yourself?” It sometimes is good to tell the one you are witnessing to how glad you are that you made a decision to trust Christ yourself. Say, “You can receive Christ right now!” The following is a model prayer that one can say to God. “Dear God, I believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son. I believe He died in my place for my sins and that He rose again from the grave. And right now I ask Him to save me. Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and, when I die, take my soul to heaven. For I pray this in your name, Lord Jesus.” Could you pray from your heart such a prayer? God promises to save all who will do this: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). It was never meant to be something hard to do. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8–10).
Things that will help you win others to Christ:
Pray for the lost to be saved. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Romans 10:1). Pray that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit so as to have God’s power for witnessing: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
If you want to be “fishers of men,” then you will need to have your fishing line in the water to catch men with the gospel. Tell others how you were saved, invite them to a good Bible-believing church, and encourage them to trust in Christ. Keep tracts with you that have the plan of salvation, and if you cannot find any, then make your own and pass them out. The more you limit your own personal freedoms, the greater your outreach: “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved…” (1 Corinthians 10:32–33).
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
Should Christians win souls to Christ? “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The purpose of Christ coming to earth was not that we might have a better economy, better lifestyle, or bigger home but that we might be saved and then win others. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).
For this reason, God calls a man who wins others to Jesus Christ “wise,” for such a person understands the purpose of God for others here on earth. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). One of the “fruits” of a Christian is winning another person to Christ. Romans 16:5 says, “Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ…” (love, joy, and peace are not fruits of a Christians but fruits of the Spirit; Galatians 5:22). The Bible says, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). Would you like to glorify our God? Then win as many people as possible to Him before you die. It brings joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:10). And as Christians, we receive some of this joy when we win someone to Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:19–20). When Christ called the apostles into His ministry He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Things work better with a plan. “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Here are four things you can share with others that can lead them to salvation in Christ Jesus. You may want to write them down in your Bible and even memorize the verses so as to be able to share them with others at any time or place.
1) God loves us even though we have all sinned. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
2) Our sins have separated us from God. Isaiah 59:1–2 says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you.”
3) Christ is God’s only plan of salvation for mankind. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Salvation comes not through good works or religion but through the person of Jesus Christ. “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). Jesus died in our place and rose again from the grave. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1–4).
4) Each person must individually ask Christ Himself to save his soul. No one else can do this for you, and there is no universal salvation (Matthew 7:13–14). John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Good questions to ask the one you are witnessing to are: “Do you believe you are a sinner and in need of God’s forgiveness?” “Do you realize you are without the ability to save yourself?” It sometimes is good to tell the one you are witnessing to how glad you are that you made a decision to trust Christ yourself. Say, “You can receive Christ right now!” The following is a model prayer that one can say to God. “Dear God, I believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son. I believe He died in my place for my sins and that He rose again from the grave. And right now I ask Him to save me. Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and, when I die, take my soul to heaven. For I pray this in your name, Lord Jesus.” Could you pray from your heart such a prayer? God promises to save all who will do this: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). It was never meant to be something hard to do. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8–10).
Things that will help you win others to Christ:
Pray for the lost to be saved. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Romans 10:1). Pray that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit so as to have God’s power for witnessing: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
If you want to be “fishers of men,” then you will need to have your fishing line in the water to catch men with the gospel. Tell others how you were saved, invite them to a good Bible-believing church, and encourage them to trust in Christ. Keep tracts with you that have the plan of salvation, and if you cannot find any, then make your own and pass them out. The more you limit your own personal freedoms, the greater your outreach: “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved…” (1 Corinthians 10:32–33).
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).