Soul Winning

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Category: Soul Winning

Published on Friday, 03 April 2009 05:54

Written by Ryan Hicks

SOUL WINNING

By Ryan Hicks

I am sure most believers have had similar experiences as me in their Christian walk. I have had numerous "Christians" ask me, "How many souls have you won this week [day, year, etc.]?" When I told them some people would get down on themselves for not doing "as good" as me, then others would gloat about how they "won" more souls than I (which is more times than not a lie anyway).

Then I used to give some type of a response like, "As many as the Lord allows me to reach," but now I just say, "None on my own, it is the Lord's harvest."

This usually throws them back. They then either think I am the weakest saint on the face of the planet or that I must be joking. The truth is my friends I HAVE NEVER WON A SINGLE SOUL TO THE LORD ON MY OWN! NOT EVEN ONE! The Lord Jesus Christ has won them all. I can do nothing but labor for Him, HE WINS THE SOULS, NOT ME OR YOU! If you think you are doing the soul winning on your own power you are either a fool or are an arrogant, hell-bound reprobate.

Matthew 9:37-38
37   Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38   Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The Lord is the One Who reaps the harvest. He does the winning of souls. It is true that we can win souls (Proverbs 11:30), but we can never do it in the way imagined today. Our "winning of souls" consists of preaching the message of salvation to sinners. That is all. They are "won" by their own submission to the drawing of the Holy Spirit, not the talking of the preacher. They are not won by tear-jerking stories, or soul-winning guides. They are won by the Lord. Plain and simple.

Some of the worst people in the world about bragging about how many souls they "won" are ministers (especially pastors). I have had numerous pastors bragging on their church growth, or about how it will grow. As if it matters if it was only their wife and the church mouse that attended their church last Sunday. Quantity is important, but only as long as that quantity is quality. If you have thousands of people in your church, but they are backsliders and never saved people, and the church down the street has only a hundred people, but they are truly born-again and growing believers, which do you think is pleasing to God? The answer is obvious.

In modern times people would rather take all the glory of winning a soul for themselves. Thus, they count how many souls they have won as if they are winning over the other Christians. This makes soul winning into nothing more than a pathetic game with the eternal destinies of men's souls at stake. If you are foolish enough to play games like this you had better repent before you spend eternity with those you are trying to "win."

I have heard people arguing over who is the best soul winner based on numbers, staying power, or whatever. When they try to get me into their devilish games I usually tell them as kindly as possible that I doubt either of them are any more saved than the devil, or something along those lines.

We are not in competition with other believers. We are serving the same Master and have the same goal, thus we should try to help others advance the kingdom. We should not be trying to wins souls with the pagan mind set that we are somehow "appeasing the gods" by our deeds. You earn no special grace by winning souls, rather you are just fulfilling the duty of the saved.

This competitive attitude that infects some believers is purely of the devil. All this does is bring division to the kingdom of God. It causes brothers and sisters to not help one another out in reaching others for the gospel because they are in competition with them. Thus, fellow believers become the enemy as you achieve some elusive goal of being the greatest "soul winner."

1 Corinthians 3:6-9
6   I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7   So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8   Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9   For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

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