Becoming a Soul Winner

The last commandment that Jesus left His disciples before ascending to heaven was for them to go to the utmost part of the world preaching repentance and remission of sins in the name of Jesus. Indeed the disciples who were cowards before Christ death were transformed into men of power who counted it a blessing to suffer doing that which had been entrusted to them. After the Holy Spirit was released on the day of Pentecost many were astounded at the events of that day and the disciples led by Peter took the occasion to explain to them the connection of what was happening and the Christ that they had crucified.    

Peter asked the multitude present to “repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. —-And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’” Acts 2:38, 40. That day saw about “three thousand souls added to them” Acts 2:41. This is the call to all of us who have accepted Christ as the Lord of our life. How many of us though are answering the great commission? When was the last time you told someone about the good news?

Today we have Scientist working day and night to find a cure for many diseases that the human race is faced with. Many organizations have been formed to raise awareness of such diseases and to seek support. Can you imagine a scientist finding a cure of a certain disease and keeping quiet about it? Surely most of these people do this because they want to save lives. Sometimes the passion to get a cure is caused by a personal experience which make the person wants to do something about the dilemma.

In the same way why would you keep quiet about the cure for sin after you have believed? We Know that “he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” John 3:18. Being condemned means eternity without God. Now if you say you love God then you know that “God is Love” (1 John 4: and He expects the same of you. Love God’s way involves sacrifice and obedience.  Apostle John writes, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for brethren. — Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him” 1 John 3:16, 18-19.

If you know that someone does not know the Lord of salvation and is still bound in sin why do you refuse to share with them what you know? Why would you let them perish without the opportunity of changing their lives because you did nothing about the knowledge in your possession? In the book of Ezekiel, God warns Ezekiel who had been called to be a watchman on the house of Israel that “when I say to the wicked, O’wcked man you shall surely die! And you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand” Ezekiel 33: 8. I believe that we too are responsible for the lives that God brings our way.

The word of truth is near all of us but there is need for us to bring understanding to those who do not know or understand who Christ is and why we all need Him as Lord of our lives. Indeed Paul writing to the Romans says,  “the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart—that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:8-9. However like Paul asks, “How then shall they call on Him whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher” And how shall they preach unless they are sent” Romans 10: 14.

We are the preachers and we have all been sent to the world to preach the good news. You do not have to be a great theologian to share the gospel. You can start by sharing your testimony and the reason why you believe. Sometimes it may mean serving others as a disciple of Christ through the various gifts you have been entrusted with. We do not save, only God through the Holy Spirit can save. Our calling is to introduce others to the Lord of salvation.

The faith scripture in the book of Hebrews reads” faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1. Unfortunately to most people the things hoped for are material and temporal instead of the eternal. We are more concerned about the cars we drive, the homes we live in, and our bank accounts. We have invested more in the world than in the kingdom of God. Christ called on believers to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you” Mathew 6:33. So instead of focusing on the temporal why not focus on the eternal and in the process have all these things that your heart desires added to you?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” Proverbs 1:7. Knowing God helps you understand what is important. This kind of fear comes from revelation of who God truly is.  What is important to God is that humans will come to know the truth and escape eternal damnation. The Bible reveals that “God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved” John 3:17. We are His ambassadors in the world and God has “given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. So be wise and become a soul winner.