“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
What Is Soul-Winning? It is simply being obedient to the Lords’ command to share the good news of salvation with others. It is working in unison with the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ to help people come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Jesus asked some to leave their home and go to distant lands to be witnesses, (Matthew 29:19, 20; Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17; Luke 5:10) while He told others to go home and proclaim Christ to family, friends and neighbors (Mark 5:19). If we cannot witness for Christ where we are, changing our location does not help. Wherever we are—that is where we are to give witness. People are watching our lives. If God’s will is for someone to minister to a particular land or people group, He is perfectly capable of making that known. Soul winning is something that God does through us, we cannot do it in our own strength!
Soul-winning can be cultivating relationships that may be made up of just a few minutes or many years. Understanding the basics is important: 1) We are a sinner estranged from God, 2) Jesus Christ died to pay for sin, 3) We need to sincerely repent, 4) We must receive Christ’s payment for sin personally. We may see someone actually come to Christ, while at other times we may only be involved in planting seed for the Holy Spirit to continue to work towards the decision.
It is vital not to separate soul winning from discipleship. Our instructions are to make disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19, 20). A wise individual said, “The goal of our lives is to walk with God and to help others walk with God.” But remember, it is the Holy Spirit that seals, indwells and makes individuals into disciples. Often God uses many people over a lifetime to influence Christian growth in individuals’ lives. This is the body of Christ and local churches’ purpose.
May the reading of actual accounts of people coming to know the Lord encourage others to be aware of opportunities that they have!
*Look for Points of Connection
