Soul Winners

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." (Proverbs 11: 30 KJV)

According to Solomon (who no doubt was himself a great soul winner, surely converting many of the Gentile heathen peoples to the religion of Jehovah), it requires divine wisdom to become a successful soul winner for the Lord and to be used by God as a means in converting men to the one true God.

The Lord is the one who makes "soul winners." He first saves the person who he intends to make a successful soul winner (for this is necessary) and then he gives that person a fervent desire to win others to the same truth to which he has been won. Finally, he gives needed wisdom to the prospective soul winner and opens doors of opportunity for him (or her) to be used of God as a soul winner.

"A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle." (Proverbs 18: 19 KJV)

So there is seen the great need for wisdom and knowledge; the soul winner must know something of the spiritual disease that afflicts all men, and be knowledgeable of the cure, the merits of which he seeks to persuade men to believe and trust in. He must also learn how to disagree without being disagreeable, and how to rebuke without being seen as arrogant, how to "lead" and how to "persuade."

"I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." (I Corinthians 9: 22 KJV)

"If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them." (Romans 11: 14 KJV)

Paul had the heart and passion of a true soul winner! God gave it to him. Paul knew that there was no greater career in life than to be a full time soul winner for Jesus. He had the same passion for spiritual children as Rachel had for natural children.

Paul even gave one of his "tactics" to "win over" his unconverted, non-Christian, Jewish brothers. He sought to "provoke" them "to jealousy," and soul winners today might well do the same, with success, with many lost souls.

"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die." (Genesis 30: 1 KJV)

Give me children or I die! These are the words of a true soul winner who desires to act as a spiritual "midwife" in the spiritual re-birthing of sinners. "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." (Romans 10: 1 KJV)

"For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." (I Corinthians 4: 15 KJV)

"I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds." (Philemon 1: 10 KJV)

Oh what a privilege to be used of God to bring many to spiritual birth in Christ! To be the means of sinners hearing the precious saving gospel! It is serious business, for the soul winner truly "stands between the living and the dead" with the saving gospel message of Christ.

"And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." (Numbers 16: 47, 48 KJV)

Oh that soul winners could truly see how truly important and necessary is their work of witnessing and spreading the saving message of the cross of Christ! They are little saviors that God is sending to a lost and dying world.

"Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies." (Nehemiah 9: 27 KJV)

"And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's." (Obadiah 1: 21 KJV)

These "saviors" (deliverers) were men who, by military means, and by the blessing of God, rescued the Israelites from defeat by their attacking enemies. But, soul winners to Christ are saviors in a much greater way.

"But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and (turn them) from the power of Satan unto God, (in order) that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. " (Acts 26: 16-18 KJV)

"For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in 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? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10: 13-15 KJV)

Yes! blessed indeed are the feet of those who have won us to Christ by their delivering to us the saving message of the good news of Christ's victory over sin and death.

"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ." (I Peter 3: 1 NIV)

How many have been won to Christ by seeing the effects of conversion in the lives of sinners? No doubt this form of "witnessing for Christ" has been a means in many coming to fully trust in Christ and his word.

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness (shall shine) as the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12: 2, 3 KJV)

The soul winner's glory and reward! His "crown of rejoicing"! (I Thessalonians 2: 9 KJV)

Friend, there are many who compete for the hearts and minds of lost souls, many "soul winners" who seek to "win over" souls to their falsehoods and to their lies, but I pray that you will be won over to the Lord, to the one true God, and to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sinners, and has sent out his ambassadors and "saviors" with the saving good news. Will you hear and receive it today? If you have received it, will you help tell it to others? Will you help "turn many to righteousness"?