HE THAT WINNETH SOULS IS WISE...

"...He That Winneth Souls is wise."    Proverbs 11: 30       July 6, 2003

    This plain statement from the book of Proverbs is timeless.  There 
can be no inter-personal activity more important than assisting a fel-
low being along the road to knowing God through a personal relation-
ship with Jesus Christ.  The second is  making a disciple of  that one.  
There are certain prerequisites to this activity. Since there are many 
approaches available to us in the endeavor, we must always seek out 
the best means for each unique situation. (Person)  Let’s discuss the 
factors that must be present in the life of one who would witness  for
Jesus Christ; a “winner” of souls.

    Foremost, the witness must have a vital, dynamic relationship with 
the one to whom he would introduce  the prospective  believer.  That 
relationship must be empowered  by  the Holy Spirit of  God and  the 
vitality must spring from  the  consistent study of  God’s Word and a 
deep abiding faith in Christ.  At times a new believer in Christ will be 
likely to be enthusiastic to share Christ with a  friend and possibly to 
everyone he meets,  the wisdom  needed  to tell of Christ and  subse-
quently disciple the convert,  suggests the  new  convert has need of 
assistance from a  mature Child of God  in  order to approach one on 
this subject.  It seems obvious a new  believer would not  be of assis-
ting another recent believer to maturity.  In some settings,  new con-
verts are paired with  more  mature saints.  Where  this is  not  prac-
ticed, there will be slow  development and  possibly failure.  There is 
also potential for discouragement of  new converts  who are not pro-
perly “discipled,” and  therein  lies one trap  leading to 10% or  less 
in  the follow-through of  new believers.  It  is  possible the new con-
vert  who  would  witness,  knows  nothing of  the work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit and is powerless to  bring  a  seeker  to  conviction of  sin  and 
repentance.  He  just  might  try to  communicate  Christ  in  a capri-
cious manner instead of  waiting on the Lord for Divine direction.

     There is also this;  a new convert must not be paired with one
who is a "nominal" believer, who is not filled with the Spirit and
would be a  discouraging factor to  the enthusiasm of one who is
an enthusiastic novice.   

     Since our Lord in His wisdom  has predetermined  good works 
for us to do, we must only share Christ  in evangelist effort at His  
direction.  If one does not wait on the Lord, moving at His decree,
he is in the flesh, not in the Spirit of  God.  Our Lord cannot bless 
the “works of  flesh,” and  is active on our  behalf only,  as we are 
led and empowered by His Spirit. Finally, in this vein, Bible based 
wisdom and knowledge are required to answer seeker’s questions 
and lead  him from  repentance,  to beginning  his walk  with God, 
and to Spiritual maturity.

   The second area of concern, the means of  evangelism,  is also a 
matter  of   Spiritual  wisdom and  discernment.  There  can  be no 
“cookie cutter” approach to soul winning.  If one is in the battle on 
this front, he must be aware of more than one way to communicate 
Jesus Christ.  One important  thing to remember,  according to Dr. 
Bill  Bright,  founder of  Campus Crusade International, is; “Share 
Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.”  
This vital,  common sense principle has the effect of  relieving the 
witness of  the necessity to  pressure a prospect or feel  let down if 
one  fails to respond  positively.  When we realize it's  not up to us,
but is in God’s hands, we can then have freedom to meet each chal-
lenge in  the power  and  wisdom of  Christ;  not in  our own  feeble  
ability.  There is, however; the necessity for preparation.  The most
effective means of witnessing of Jesus Christ is  through the  use of 
God’s Word.  (Jesus is the "Word made flesh" John 1:14)  It is our 
 only weapon in  the warfare and may be used only,  by  one  proven 
through  use.  My first  experience in witnessing was as I was being 
led  by along by a  brother  who was more  Spiritually mature than I.  
We used a “Hand Marked”  New Testament  in almost every effort 
to share Christ.  We also gave our personal  testimonies, and would
use questions and answers.   Later,  I  used a small booklet to show 
persons their need of Jesus Christ and how to know Him. 

There is another effective tool useful in this most important respon-
sibility of the Child of God. The act of inviting one to a Bible Study, 
Worship Service or Evangelistic Crusade is not to be ruled out.  
Here we have the mass evangelism working for us with it’s particu-
lar set of dynamics as well as the personal touch.  While it is not, in 
the opinion of many, the best, to just invite a friend to a church mee-
ting, when it is combined  with personal  evangelism it  can be effec-
tive.  If you want to see a high percentage of the promises to attend,
kept, you must make arrangements for transportation and be there
to go along with your friend.  Since one of the messages you wish to
 impart,  is that you  have his/her  interest at heart,  this last  part is  
essential.

The true key to success in sharing Christ may be  simply abiding 
in Him.  In John 8: 31,  Jesus says,  “If you abide in My word,  you 
are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth and the truth
shall  make you free.”  In John 15,  we find,  “You are already clean  
because of the word which I have spoken to you. (abide in My word) 
Abide in me and I in you.  As  the branch cannot bear  fruit of itself, 
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”  
Here,  we have not only the idea of having the Word of God abiding 
in us to cleanse and make us free, we also have Jesus Christ abiding 
or living  through us doing His work in us.  The second  part of  that 
key is to have established rest in Christ.  When we have finally, left 
off works of  flesh,  (our own work)  and turned  to Christ  in us,  we   
have success witnessing.

     In Hebrews 4 there is opportunity and necessity for the Child of  
God to  leave off  work on His  own and  to rest in  Christ.  Just as 
there is a Sabbath’s rest for the Jewish believer,  there is a rest to 
the believer who is in Christ.  We may not enter  into this rest  until 
we  leave off our work and have  Jesus Christ to take control of our  
lives and we rest, abide in Him.  There remains a rest for the Child 
of God, a Sabbath, when Christ works in our  lives.  Since we abide
or rest in Him, we have ceased any labor on our  own or confidence 
in ourselves,  the flesh.  “As many as are  led  by the Spirit of  God, 
these are the son’s of God.”

    Apparently,  the Sabbath of the Old Covenant is a figure of the
rest one is given as he abides  in Christ.  He has ceased from his 
labor and  is content to  have  Christ abide,  live and work in him.  
The term,  “in Christ,” is a  way of  saying we  are resting or abi-
ding in  Him.  We are then by faith in Him,  leaving off the works 
of the flesh that can never please Him.  

     We are indwelt, empowered and given the wisdom of God as we 
present our bodies as “living sacrifices.”  This is understood within 
the context of Judaism being an earthly kingdom.  Under the “New 
Covenant,” the Kingdom of God is God‘s  Sovereign  rule over the 
hearts and minds of men in total.  Israel rested on the Sabbath, the
Children of God, under a New Covenant,  experience the potential 
of continual “rest” as we abide in Christ.  As many of the principles 
of  the  Old Covenant were  foreshadows of  New Testament under-
standing, Christ’s teaching of the Sabbath enlightens our understan-
ding of the rest one is awarded as he has his faith in Him.

   The other principle involved here is; as we are crucified with Christ, 
the new life we have is not our's, but Christ in Us, “the hope of glory.”  
If we are, indeed, free from all our labors resting in  Him,  this means 
we are no longer in control, having  relinquished this to  our Savior as 
well.  (This does not mean we have no  personal volition.  We volunta-
rily give over control with, ability to resume it, if  we choose, God For-
bid!!, to rebel at some later date.)   Some  believe  this  means we are 
enabled in “Christian Service,” such as witnessing, preaching, music, 
teaching, etc.   I  think  a realistic  understanding is;  our whole life is  
controlled and empowered,  mind,  body and spirit, given His wisdom,
and abilities, through His Spirit. These are employed in  the whole of 
life. We were taught in the late 1950’s,  “Life is not divided  between
the sacred and the secular. To the Child of God, everything is Sacred 
sacred.'  ( Quote from Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.)  We do not believe, on the 
one hand, Christ is active in our lives as we are in the act of  religious
practice, while we are on our own when action is not religious.  If this 
were the case,  we would be on our own in dealing with our daily rela-
tionships with family, employment and social  life.  Is there an area of 
our lives where the love, grace, wisdom, mercy and power of God are 
not needed, if we are to be successful representing Him in this world?  
If  at any time we are  not given wisdom and grace in  these mundane 
activities, we have relegated God to a corner of our lives  and we will 
fail  to glorify Him in any of  life.  If you or I are “in Christ” at all, we 
are in all  the way.  Segmenting  our  lives  into times when  we  are in 
control and other times when He is in control is not possible.  It would 
lead to an emotional roller coaster.  
   Attempts at this by persons I have known has resulted in disaster 
   and  “...shipwreck concerning the faith.”   1 Timothy 1: 19

      “...And lo I am with you alway,...” is in the closing phrase of what is
called  the Great Commission as  recorded in the New Testament book 
of  Matthew 28: 19-20.  The  context of  this  passage  is:  
  “Go ye  therefore,  and teach all nations,  baptizing them in the name 
    of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost;  Teaching them 
    to  observe all  things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,  lo I 
    am with you alway, even to the end of the world.”  (age, nkjv)
  The promise at the end is contingent on our obedience to the earlier
  part. If  we are not in the business of making  disciples for  our Lord,  
  we are unable  to claim the  promise of  His presence:  
                            “...and lo, I am with you alway...”   donporter   8.09.12

    These Scriptural principles first occurred to me in 2003, have been 
    rethought, edited and finally published today.  donporter... 11.12.14
    edited:  4.04.17