Soul Winning

The purpose for Mountain Lake Independent Baptist Church's existence is to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every man, woman, and child in our community, nation, and around the world.

Our pattern, or model for doing this is given to us in the New Testament book of Acts. Every church and believer was involved in the spreading of the Gospel, in the winning of souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.

For us as a church and as individual believers, soul winning is not optional; it is a command and our foremost responsibility.

The question is, "How many of our church members have ever won a soul to Jesus Christ? How many of us have ever tried to win a soul to Jesus Christ?

The following are some Biblical reasons that every church and believer should make soul winning a high priority in our ministry and lives.

1. Soul Winning is Our Purpose on Earth. John 20:21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." We are here on earth for the same reason God sent Jesus to earth, that is to give our selves for the salvation of the lost. What we know to be true about eternity makes us responsible to win souls. Undoubtedly, the most unsettling teaching in Scripture is that those who die in their sins (unforgiven) are eternally separated from God in Hell, and eventually in the Lake of Fire. The most striking statements about Hell in Scripture were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. What we know to be true about salvation makes us responsible to win souls. We know what the Lord has done for us when He saved our souls. We know the simplicity and assurance of salvation. We know that whosoever will may come and trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Psalm 107:2, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;" In God's view, it is unnatural for a believer to remain silent about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Typically, it is the immature and undeveloped Christian who does not strive to win souls.
   

2. Soul Winning is the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." The whole purpose of Jesus' virgin birth, sinless life, violent death and victorious resurrection was so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). I do not think that God can bless or be pleased with a Christian who is saved and baptized, a member of a good church, reads the Bible, sings in the choir, teaches in Sunday School, gives their tithes and offerings, and prays, but neglects the primary task Jesus has instructed His followers to do, which is to seek to win souls.

   
   

3. A Soul Winning Pattern for God's People. Each church and individual must choose to be active in soul winning. It is not a spiritual "gift" bestowed by the Holy Spirit on a select few. Everyone can and should participate in soul winning, but it requires a willingness to put in the effort. We must know the Word of God. A soul winner does not need to be a great theologian or Bible scholar, however they should know the basic Bible teaching on how a person is saved. They should have a grasp of the "plan" of salvation given to us in the Scriptures. Soul winning is a spiritual battle and requires our Spiritual weapon (the Bible) to be successful. A soul winner must be earnest in prayer. To speak effectively with men about God, we must speak earnestly with God about men. A soul winner must decide to speak to people about the Lord. Fear and uncertainty will keep us silent. We must ask God for boldness. Acts 4:29, "And now, Lord... grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." Only the Lord can save a soul, but we should set a goal as to how many people we will speak to about the Lord and schedule a time to do so.
   

A successful and blessed Christian is one that walks with God and seeks to win others to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.