How
To Be A Soul Winner
Elder
O. B. Mink
Pastor
- Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
Texarkana,
Texas
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls
is wise. (Prov. 11:30)
This text is a great favorite with Arminian pastors. It appears as if many
among them think it was written especially for them and they use it as
a verbal goad to prod their dilatory people into action. We do not question
action. Per se, action is commendable when motivated by proper ends, and
directed by wisdom. But action, generated by ill motives, and regulated
by ignorance is to be condemned and deplored. Arminianism is guilty on
both counts, for they "do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power
of God." The text, as with the whole of Scripture, has been committed to
Baptists for preservation and propagation, and the monopoly which Arminians
think they have on this text, is but a figment of their warped imagination.
Knowledge Of The Scriptures Is Essential To The Wining Of Souls
The saints are shut up to the word of God for direction in all things pertaining
to the exercise of their Christian profession, including their witness
to lost mankind. The Scriptures were given "That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works," (II Tim. 3:17).
However, we should take advantage of every opportunity to cultivate our
powers of reasoning and logic, but be it understood, the ultimate intellect
can never supersede or countermand a single jot or tittle of the word of
God. Yet, it is a sad fact, the more progress the world makes in intellectualisim
the more is the word of God pushed back into the Dark Ages. Modern, religious
intellectuals mock the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Scriptures, saying,
"That doctrine might nave been acceptable in the Dark Ages, but this is
the 20th century, the age of enlightenment, and the doctrine is plausible
only to the illiterate." Thus it is, King Reasoning has been enthroned
in this age and sits in judgment on the word of God, and professing christendom
is woefully critical of the Scriptures. It should be the other way around.
Man should test his reasoning at the feet of Divine Truth, subjecting himself
thereto, and be thankful for the Biblical criticism against his life. But
alas, it is not so, and Paul prophetically points toward our present day
blind leaders of the blind, saying, they are "Ever learning, and never
able to come to the knowledge of the truth," (II Tim. 3:7). Paul
warns, "From such turn away," (II Tim. 3:5).
Paul was an intellectual, an educated man, a man with grounds for boasting
according to human standards. Paul said, ". . . if any other man thinketh
that he hathwhereof he might trust in the flesh, I more," (Phil. 3:4).
Paul was at the head of his seminary class, and was very near the day when
he would receive his Doctorate of Mosiac Law, from the hand of the learned
Gamaliel. But Paul's education in the school of the Pharisee's was abruptly
interrupted by an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, and Paul became the
schools most famous dropout. Paul did not quit going to school. He just
started all over in another school, the Holy Spirit's school of grace.
It took Paul almost thirty years to graduate from this school. The graduation
ceremony was held in Rome, at the end of the Appian Way on Nero's execution
(chopping) block. Nero's executioner swung the axe, severing Paul's head
from his body, but before his head rolled to the dirt, his soul was already
in angelic escorted flight to heaven. Whereupon arrival, Paul was immediately
enrolled in the Holy Spirit's Institution of Higher Learning,from which
school he will never graduate, but will be learning about Jesus throughout
the ceaseless ages to come. On the earth Paul studied at the feet of Gamailel,
in heaven he is studying at the feet of Christ, Who never studied at the
feet of any man. Paul thought at one time he was God's instrument whereby
christianity would be stamped out, but instead of Paul stamping out christianity,
christianity put its eternal stamp on Paul.
"Search
the Scriptures.. .they testify of Me." (John 5:39) Our evangelistic
responsibility is to point lost sheep to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
We cannot measure to this responsibility without becoming intimately acquainted
with the Shepherd, and we cannot know Jesus as we ought to know Him apart
from a diligent study of His word. But the Hardshell Baptist with missionary
church membership, objects, saying, "I do :iot know who the lost sheep
are, how can I witness to them?" Well, neither did Paul know who they were,
but this lack of identity did not deter him for a moment in his determination
to publicly proclaim the whole counsel of God. "And when the Gentiles heard
this (Paul's witness of the word of God, vs. 44) they were glad, and glorified
the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
(Acts 13:48) Paul did not know who in this company of Gentiles was
foreordained of God to eternal life, but he did know, that God's word would
not return unto Him void. Our responsibility is to proclaim the gospel
indiscriminately. It is God's responsibility to quicken those for whom
Jesus died.
To
win souls one must know what the Scriptures teach. Mere ability to quote
Scripture is not the only qualification a person needs to be a fisher of
men. I once knew an Arminian who could quote chapters of the Bible, but
knew absolutely nothing of what they taught. But worse yet is the Arminian
who can quote a few verses of Scripture, and has a malformed notion of
what they teach. It is in this last category most Arminians fit. Most are
shut up to John 3:16, 5:24 and a few verses from Romans 3
and 10. Their exgesis of these texts would do more to cause John
Wesley (if he were alive) to revamp his theology than all the efforts George
Whitefield put forth to recover his friend from his God debasing Arminianism.
Arminianism
makes truth secondary to the Sunday School head count, and laboring under
the perverted notion that the end justifies the means have filled their
churches with those who are yet strangers to God's grace.
Following is a poem that goes far in describing:
THE
ARMINIAN APPROACH TO SOUL WINNING.
"Learn to memorize a verse or two of Scripture, and for impression's sake,
a few more.
But beyond, and above all, be sure you can quote John five twenty four.
Then go out and hit the street,
telling everyone you meet,
"I have a message that is true;
Jesus loves and died for you.
Be unrelenting in your persuasion,
do not allow your subject a single evasion.
Bring up the flames of hell to his vision,
this is the proven way of getting a decision.
Then make no mistake,
be sure and put the icing on the cake.
Tell your convert, "God appreciates the favor;
that he has let Jesus be his Saviour."
On Sunday morning in the church, which your winning ways have helped to
fill,
as your convert goes forward, your thought is; 0' glorious freewill.
But when all is said and done, and there are no more souls to be won,
and you expect your reward to be double,
you will hear the sad verdict,"Wood, hay and stubble."
The soul winner is to know Bible doctrine, and be able to teach the same.
The first thing the greatest soul winner this side of Jesus Christ (and
I do not mean Billy Graham or Jack Hyles) told his young prodigy, Timothy,
that the Scriptures were profitable for, was doctrine (II Tim. 3:16).
Every God-honoring effort to win souls is sure to meet with Satanic opposition,
and the only weapon with which the enemy can be defeated is , '' ... The
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," (Eph. 6:17). To
be a soul winner, skillful swordsmanship is a MUST. Thus it is, Paul says
to Titus that he should "be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers," (Titus 1:9). Going out to win souls without
being adorned with doctrine (Titus 2:10) is equal to sending a soldier
into battle without a weapon or any protective equipment, and with bull's
eye targets painted on his chest and back. He is sure to get cut down.
So, let him who would win souls for Christ "study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth," (II Tim. 2:15).
They
Who Would Win Souls Must Be Morally Honest
A soul winner is not only to be wise and orthodox in the Scriptures, his
integrity and morals are also to be beyond reproach. Purity of life and
separation from the world are essential to an effective witness. Thus it
is, Paul says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God," (Rom. 12: 1-2).
Baptists were the original puritans of this age, and have all through their
history maintained a rigid stance both in morals and doctrine. The antinomian
spirit which has plagued hardshellism since its beginning, has raised its
slimy serpentine head in the ranks of N. T. baptists, and sunk its fangs
into a few. A few within this motley few having been injected with a lethal
dose of antinomianism, and determined to outstrip the hardshells, are now
teaching there are no moral sins, and that doctrinal transgressions are
the only sins displeasing to God. Arminianism and antinomianism are both
lies, sired by the "father of lies," the devil, and they who are deceived
thereby cannot be true witness of Christ. The greatest prerequisite to
soul winning is; a dedicated and consecrated life to Christ, and the would-be
soul winner who cannot honestly say, "for me to live is Christ," would
be blessed if he was struck dumb.
The
Soul Winner Is To Have A Consistent Prayer Life
"... Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Lk. 18:1) "Watch
ye therefore, and pray always.. ." (Lk. 21:36). "Pray without ceasing..
." (I Thes. 5:17). "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God," (Phil. 4:6).
Going out to win souls without first asking and receiving God's direction
for your efforts is to lean to one's own understanding. It is to be like
a cloud without water, whose subordination to the wind leaves it no certain
course. Or like a ship without rudder, which the waves toss to and fro.
Paul started his redeemed life out by asking God for direction. His very
first petition was, ". . .Lord, what will Thou have me to do?" (Acts
9:6). The first three years of Paul's soul winning career was spent
in the desert of Arabia talking with God, and receiving direction for the
greatest soul winning campaign this earth has ever known (Gal. 1:12,
16, 17). Paul was pre-eminently a man of prayer. He prayed in streets,
homes, churches, river banks, sea shores, jails, courtrooms, etc. And Christ
pacified Annias' fears of Paul by saying, "Behold, he prayeth," (Acts
9:11). Paul's ministry of soul winning attests to the fact of James'
words, "The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much,"
(James 5:16).
The
Soul Winner Needs Divine Authority For His Witnessing
John the Baptist was vested with soul winning authority from God, "There
was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness,to
bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe," (John
1:6-7). Christ's mission to this earth had Heaven's official stamp
on it, for He says no less than thirty times in John's Gospel that He was
sent by the Father. Prior to His crucifixion, Christ organized His church,
and after His resurrection He came to His church, and said, ".. .All power
is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. 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 unto the end of the world.
A-men," (Mt. 28: 18-20). John the Baptist was the last individual
with direct authority from heaven to win souls. That responsibility and
authority now rests with the church. It was to the church Christ said,
"... Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,"
(Mk. 16:15). It was to the church Christ said, "Ye have not chosen
Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring
forth fruit...
(John
15:16). Christ spoke from the mount of ascension and said to the church,
"But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,
and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth," (Acts 1:8).
It was to the church that Christ said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches...
," (John 15:5). The vine brings forth the branches, and the branches
bring forth the fruit.
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches
run over the wall." (Gen. 49:22) Joseph was a fruitful bough whose
branches ran over the wall, yea, they ran all the way to Canaan, and unto
the 20th century. Israel is with us today, and will be with us in eternity.
Jesus, the Anti-type of Joseph, is a fruitful bough, or vine, whose branches
(churches) have gone over the walls of Judaism, and have turned millions
to righteousness in all parts of the earth.
Israel was God's executive body in the world for 1500 years, and when Naaman,
the Syrian's time of salvation came around on God's calendar of decrees,
a little Israelitish maiden initiated the witness, a mere household servant
whom God's kind providence had placed in the great estate of Naaman (II
Kings 5).
When the time came around for God to save an impoverished Sidonian widow
who was also a Gentile, He sent the great prophet Elijah to witness to
her (I Kings 17).
God used Israel as His official witness for 1500 years, and since Israel's
blindness, the church has been God's "pillar and ground of the truth."
When the Ethiopian Eunich's day of grace came around, God sent Philip,
a Deacon, from the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem to preach Jesus to
him.
Peter was a charter member in the church at Jerusalem, and when Cornelius
needed spiritual help God told him to send for Peter (Acts 10:5).
When God gets ready to save the suicide bent Phillipian jailer, he sends
two missionaries from the First Baptist Church of Antioch to witness to
him (Acts 13: 1-4, 16:27-32).
And when God's time comes to open the heart of a Lydia, a Priscilla, a
Lois, or an Eunice, the witness of the church will be brought to bear.
In the Divine economy there has never been room for free lance witnessing,
and there shall never be. All authority for every christian enterprise
is vested in the Lord's church.
It is my firm conviction that every saved person of this age will, in glory,
be able to trace their salvation to a direct or indirect work of one of
the Lord's churches. Before the reader starts leading my name with epithets
for making that last statement, I want him to first consider, that every
writer of the New Testament was a member of one of the Lord's churches,
that God uses His word in calling out the elect, and that "Unto God be
glory in the church, by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without
end, A-men." (Eph. 3:21).
(Sovereign
Grace Advocate - September, 1977)
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