DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - WEDNESDAY: The Wisdom of Soul Winning

"A heart ready to melt at the sight of human suffering and need is necessary to successful soul-winning...Where there is no real soul-burden for sinners, there will be no revival. The early Church travailed in pain for the souls of dying men."
-- J.W. Mahood
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The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. -- Prov 11:30

As we continue in our study of The Wisdom of Soul Winning, we said yesterday that you will discover opportunities to make some right decisions which will prove to be extremely wise, decisions to serve God with a new zeal and determination, decisions to redeem the time by using every opportunity to share your faith, and thus influence others towards God. You will acquire more and more wisdom and you will take your place in the ranks of those whom God considers to be wise, for in His estimation, "he that wins souls is wise."

George Sweeting, in his book... The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who in 1949 was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee. In 1968, Currier's sentence was terminated, and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him.

But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it. Life on that farm was hard and without promise for the future. Yet John kept doing what he was told even after the farmer for whom he worked had died. Ten years went by. Then a state parole officer learned about Currier's plight, found him, and told him that his sentence had been terminated. He was a free man.

Sweeting concluded that story by asking, "Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message -- the most important in your life -- and year after year the urgent message was never delivered?"

We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others still enslaved by sin. Are we doing all we can to make sure that people get the message?

Why are Soul Winner’s said to be wise ?
Because they are obeying the Commandment of the Lord! The final command, which Jesus gave before ascending into heaven, has been called the "Great Commission". It constitutes the Church's marching orders, sending believers into all the world to share the Gospel with every person. The Wisdom of God is manifestly working in those who successfully bring people to God for such a task could never be accomplished through human wisdom.

The Soul Winner is becoming more Christ-like in the process, because Jesus was the greatest of all Soul Winners. The power of Christ is at work in the Soul Winner! Jesus told Peter, and his companions “Come, follow me,” “and I will make you fishers of men.” -- Matt.4: 19.

In every Christian who is consistently witnessing and winning souls, the power of Christ is manifest! Jesus is working within them, doing what he said He would do... “... making them fishers of men!”

The Soul Winner is wise because they are working, not only for time, but also for eternity, they are "... storing up treasure in heaven ". --Matt 6:20. The results of their labours will not only benefit them to the end of their days, they will follow Him into eternity. They are performing tasks, which the wisest (non-believer) in the world could never accomplish. This makes them wiser than any non-believer in the world.

The Soul Winner is earning the undying appreciation of every person they reach with the Gospel, for that person has been rescued from the power of Satan, Sin and Eternal Death, they have been brought into eternal fellowship with God. Soul Winners are wise because they have won the eternal commendation of the Heavenly Father and brought everlasting delight to His heart.

I care not where I go or how I live or what I endure so that I may save souls. When I sleep, I dream of them; when I awake, they are first in my thoughts. -- David Brainerd.

The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that God holds Soul Winners in a special esteem. This alone should fill us with a powerful desire to be a Soul Winner, but there are many other reasons also, and we shall discover them as we continue our study.

Loving Father, I desire so much to be a soul winner for you, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to put these principles of soul winning into action, so that I may see souls brought into your Kingdom. In Jesus wonderful name! Amen!