SHOULD EVERY CHRISTIAN WIN SOULS?

By Dr. Michael E. Todd

Many people today say, "Why should I win souls?" "Isn't the preacher supposed to do that?" Yes! He is but so is every Christian. There are six basic reasons why every Christian should win souls.

1. BECAUSE SATAN SEEKS TO DESTROY MEN.   

The Bible says that Satan seeks to blind the minds of men so that they will not believe the gospel (II Cor. 4:4). In Revelation 9:11 Satan is called "Abaddon" and "Apollyon." Abaddon means destruction and Apollyon means destroyer. So we see that Satan's very name shows that he wants to destroy mankind. But why would Satan want to destroy men? His motive is to GET EVEN WITH GOD. Satan tried to overthrow God but failed in his attempt. God cast him out of heaven and because man is in the image of God, Satan wants to get revenge against God by destroying men. Even though God hates sin, yet He still loves men. Satan knows this and is still trying to get even with God.

2. BECAUSE HELL IS REAL.

The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" and that God will judge men for their sin. Of course, the end result will be THE LAKE OF FIRE for every sinner who does not repent of his sin. The Bible says, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord we persuade men." Oh dear friend, what about your loved ones? What about your next-door neighbor? Have you tried to tell them that Hell is real and is a terrible place of punishment?

3. BECAUSE GOD SAVED US.

The Lord Jesus Christ bought us with His own blood and therefore we, out of debt, should do all we can to show others what Christ can do for them. "The love of Christ constraineth us ..." and those who are saved, "should not live unto themselves." (II Cor. 5:14-15). The Lord has commanded us to, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15). "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 always." (Matt. 28:19-20).

4. BECAUSE THE TIME IS SHORT.

If there was ever a time that the "last days" were evident - it is Now! Literally dozens of prophecies have been fulfilled even within the last fifty years to show us that the end time is near. If the Lord were to come today - would you be able to have Him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant?"

5. BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him (God), and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." The way for any Christian to be in real fellowship and happiness with God is to witness to the lost around him day by day. There are many Christians who are miserable and out of fellowship with God because they make all kinds of excuses for not witnessing. God saved us not only from Hell but that we might have peace and happiness in our lives by telling others about Christ.

6. BECAUSE CHRIST WAS OUR EXAMPLE.

The Lord had compassion and wept over Jerusalem. We as Christians will never win people to Christ until we have compassion for the "multitudes" of lost sinners around us. You say, "Well, I don't have a burden." Then you, above all people, want to get out and tell others about Christ. When you do then God will give you a burden. The flesh never wants to serve God. Oh, how many times I did not want to go out on visitation. The flesh rebelled and it was literally a struggle to obey God's command. But dear friend, how many times I have come home rejoicing because God refreshed my spirit as I witnessed to lost sinners.

The story is told of two men who were out on church visitation and they knocked on the door of a house. They heard movement inside and therefore kept knocking until a dejected looking man came to the door. In a few minutes they had led him to Christ and he was saved. With tears in his eyes and great emotion he took them into a back room and showed them a hangman's noose. He had already had it around his neck and was ready to hang himself when the two faithful Christians had knocked on his door.

Dear friend, there are many people who have no hope and are without Christ. You have the answer. Won't you be faithful and go out on Soul-winning and church visitation and tell others about Christ? And when the Lord comes He will be able to say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."