Soul Winning:
Are Christians to be ‘soul winners’?
There is nothing wrong for one to share with others their faith and belief in Jesus Christ, God, and His Word.
But it is not one’s mission or responsibility to try and lead anyone to salvation.
Are Christians responsible for conviction?
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
Note: It is the Father God that convicts someone.
Are Christians responsible for God’s choices?
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
Note: Christ chose the disciples; the disciples did not choose Christ.
It was God that convicted them. Jesus Christ chose those His Father convicted.
Does God or Christ call Christians into a mission of soul winning?
It is not contrary to the Scriptures to proclaim a personal witness about Christ.
But some will insist that the Lord has led them into the mission of witnessing with the initiative of winning souls for Jesus.
Statements made by anyone that they were ‘called into the ministry of soul winning by Jesus’ must prove that they were, and prove how they were Biblically called.
One prominent explanation of being called for leading souls to Christ; is that God/Jesus spoke to them through their heart, and has directed them to do so.
Note: Does God speak to anyone, about anything, through their heart?
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all, and desperately wicked: who can know it? :10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Is God being contrary and breaking His own Word, by speaking to anyone through their heart; when He said it is deceitful and wicked?
Where are the Scripture verses stating that God has changed what He previously said?
Many Christians that think once they have been saved; believe that their heart is now filled with Jesus; and that their heart has been cleansed and converted does not change the Word of God about what the heart still is.
Conversion is a renewing of the mind, not a renewing of the heart.
[See: "Born Again"]
Christ does not speak to anyone through their heart. One can hear Christ by his word.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Another well-known parroted justification for Christian soul winning comes from extracting a verse [out of context], from the book of Mark.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
This verse, [when taken from out of context], appears to give soul winners a validation for their underlying principle.
But read the verse in its context, and notice to whom, (and when) Christ is talking.
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. :15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Christ “said unto them”; he was stating this to the eleven; no one else.
The Bible is the only source that lists all those who were called. [Saul is one example.]
Note: None of the apostles of Christ have had any Biblical successors. They were the only authoritative teachers of Biblical doctrines. The office of an apostle ceased with its first holders.
There isn’t one Biblical proof that anyone was called by God or Jesus Christ into any ‘ministry’ after the Biblical apostles. That includes all of the self appointed soul winners; including the ‘churches’.
All self appointed soul winners are not apostles, and are not ‘called out’ by Christ.
Many have a self-righteous, self-seeking interest in leading as many souls as possible to Christ, because they are accumulating great rewards in heaven.
There is not one Scripture verse stating or implying that ‘soul winners’ are accumulating rewards in heaven.
Jesus Christ is not some kind of glorified Santa Claus that is going to distribute out rewards to soul winners.
Soul winners are deluded into thinking they are being ‘Christ like’ when trying to lead anyone to salvation.
Conversion is the renewing of the mind direct from God; not by someone’s witness, or religious theological “come into my heart” sinner’s prayer.
Some that think by quoting a ‘man made’ sinner’s prayer [or by coercing others to do so] is a major principle for conversion.
Salvation is from God; not from a misleading, self-appointed soul winner.
[See: "Missions"]
Are Christians responsible for one’s salvation?
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Does this mean that one can believe what ever they choose?
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of {his} good pleasure.
Note: It is God that ‘works in us’ for our salvation. Salvation is for the glory of God, not men.
The result of our salvation is to do what is God’s good pleasure, not what we think is good and/or right.
Those that try to lead someone into salvation are not leading one to God’s salvation, but are recruiting them into their theology.
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