Soul winning is a term we often hear thrown around inside of the Christian faith. Whether it is from various leaders telling us to become better, more efficient soul winners, or its accounts of people actually out doing it. But it seems this term itself is missing in one crucial place the Scripture.
Of course, there are passages of scripture that tell us to make disciples. Telling us to go forth and spread the gospel. But these do not really match up with what most of us think of when we speaking of soul winning.
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mark 16:15–16 (ESV)
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Often times we see soul winning as on the spot conversions. Taking someone from the point of no faith to fully believing in Christ all in one go. Which causes many to see themselves as the soul winner. Instead of seeing God as the soul winner and ourselves as the humble farmer simply sowing the seed.
Mark 4:26–29 (ESV)
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Not only does the term soul winning often cause us to misinterpret who is doing the work. But it also seems to be something that is only employed at certain moments. Many will say I went soul winning the other day or I need to do more soul winning. Yet the truth of the matter is that every Christian should always be in a state of leading others to Christ.
Constantly sowing seed if you will. Through word and action, doing all that we do in the hopes that it will lead others to a right relationship with God. This means living the Christian life shown in the scripture of love, kindness, peace, joy, generosity, etc. Which will give you the opportunity to explain the hope you have in Christ.\
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
As well as giving a biblical perspective on everything. Sharing scriptures with those who truly need to hear them and as a result inspiring faith. Being sure to use whatever gifting God has given us to point others back to Him.
Romans 10:17 (ESV)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
1 Peter 4:10–11 (ESV)
10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
All in all the term soul winning can find it’s basis in the scripture. There is nothing wrong with using the phrase when speaking of leading others to salvation. But in my personal opinion, the term itself causes many to have an unbiblical view.
Christians must realize that God is the true soul winner. Our task is simply to live a life that affirms God’s word. While presenting that very word to people at every chance we get. Allowing the Lord to do His work and cause the small seed we have planted to grow into a mighty tree of faith.
Mark 4:30–32 (ESV)
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
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