Discipleship

FISHERS OF MEN

By Homer Duncan
Missionary Crusader

TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE A FISHER OF MEN

1. BECAUSE MEN ARE LOST

The Bible clearly teaches that all out of Christ are lost. “He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son hath not life” (1 John 5:12). “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

2. BECAUSE OF THE REVEALED DESTINY OF THE LOST

The Bible clearly teaches that all who reject Christ will spend eternity in Hell. “The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Jesus spoke of Hell as being a place “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44). He said that the rich man died and was buried and that in Hell he lifted up his eyes being in torment (Luke 16:22, 23). The Bible warns that “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).

If we would make an effort to keep some person from burning to death, how much more should we do all within our power to keep eternal souls from spending eternity in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone? (For a fuller discussion of what the Bible teaches about Hell write to us for our free booklet, “The Lake of Fire”).

3. BECAUSE WE HAVE A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM

It is not only our privilege to bring others to Christ, it is our responsibility to do so. God has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19). Christ has commissioned us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). If I awaken in the middle of the night and see that my neighbor’s house is on fire, I would not turn over in bed and say, “It is no concern of mine.” No! I shall do all in my power to get my neighbor and his family from the burning house. I cannot say that it is no concern of mine that men are going to Hell. I must yield myself completely to Christ the only sufficient Saviour so that He can use me when, where, and as He will to bring salvation to others.

4. CHRISTIANS ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR THE TESTIMONY THEY GIVE

Not only are Christians responsible, but they are accountable. “So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12).

“If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” (Proverbs 24:11, 12). Though we are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be judged according to our works (Rom. 14:10, 2 Cor. 5: 10). The blood of those that we have failed to witness to will be required at our hand (Ezekiel 33:8, 9; Acts 20:26).

5. THAT THEY MIGHT DISCOVER THE PURPOSE OF GOD FOR THEIR LIVES

For the time being forget about Heaven and Hell. Forget about eternity and think about our present life. Think of how the vast multitudes of people all over the world live: in sin and in shame, in degradation and destitution, in fear and in filth. Men’s bodies torn by hunger and their hearts filled with hate.

Do you think that I paint too dark a picture? If so, live among the savages of the jungle, or go to the concrete jungles of any great city, here in America as well as cities in all parts of the world, and you will find that the adjectives that I have used do not begin to describe the awful conditions in which people all over the world live. These people live without hope and without God. They need a Saviour. They need someone to tell them of the love of God as it is found in Christ. They need to learn that God has a purpose for their lives so that they can find peace and joy in Christ.

But it is not only the savage in the jungles or the dwellers in city slums who need the Saviour. The rich as well as the poor need Him. Some of the most miserable people in the world are the most wealthy. This is true because “things” can never satisfy the longings of the human heart. Though the “up and out-er” is not generally as receptive to the message of salvation as the “down and out-er,” they, too, need the Saviour.

6. BECAUSE OF THE JOY THAT IT BRINGS TO OUR HEART

The Christian’s greatest joy is in bringing others to Christ. The Apostle John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (2 John 4). People are seeking for a thrill, but there is no thrill like seeing a sinner kneel in prayer coming to the Saviour. It is a joy to see men come to Christ, but it is a greater joy to see them walking with Christ.

7. BECAUSE OF THE ETERNAL REWARDS IT WILL BRING

“He that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). This is the promise of God! Think of the price that men have paid for fame only to see it fade with the passing years. Think of the toil that men have given to make a fortune, but so often it slips through their fingers before they reach the end of their years. Things that are seen are temporal; the things that are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). The rewards of the soul winner are eternal.

Day by day every Christian is either building of wood, hay or stubble, or of gold, silver and precious stones. I like to think of the precious stones as being the souls we have won to Christ. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, our works will be tried by fire. Only that which stands the test of fire will abide (1 Cor. 3:9-16) “So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Cor. 9:24).

8. FOR THE GROWTH AND HEALTH OF OUR CHURCHES

Many churches go year after year without seeing souls saved. Many entire denominations are slipping back instead of moving forward because the individual Christians in these denominations are not vital, reproducing witnesses for Christ. When social service takes the place of evangelism, spiritual paralysis sets in.

9. FOR WORLD EVANGELISM

God’s great purpose in redemption is to conform men to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). If men are to be made like Christ, they must hear and believe the Gospel. If they are to receive the Gospel, someone must take it to them. This is being done in many ways. Some forty thousand Protestant missionaries have dedicated their lives to God for this purpose. Thousands of national Christians are faithful in telling the story in their own land. About fifty great Gospel broadcasting stations beam the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Tons of Gospel literature are printed in thousands of languages and are distributed all over the free world. The Gospel on records is being distributed in more than 2,500 languages. Gigantic evangelistic campaigns are being held in many of the great cities of the world, but even with all that is being done more than half of the people in the world have never heard the name of Jesus.

Millions of people in so-called Christian lands do not know the Gospel. Millions who take the name of Christ have not been born again by the Spirit of God.

The Church is losing the missionary battle. At the present time only 7% of the people in the world are nominal Protestants; and with the population of the earth exploding, in a few years that number will have dropped to 2%. If the masses of people who have never heard the Gospel are to hear it, someone must take it to them. God wants you to be that one. Will you now live out your calling as a follower of Christ dedicated to Him and ask him to make you a fisher of people?

10. WE SHOULD BRING OTHERS TO CHRIST THAT HE MAY HAVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING.

The greatest reason why every Christian should win souls is that Christ might see the travail of His soul and be satisfied. When sinners make His soul an offering for their sin, He sees the travail of His soul and is satisfied (Isaiah 53:10, 11).

On the basis of this Scripture the Moravians took for their battle cry “To win for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His sufferings.” Their love and devotion for Christ caused them to renounce all and forsake all for Christ. They literally carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth. “They set a standard of missionary devotion never yet approached by any other church body. While the Protestant churches at large are sending, at the very highest estimate, one member in two or three thousand, the Moravian Church sends one in every ninety-two. They furnish the unique spectacle of having three times as many members in their foreign missions as in their home churches.” (Taken from “The Progress of World-Wide Missions” by Robert’ Hall Glover). If we know Christ and love Him, we shall desire to bring others to Him.

Though it is the will of God for every Christian to be a witness for Christ, very few are. Though it is the will of God for us to be fruitful, most of us are fruitless. Though it is the will of God for us to be reproducers, most of us are barren. Though it is the will of God for us to speak for Christ, most of our lips are sealed. Instead of being stepping stones helping others to Christ, many of us are stumbling blocks keeping others from Christ. It is obvious that most Christians are not consistent witnesses and soul winners. Why is this true?

FOUR REASONS WHY CHRISTIANS DO NOT WIN SOULS

1. BECAUSE OF SATANIC OPPOSITION

A gigantic battle rages throughout the universe for the souls of men. The true and living God is on one side, and Satan and the hosts of Hell are on the other side. God’s purpose is to bring men to Christ and to make them like Christ (Rom. 8:29). Satan, the destroyer and the deceiver, desires to damn men forever in Hell. Though we have only a faint picture of the conflict that is taking place, it is something like a basketball game in which two highly trained teams constantly battle for the control of the ball. Thus God and Satan battle for the individual soul and life of every sinner. (Yes, I believe in the sovereignty of God and know that He works all things after the counsel of His will. That is one side of the coin of redemption. We are now looking at the other side!) Satan does all within his power to keep the Gospel from being brought to men. When they hear the Gospel, He blinds and deceives. He binds with fear. He appeals through the lust of the flesh. He offers religion as a substitute to salvation. He preaches reformation rather than regeneration. He attacks the Word of God, the servant of God, the Church of God. Only by the matchless Grace of God are any brought into the fold of Christ.

Jesus said that many are on the broad road that leads to destruction, and that only a few are on the straight and narrow way that leads to life.

When the sinner hears the Gospel and exercises saving faith in Christ, when he is born again by the Spirit of God and made a new creature in Christ, the battle is not over but is intensified. Most of those who are born again never get to first base. They will be saved yet so as by fire. They are soon turned aside by the subtleties of Satan. Those who set their face as a flint and who determine to go all the way with God regardless of the cost know what it means to face the host of Hell. If they do not learn how to defeat the enemy in the power of God, they soon fall wounded and bleeding by the wayside.

2. BECAUSE OF FEAR AND EMBARRASSMENT

Satan keeps the sinner from coming to Christ, through fear and he seals the Christian’s lips through fear. Christians who can lead in discussions on almost any topic of the day find their lips sealed when they would speak of Christ. Christians who are excellent public speakers are often willing to speak on any subject but Jesus. Saints who can chatter like a magpie seldom tell others of Christ. We can talk about the weather, about politics, but we do not speak of Christ for fear that someone will accuse us of being a religious fanatic.

3. BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW

This booklet is published for the purpose of encouraging Christians to witness and to win souls and to give the necessary instruction on how to do it.  Let’s look at some of the characteristics of a soul winner.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOUL WINNER/DISCIPLE MAKER

Do not let this imposing list frighten you! These are nothing more than living out the normal Christian life.  God does not expect more of us than we are able to accomplish. All that He requires of us He will enable us to do. Place your life completely in Christ’s hands and let Him know that you are depending on Him to make you a fisher of men (Matt. 4:19).

1. ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION

This should be self-evident. If you doubt your own salvation, how can you tell others how to be saved? The Gospel of John was written for the purpose of telling men how to be saved (John 20:31). The First Epistle of John was written to give believers the assurance of their salvation (1 John 5:13).

2. IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

If all of the saved people throughout the world were walking in fellowship with God, we would experience perennial revival. When the born-again believer sins, he does not lose his salvation, but he loses the joy of his salvation. When the Christian sins, he does not lose his sonship, but he loses his fellowship. When he sins, he does not lose the Holy Spirit, but he does lose the power of the Holy Spirit.

First John 1:9 is the greatest verse in the Bible on how to be restored to fellowship with God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” No matter where we may be in the Christian life, we must always come back to this basic principle of cleansing and restoration. It is not the will of God for the believer to live in the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:14), but when he does sin there is no other way of restoration but this.

The Christian out of fellowship with God is of all men the most miserable. Since he is a Christian, he cannot enjoy the things of the world; and since he is out of fellowship, he is not enjoying the things of God. Listen to the testimony of David: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3).

When David had a new song in his heart, many saw it and turned to the Lord. When David sinned with Bathsheba, he tried to brush it off and act as if he had done no wrong. But the hand of God was heavy on him until he was willing to deal with his sin as sin. Study carefully the entire fifty-first Psalm. When he is brought to the place of repentance, he cries, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee” (Psalm 51:10-13).

It is a basic principle that the joy of salvation must be restored to believers before sinners will be brought to Christ. Every experienced evangelist and soul winner has seen this in operation many times. (For a fuller discussion of what happens to the believer when he sins write to us for our booklet, “Uplifted Gates” by Paris Reidhead).

3. DESIRE

All spiritual blessings begin with thirst or desire (Isaiah 55:1; Mark 11:24; John 7:37; Rev. 22:17). One of the main reasons why a great host of sinners are not Christians is because they do not want to be. Many born-again Christians are content to be decent, respectable, Sunday morning bench-warming church members. This is the way they live, and, that is the way they will die. If any man is to go on with God, he must respond to the thirst and desire that God puts in his heart to aspire to higher and nobler things. Many Christians are not filled with the Spirit of God because they do not thirst. Most Christians go through life without having won a single soul to Christ simply because they do not have a fervent desire to be a soul winner. The burden to win souls comes from two sources. First, we can ask God to give us compassion and concern for the souls of men. Second, when we begin to obey God, and when we go out in the name of Christ and witness to others, we will find that God gives us a burden as we deal with men about their souls.

4. FULLY SURRENDERED TO CHRIST 

Full surrender is essential to fruitful service. If God is to use us, we must be pliable in His hands. Paul calls this full surrender our reasonable service (Rom. 12:1, 2). If God has a controversy with us, He cannot use us. Jesus does not want to be in our hearts as the “Heavenly Guest,” but since He is Lord, He wants to be the Lord of our life. Someone has said, “If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at All.”

5. A WITNESS

If Christ has saved us, we should be willing to tell others of what He has done for us. We must first witness with a consistent Christian life, but this is not enough. We must also witness by a word of testimony. We can witness by obeying the command of Christ by presenting the Gospel according to 1 Cor. 15:1-4 to many individuals as the way is opened for us to do so. Such a presentation of the Gospel is a sowing of the seed, some of which will bear fruit.

6. ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH

Though this point is listed in sixth place, it is not sixth in importance. If there is one qualification that is more important than any of the others, it is that we must be filled with the Spirit of God (Eph, 5:18). Every Christian has the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit does not have every Christian. Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God, but every believer is not filled with the Spirit of God, else why would Paul command the saints at Ephesus to be filled? The power of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer, but it is not utilized by every believer. No command of the New Testament is more important than “Walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16). (For a fuller discussion of “How to be Filled, and How to Stay Filled with the Holy Spirit” write for our free booklet, “Fire From Heaven”).

7. ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN THE WORD OF GOD.

In every area of our Christian life, there must be the proper balance between the Word of God and the Spirit of God. An undue emphasis on the Word apart from the Spirit will lead to a dead orthodoxy. An undue emphasis on the Spirit apart from the Word will lead to fanaticism. The sinner is regenerated through the Word and by the Spirit. The Christian is guided by the Word; he is to be led by the Spirit. He is to be saturated with the Word; he is to be filled by the Spirit. Both the Spirit and the Word give power. Both the Spirit and the Word produce fruit. There are three things that God uses: (1) a redeemed, surrendered life, (2) His Word, and (3) His Spirit.

The soul winner must be saturated with the Word for his own benefit. The Word of God is his food. Without daily feeding on it, he will be weak. The soul winner does not read and study the Bible in a legalistic way from a sense of duty, but he reads and studies because he knows the Author. “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). Because he does this, “He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

The soul winner will know the Book so as to be able to give an answer to every man (1 Peter 3:15). When the Word of God is hidden in our heart, we shall meet and overcome every antagonist. The simplest believer who knows and loves the Lord, who is filled with the Spirit of God, and who is rooted and grounded in the Word of God can without fear face every earnest inquirer, every false religionist, and every scholarly skeptic. The Bible has the answer to every question.

The soul winner is to use the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Word is the Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). The Bible says that Eleazar smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and that his hand clave unto the sword. For this reason the Lord wrought a great victory that day. We also must wield the Sword of the Spirit in the power of the Spirit.

The soul winner must know how to use the Word of God so as to instruct the new convert in the ways of the Christian life. He must be able to get his converts in the Book and to so instruct them that they will be able to feed themselves.

8. COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON CHRIST.

The Christian is to live by Christ even as Christ lived by the Father (John 6:57). In order that we can discover how we are to live by Christ, we must first discover how He lived by the Father. Though he was the Son of God, He lived a life of complete dependence on the Father. He did nothing in His own strength; He inaugurated no enterprises; He planned no programs. His one purpose in life was to do the will of the Father (Psalm 40:8; Heb. 10:7, John 9:4). It is amazing for us to learn that Jesus could do nothing of Himself but only that which He saw the Father do (John 5:19, 30). Though He was the Son of God, He lived a life of complete dependence on the Father. In the same way we as believers in Christ are to learn to live a life of complete dependence on Christ. The flesh does not like such a program. The natural man wants to be independent. The only time he wants God’s help is when he gets into a situation that is too big for him to handle. God wants us to depend on Christ for everything.

9. CONSISTENT IN CONDUCT.

Though the Christian will not be made perfect until one day when he sees the Son of God face to face (1 John 3:2), he must live a consistent Christian life if he is to witness for Christ. If he does not, he will be called a hypocrite and will do far more harm than good by the testimony that he attempts to give. This is one of the things that keeps many Christians from witnessing for Christ. They do not want to be called or to be considered a hypocrite. If we were to wait until we were perfect to start witnessing, we never would witness. When we are walking in fellowship with God, when we are walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), when we are abiding in Christ, we will be living consistent Christian lives. When we stumble and fall, there is but one thing to do. We must confess our sins to God, get up and keep going.

10. COMPASSIONATE CONCERN FOR THE SOULS OF MEN.

When Jesus saw the multitudes, “He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). The word “compassion” means “to suffer with.” We will not witness to the lost unless we have a compassionate concern for them. One time Jesus touched the eyes of a blind man and asked if he saw anything. The blind man said, “I see men as trees walking.” Jesus touched his eyes again, and he saw all things clearly. Too many Christians only see men as trees walking. Instead of seeing men, women, boys and girls as never-dying souls that will spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell, they see filthy, obnoxious, sin-loving people who repulse them. If we are to win the lost to Christ, we must go to them with hearts filled with the love of Christ.

11. PREVAILING IN PRAYER

Like Jacob, he must have power with God and with men (Gen. 32:28). The believer must learn to pray in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18), he must learn to pray with authority (Read the booklet, “The Authority of the Believer” by J. A. MacMillan). It is doubtful if any lost soul has been brought into the kingdom of God apart from the prayers and intercession of some saint of God. “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8). Be careful to note here that it is the Church who does the travailing and not the sinner. When a baby is born into the world, it is the mother and not the child that travails. I mention this because of the erroneous teaching that the sinner must agonize in order to be saved. The Church of the present hour is barren because she is not willing to pay the price of fruitfulness.

12. PATIENT IN DELAYS

“The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain” (James 5:7). When a farmer sows the seed, he does not expect to reap the harvest immediately. He knows that it takes time for the seed to germinate and to break through the earth. The wise witness will not expect to sow the seed and then immediately reap the harvest. He will not try to pick the fruit while it is green. He is not out to get decisions but to win souls; premature decisions are spiritual abortions. The wise witness will sow the seed, water it with his prayers, and nurture it with love and kindness. When the Holy Spirit reveals to him that the fruit is ripe, he will press for a decision.

13. PERSISTENT IN DIFFICULTIES

The soul-winner must learn to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is filled with examples of the price that men must pay if they are to be used of God. The pages of Church history and the annals of modern missions are filled with the heroic exploits of noble men and women who have dared to sell out to God.

David Livingstone forged ahead in the face of insurmountable difficulties. William Carey persisted under every adversity. Adoniram Judson did not falter when pressed beyond human endurance. Most of us will never be a Livingstone, Carey, or Judson, but we will have to learn something of persistence if we are to win souls for Christ.

14. WEARING THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

Earlier in the booklet, we have seen that many Christians are not witnesses because of Satanic opposition. We have seen that the Christian life is a battle from the start to the finish. If we are to prevail, we must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We must put on the whole armor of God if we are to stand against the wiles and strategies of Satan. The thousands of shipwrecked Christian lives testify that this is true. Study carefully and prayerfully Ephesians 6:11-18. And as the song says, do not forget that each piece must be put on with prayer.

15. ABIDING IN CHRIST

In the final analysis, abiding in Christ is the one and only condition that must be met if we are to win souls. Jesus said, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5). Just as the branch bears fruit when it is attached to the vine, so the Christian will bear fruit when he is abiding in Christ, and he cannot bear fruit unless he is abiding in Christ (John 15:5,6). Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). When we are abiding in Christ, we are in fellowship with God. When we are abiding in Christ, we are filled with the Spirit of God. When we are abiding in Christ, we will live consistent Christian lives.

The branches of a fruit tree bear fruit because the life of the tree flows into the branches. The Christian will bear fruit when the life of Christ is in him. (We recognize that fruit is used in several ways in the Scriptures, but our thinking here is centered on soul winning.) If a branch is cut off or broken off from a tree, it will wither because it has no source of sustenance. When a Christian fails to abide in Christ, he soon withers because he has no life of his own. There is absolutely nothing in any Christian that will enable him to bring others to Christ. All of his resources are in Christ. His sufficiency is from the Lord. When we abide in Christ, we have all we need. When we fail to abide in Him, we have nothing and can do nothing (John 15:5).

WHO IS A CHRISTIAN

If we are to win others to Christ, we should determine from the Holy Scriptures what it means to be a Christian. Our purpose is not to get men to make a profession but to bring them to Christ. We are not to get decisions, but to make disciples. We are not to work for “joiners” but are to so present Christ to the sinner that he will by faith receive the living Christ into his heart.

The greatest hindrance to world evangelism is the inconsistent lives of professing Christians. Church members whose lives are stumbling blocks instead of being stepping stones are in two categories. First, are the professing Christians who have never been born again by the Spirit of God. They have made a profession of receiving Christ, but in reality they do not know Him. Though our purpose in evangelism is not to add to this group, we cannot always tell who makes a genuine profession of faith. In the second category are Christians who really have been saved, but they have not been taught to abide in Christ, they are not rooted and grounded in the Word and they are not filled with the Spirit of God. This group should be of great concern to the Church of Christ.

Many of us have made the mistake of trying to make salvation too easy. As a young preacher, I had a great zeal to see many come to Christ. This is right and proper, but in my zeal to get decisions for Christ I preached an “easy believism” in the pulpit and in personal witnessing. I was getting many decisions, but I began to wonder where my converts were.

One time I went into a gambling den, presented the simple Gospel to four men who were embarrassed by my presence. I asked them if they would receive Christ as their Saviour. They knelt in prayer with me and made a profession of receiving Christ. To the best of my knowledge there was never any evidence of regeneration in their lives. All over America a great host of people have walked the aisles of churches making a profession of faith but without giving any evidence showing that they have been saved.

At one time I had a school mate who would come in each afternoon with the announcement that he won fifty-seven or eighty-three to Christ that afternoon. It is possible to get that many professions of faith in one afternoon, but it is not likely that many of those who made a profession were born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

This business of winning souls is the most important and most serious business on the face of the earth. It is not a presto-bingo, hocus-pocus matter. Two young preachers were holding an evangelistic campaign for a friend of mine. They looked at their watch and noticed that they had to wait about twenty minutes for dinner. So they said, “Let’s go out and win a few souls before dinner.” I admire their zeal, but I do not believe that souls are won so easily. Many times in getting people to make such professions we do more harm than good. Many who have made a profession without being saved say, “I tried it, and it doesn’t work.”

There are at least three realities that precede saving faith.

The Sinner Is Awakened

The sinner cannot be converted until he is convicted of his sins. He will not be convicted until he is awakened to his lost condition. The Spirit of God uses three things to awaken the sinner:

(1) He uses the godly transformed lives of Christians to cause the sinner to see that they have something that he needs. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor – it is good for nothing. Ye are the light of the world-let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” Gospel radio and literature are effective tools for making known the Gospel of Christ, but Christians who evidence the fruit of the Spirit in their lives are the greatest power in the hands of God for awakening the sinner. Savorless saints are stumbling blocks instead of stepping stones.

(2) God uses Spirit-filled intercessors to awaken sinners. We often wonder why more people are not saved. God is having trouble finding intercessors. “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30). God is amazed that there is no intercessor. Sinners are awakened to their lost condition when saints pray for them. “For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8).

(3) God uses a witness to awaken sinners. This witness may be an evangelist preaching to the throngs or maybe an individual witnessing to another individual. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” Christ must be lifted up so that men will be drawn to Him.

The Sinner Is Convicted of His Sin

There can be no genuine conversion apart from conviction of sin. In an effort to get away from legalism many sincere Bible scholars decided that the Law had no relationship to the preaching of the Gospel, and through their influence, the Holy Spirit has been robbed of one of the tools that He uses to convict men of sin. The Law was given “That every mouth might be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God…For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19-20). “The Law entered that the offense might abound” (Romans 5:20). Paul, the champion of grace, said, “I had not known sin but by the law.” Please do not misunderstand. Paul did not teach, nor are we teaching, that we are justified by the Law or that we are to live under the Law. At the close of his masterpiece on justification by faith, Paul concluded, “that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law.” He then raises the question, “Do we then make void the Law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Law.” In what sense did Paul establish the Law? By putting it in its proper place to be used as a tool of the Holy Spirit to convict men of sin. Most men are by nature self-righteous. The soul-winner must be an instrument in the hands of the Holy Spirit to use the Law of God and the Word of God to show the sinner his standing before God. The sinner will not be convicted of sin until he knows what sin is.

The Sinner Is Repentant of His Sins

The New Testament clearly teaches that men must repent of their sins if they are to be saved. Jesus did not come to save us in our sins, but to save us from our sins. Jesus said, “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” When people told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, Jesus said, “Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans because they suffer such things? I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Peter preached, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” He commanded Simon the sorcerer to repent of his wickedness. When Paul preached on Mars Hill, he said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Paul reminded the Ephesian elders that he had preached, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” When Paul preached before King Agrippa, he reminded them that he preached to both Jews and Gentiles, “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” Repentance means an about-face. When a man repents, he turns to God from his sins. Repentance is sorrow for sin.

Saving Faith

Now that the sinner has been convicted of his sin and has repented of his sin, he is ready to exercise saving faith. The New Testament is filled with references teaching that men are saved by faith or by believing. The Holy Spirit is careful to make it plain that the faith that saves us is from the heart and not from the head. Saving faith must be a faith that changes and transforms the life. Any other faith is dead and cannot save. While it is true that we are not saved by understanding but by faith, it is also true that faith that saves must be intelligent. The sinner must know that he is a sinner. He must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross in his place and stead. He must understand that God forgives him on the basis of what Christ has done for him, and not on the basis of his own works. He must understand that he becomes a Christian by inviting the living Christ to come into his heart.

Many splendid illustrations can be given of saving faith. Suppose that a man is trapped on the third floor of a burning building. Every avenue of escape has been cut off, and he seems doomed to die. As he cringes on a window sill with the flames ever creeping more closely to him, the firemen come and stretch a net below him. They shout, “Jump into the net, and you will be saved.” He looks at the net and believes it is a good net. He looks at the firemen and believes that they are strong, sincere men interested in his welfare. He believes that if he will jump he will be saved. But all of this believing will not save him. If he is to be saved, he must jump into the net. In the same way, it is not enough for the sinner to believe many good things about Christ, but he must cast himself completely on Christ.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). This does not mean that we will be made perfect when we are saved, but it does mean that we have been born of God and that we are made partakers of the nature of God (2 Peter 1:4). It means that we are in Christ and that Christ is in us. We share the life of the risen Christ. We are in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in us. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5).

When the glorious Gospel of Christ grips your heart, you will want to share it with others. You will cry to God for the privilege of telling others about Christ. You will ask God to give you boldness and power. You will dedicate yourself to Christ, and you will go into full time Christian service. Often laymen can be used more effectively in witnessing than ministers. People are prone to think that the preachers witness because it is part of their job, but they take notice when the ordinary Christian speaks to them about Christ.

Dedicate yourself to Christ and ask Him to make you a fisher of men (Mark 1:17). Claim this promise and let God know that you are standing on it. Study carefully the list given earlier in this booklet. Look to God to enable you to meet each of these. Do not wait until you are thoroughly qualified, because that would be the first proof that you are not qualified. Cast yourself on God in weakness and brokenness. Depend on Him to use you and work through you as unworthy as you are.

Notice that some of these are relative, for example, our knowledge of the Bible. Do not wait until you think you have mastered the Bible before you start witnessing. I remember a fellow seminary student who did not do any preaching. When I asked him about this, he said that he did not feel that he was qualified to preach until he finished seminary. As far as I know he still is not preaching. It is true that God does not put a premium on ignorance, but it is also true that God uses broken and unworthy vessels.

THREE GENERAL WAYS TO WITNESS

1. Be ready to witness for Christ when the opportunity is opened up for you to do so. Perhaps someone will notice a difference in your life and ask you about it. Perhaps someone with a heavy heart will come to you to share their burdens. You can present Christ to them as the solution of all of their problems.
2. You can seek to make openings in the ordinary round of life. This can be done by engaging people in genuine conversations about life where you prayerfully make segway to the gospel.  Sometimes, handing a Gospel tract to the person seated beside you can be helpful.  Other times, people may ask you about something specific.  For example, some businessmen wear a fish hook on the lapel of their coat and when asked about it present the Gospel. Gideons have an opportunity when others ask them about their lapel pin.
3. You can witness by obeying the command of Christ and by going forth in His name. We can say with Peter, “I go a fishing” (John 21:3) If we are going to catch fish, we have to go where they are. Take your New Testament (many times a large Bible will scare the fish away), some Gospel literature, claim the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and go forth boldly in His name. This was the method of the early Church. This is the method of growing churches today. “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42).

METHODS OF SOUL WINNING

This will be discussed under three heads: (1) The presentation of the Gospel, (2) Drawing the net, and (3) follow up. No matter what methods or combination of methods you may use in presenting the Gospel, the important thing is to be led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When our lives are controlled by the Holy Spirit, He leads us to the ones to whom we are to speak and He gives us the words that we are to speak. He fills our heart with the love and compassion that we need. One great danger in witnessing is that we get in a rut and try to use the same method in every case. God uses all of us in different ways. He may not lead you to follow any of the methods that are suggested below, but we give these various methods to encourage you to begin witnessing for Christ.

THE PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL

SCRIPTURE VERSE METHOD 

This plan is recommended and used by several Bible Schools. The student memorizes a good set of verses to present the various aspects of the Gospel. For example, he will use such verses as Isaiah 53:6, Rom. 3:10, 3:23 to show men that they are lost. He will use such verses as 1 Cor. 15:1-4 to present the Gospel, such verses as I Peter 2:24, and 3:18, and 2 Cor. 5:21 to show the substitutionary death of Christ. He will memorize Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, and Gal. 2:16 to show that men are not saved by works. He will be able to quote verses to show that we are not saved by keeping the law, he will know verses that prove the doctrine of Hell. He will know verses to give assurance of salvation.

This may not be the best method to use, but two things are certain. The witness will receive great blessing and benefit from the verses that he memorized; and second, God has promised that His Word will not return void. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to bring conviction to the heart of the sinner. Most experienced soul winners have found that even though they know these verses by heart, it is best to turn to them in a Bible or Testament and have the person that you are witnessing to read them for himself, and then perhaps call to his attention what he has read. For example, in using John 3:18 emphasize that he is not going to be condemned, but that he is condemned already. From this verse, you can also show him why he is condemned.

ANOTHER METHOD OF PRESENTING THE GOSPEL 

One of the most simple methods of presenting the Gospel is to study the third chapter of the Gospel of John with the person to whom you are witnessing. Start reading the chapter with them; and as you read, make such comments as the Spirit of God directs. Many times a word about the Pharisees is helpful. The Pharisees were a very religious people. They were very meticulous about keeping the Law, but Jesus told Nicodemus, who was a good, moral, religious man that unless he was born again he could not see the kingdom of God. In verse four we see that Nicodemus is thinking in the realm of the physical rather than in the realm of the spiritual. Being born of water in verse five is an easy point on which to be sidetracked and to get into an argument about baptism. Refuse to be sidetracked. In verse seven emphasize that Jesus did not say, “You can be born again,” or “You should be born again,” but “Ye must be born again.”

In connection with verse fourteen you should carefully study Numbers 21:4-9. Just as the children of Israel were bitten by the serpents, all of us have been bitten by the serpent of sin. Just as the serpent was lifted up on the pole, so must Christ be lifted up on the Cross. Just as they were healed of the snake bites by looking to the serpent on the pole, so we are saved by looking to Christ on the Cross. There is life in the look of faith (Isaiah 45:22).

Depend on the Holy Spirit to teach you the meaning of every word in John 3:16. Instead of saying God loved the world, have them read the verse and put their name in it. God gave His Son not only as a baby in Bethlehem but as the Lamb of God to die on the Cross for the sins of all men. A little boy said, “Whosoever means you, or me, or anybody else.” Should not perish means that if men will believe on Christ, they will not go to Hell, for Hell is the second death (Rev. 21:8). Everlasting life! Who can fathom this word? It means both length and quality of life.

Verse eighteen is most important, Those who believe on Christ are not condemned. All who do not believe are condemned. They are not going to be condemned someday at the judgment bar of God, but they are condemned already, right now. They are not condemned because they are murderers, liars, thieves, or drunkards, but because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Press these points home.

In explaining the meaning of the word believe show that head knowledge is not enough (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9, 10). Show them that if they really believe, they will gladly receive Christ by faith into their heart (John 1:12).

THE ROMAN ROAD

Another good method to use in presenting the Gospel to the lost is to use the book of Romans. If you are to use this method effectively, you must have a working knowledge of this book. To help you in your study you can write the publishers of this booklet for a free copy of “Helpful Hints on Romans.” The book of Romans is divided into the five following divisions: (1) What We are by Nature, (2) How to be Saved, (3) How to Live the Christian Life, (4) Why Israel is Set Aside, and (5) How to Serve God. The Holy Spirit can use you to give out the truth in the first section to show the sinner that he is lost and that he needs a Saviour. He can use you and the truth in the second section to show men how to be saved, how they can be just or right in the sight of a Holy God. When a person is saved, he needs to be taught the truth of Romans 6, 7, 8, so as to know how to live the Christian life.

The method is called “The Roman Road” because you present the Gospel using the book of Romans. The more you are saturated with the book of Romans, the easier it will be for you to use it in presenting the Gospel. When you have the great truths of this book hidden in your heart, the Holy Spirit can guide you in how to use it in the presentation of the Gospel.

You can start with verse sixteen of chapter one. When you read this verse you can explain what the Gospel is from 1 Cor. 15:1-4. The word “power” here is dynamite. The Gospel is the dynamite of God. It has the power to change men’s lives. Trace the word believe through the Gospel of John and the book of Acts. Learn how to trace the verses on “believe” through these two books. Let me give you a suggestion that can be used both in personal witnessing and in preaching. If you are studying the word “believe” you might want to start with John 1:11, 12. The next good reference on “believe” after John 1:12 is John 3:16, so in the margin of your Bible right after John 1:12 print John 3:16. This will serve as a guide to show you to turn to John 3:16-18. Then after verse 18 print John 5:24, and so on through the Gospel of John and the book of Acts. This will take time, but what a blessing you will get as you make such studies.

Let me give another practical suggestion. Instead of writing John 3:16, you can save space and time by printing J 3:16, and instead of Acts 16:31 print A 16:31. You can work out your own code for every book in the Bible. Use the single letters for the books that are used most. For example, G for Galatians, Ge for Genesis, E for Ephesians, Ex for Exodus, and Ez for Ezekiel, R for Romans, Rv for Revelation.

Now back to the “Roman Road” method! In studying the word “believe” show what it means to believe, that it is a heart transaction and not mere head knowledge. From verse sixteen of chapter one explain the wonders of God’s great salvation. You must know it yourself before you can tell others. From verse seventeen you can show what it means to be saved by faith, and how to live by faith. In verse seventeen the righteousness of God is revealed. The three “God gave them up’s” (verses 24, 26, 28) have been called the three red lights on the road to Hell.

The Word of God is quick and powerful. Use it! Depend on the Holy Spirit to speak to the heart of the sinner through it. Master every verse of Romans 3:9-28. Your own heart will be thrilled and blessed as you delve deep into the wonders of God’s great salvation. Our witness and testimony should be an overflow. We should be so filled and thrilled with the wonders of the Gospel that we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).

THE TORCHBEARERS

Major Ian Thomas, the founder and director of “The Torchbearers,” is one of the most effective soul winners I have ever met. He knows and experiences the life of the risen Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ saves others through him. He is led by the Holy Spirit to whom to witness. He uses the same method with every person that he deals with, whether they are a teenager or a college professor.

CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST 

The work of Campus Crusade For Christ is being owned and blessed of God because of their emphasis on soul winning and the Spirit filled life.  They use four biblical principles to present the gospel.  See www.cru.org for this resource.

WITNESSING TO CHILDREN

We are told that one-third of the population of the world is under sixteen years of age. This means that the children of the world in themselves present a great mission field which we must not overlook. We praise the Lord for the many splendid missionary agencies that God has raised up to give the Gospel to the youth of the world, but the greatest thing that you and I can do to get the Gospel to them is for us to be personal witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most effective methods for giving the Gospel to the boys and girls is by using “the wordless book.” This is a small booklet with the green cover; the first two pages are black, the next two pages are red, the next two pages are white, and the last two pages are gold, and the outside back cover once again is green.

You can present the Gospel in this way: when you see boys and girls you can ask them if they have ever seen a wordless book, and of course, their curiosity will be aroused. You can show them the book. Start at the back with the golden page. Tell them what the Bible teaches about heaven. Use such verses as John 14:2. Share how God created people to be in relationship with Him. Then turn back to the front of the book which is black and tell them that none of us can go to heaven as we are because of our sins. Quote such verses as Rom. 3:23, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” As you turn to the red pages tell them about God’s wonderful provision whereby we can have our sins forgiven through the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). Give them the Gospel using 1 Cor. 15:1-4. As you turn to the white pages you can explain to them that the blood of Jesus Christ God’s son cleanseth us from all sin. Isaiah 1:18 shows that where our sins were as scarlet they shall be as white as snow. Now that our sins have been forgiven we are fit and ready for heaven.

The green on the cover signifies growth. Since we have received the Lord Jesus Christ we have been born into His family, and we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Explain to them that we grow as we feed on the word of God (1 Peter 2:2).

As the spirit of God leads, you can invite them (involving their parents if possible) to receive Christ by faith. Avoid situations where children might feel pressure without really knowing what they are doing.  It will also be well to give them a good piece of Gospel literature such as “The Living God” booklet.

For further instructions as to how to best work with boys and girls write to Child Evangelism Fellowship, Box 1156, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501.

DRAWING THE NET

From time to time the Lord will give you the privilege of presenting the Gospel to a person who is ready to be saved and who wants to be saved. Like ripe fruit, they will fall into your hand at the touch of the Spirit. When they clearly understand what a person must do to be saved, they will readily respond to the offer of salvation.

At other times you will find, that as you are led by the Spirit of God, you must urge the person with whom you are dealing to come to the Saviour. You must press on them the claims of Christ. You must warn them of the consequences of sin. So to speak, you must hold them over the fires of Hell. You will show them the importance of making a decision for Christ now before it is too late. You will tell them that death is the most certain thing in the world and that life is the most uncertain, that they may be called on to meet God at any time. Ask them this question, “If you should die tonight, would you spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell?”

If you see that they are not ready for salvation, that they do not want to be saved, do not try to get them to make a profession that is contrary to their own will. There are many well-meaning Christian people who do not believe that we should ever press the sinner to make a decision for Christ. They say that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. Indeed it is, but the Holy Spirit uses redeemed lives to work through. We are ambassadors for Christ, and as such in Christ’s stead, we are to urge men to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).

If you can sense that the Spirit of God is convicting of sin and that they show a genuine interest in salvation, you can ask the person if they would like to kneel with you in prayer and receive the Lord Jesus Christ into their heart. A person does not have to kneel to be saved, but it seems as if kneeling puts them in a more responsive attitude to receive Christ. In the very act of kneeling, they are beginning to humble themselves and are beginning to be obedient. When they kneel with you, ask them to pray and tell the Lord in simple words what is in their heart. If they seem hesitant to pray on their own, you can guide them a bit about how they should pray, and in some cases you can encourage them to pray a simple prayer something like this after you.

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and that I need a Saviour. (Stop here and let them repeat these words after you.) I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my sins (stop again). I believe that He was buried and that He rose again on the third day (stop again). You have promised that if I would receive you, you would save me (stop again). So now I thank you that you have forgiven my sins and saved my soul. For thy name’s sake, Amen.

If you see that the person is not ready to pray in this way, do not overly persuade him. We must not pick the fruit when it is green. Ripe fruit will fall into your hand when it is touched. When we are led by the Spirit of God, we will know how far we should go in pressing for a decision. Do not give up too easily, but on the other hand in your zeal to see someone saved, do not force a decision before they are ready for it.

FOLLOW UP

It is important to bring people to Christ; it is important to teach and instruct them after they have received Christ. Just as a new-born babe needs tender, loving care, so new babes in Christ need to be instructed and encouraged in the things of God. Just as the new-born babe must have food if it is to live, so the babe in Christ must be taught to feed on the Word of God. Encourage them to read the Bible, perhaps starting with the Gospel of John. Encourage them to memorize good key verses in the Bible. Teach them the importance of prayer. Encourage them to find fellowship with other Christians in a Bible-believing church. Let them know that they are not perfect and that they will sin. Show them from 1 John 1:9 God’s provision for them when they sin. You will teach them how to have victory over sin. It will be well to leave them a tract or booklet to help them get started in the Christian life. The Missionary Crusader publishes booklets that are designed for new converts.

THE NAVIGATORS

The Navigators, a great soul-winning organization, have one of the best follow-up plans that I know of. The following material is taken from a fifteen-page booklet that they give to each new convert.

BEGINNING WITH CHRIST

Jesus Christ said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). Coupled with this wonderful truth is the statement in His Word that “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. . . .” (John 1:12).

If you have to the best of your knowledge received Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as your own Saviour, according to the Scripture quoted above you have become a son of God in whom Jesus Christ dwells.

Altogether too many people make the mistake of measuring the certainty of their salvation by their feelings. Don’t make this tragic mistake; believe God. Take Him at His Word: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

It is impossible in the short space allotted in this small booklet to go into all the wonderful results of the transaction that took place when you received Christ. A child may be born into a wealthy home and may become the possessor of good parents, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, but at the time of his birth the main point is not that he be informed of all these wonderful things. There are other important matters which must be taken care of first. He must be fed; he is hungry and needs to grow. He must be protected, for he has been born into a world of many enemies. In the hospital room he is handled with sterilized gloves and kept from outsiders that he might not fall victim to any of the myriads of germs waiting to attack. It is the knowledge of such enemies on the part of the doctors and nurses which enables them to take measures to protect the precious new life.

You have become a child of God; you have been born as a babe into His family. This is a strategic moment in your life. It is our desire to impart to you two or three simple truths that are not difficult to understand, but the knowledge of them will strengthen you for the battle ahead and keep you safe from the wiles of Satan, the enemy of your soul.

In 1 Peter 2:2 you will read, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.” In Acts 20:32 you will read, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up . . . ” His Word will now serve as food for your soul and will build you up in the faith. Doubtless, you have a New Testament. If not, by all means, procure one and begin to read it faithfully every day. It is most important that you have time set aside, preferably in the morning, to read and study the Word of God and pray.

Now we want to be even more specific with regard to partaking of the Word of God. In the 9th and 11th verses of Psalm 119 we read, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word,” and then the Psalmist speaks to the Lord saying, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” So we challenge you to hide it in your heart to memorize it. Accompanying this booklet we have prepared a few passages with which you may begin.

But we have spoken only about food for your soul. Let us consider for a moment this new and deadly enemy which you face.

In the past, you have not been viciously attacked by Satan, but now he has seen you make the step which angers him more, perhaps, than any one thing in all the world. You have left him and joined the ranks of those who believe and trust in the Son of God. You are no longer Satan’s property, but you belong to the One Who has “bought” and paid for you “with a price,” the price of His own shed blood on the cross. You may be sure, then, that Satan will attempt to trouble you. His attack assumes many forms, but we wish to speak of some of the most common ones and give you help on how to resist him successfully.

We can overcome him only as we use the weapon which God has provided. Ephesians 6:17 says “Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Not only is the Word of God spoken of as the sword of the Spirit but it is that through which faith comes as a shield to ward off the darts of the enemy (Romans 10: 17, Ephesians 6:16). The Word of God, then, is your weapon of defense as well as your weapon of offense.

To illustrate, we would like to point you to the fact that our Lord was tempted by Satan in three ways, and He met each temptation with Scripture, saying, “It is written . . . ” (See Matthew 4). If our Lord Jesus Christ deemed it necessary thus to meet Satan, how much more we need this mighty weapon, the Word of God. How much more we need to be prepared to say to Satan, “It is written” or “Thus saith the Lord”.

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

The four verses of Scripture printed on the cards in the pocket to the right have been prepared to equip you for your first few encounters with the enemy. His first approach is often to cast doubt upon the work which God has wrought in your heart, and although you will not hear his audible voice he will whisper to your heart:

“You don’t think you are saved just by believing and receiving Christ? Surely that is not enough to have your sins blotted out, to be born again, to gain entrance to Heaven!”

What will your answer be? Your only hope to withstand such an attack is to resort to God’s Word. What does God say about the matter? That is the important thing. And so the first one of the four cards, 1 John 5:11, 12 entitled “Assurance of Salvation,” says:

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

When this passage has been written on the table of your heart so that you are able to use it every time a doubt arises during the next few days, and when, on the basis of this “record,” you are thoroughly convinced that you now have the Lord Jesus Christ and with Him eternal life, you will have overcome in one of the first tests. This attack may recur, but now you have the Word of God in your heart with which to meet it.

ASSURANCE OF VICTORY

The second attack of Satan may be along this line. He may whisper to your heart of hearts:

“You have life, all right, but you are a weakling; you have always been a weakling, especially in the case of this or that.”

He will remind you of some sin which has gripped you throughout the past years of your life. He will point to something of which you are keenly aware, and say:

“You are weak, you will not be able to stand against this particular temptation. Perhaps you will be able to stand against others, but no. this one.”

How will you answer him? Will you attempt to reason? Will you attempt to produce your own arguments? Will you run to see what this person or that one says, or will you resort to the invincible Word? The second card in the folder, I Corinthians 10: 13, is chosen especially to meet this attack of Satan: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

This gives the “Assurance of Victory.” God promises victory. It belongs to you as a child of His. Believe it and you will see that those things which are impossible with men are possible with God. It will thrill you to see that chains of lifetime habits are snapped by His mighty power. Memorize this verse; write it on the table of your heart.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

We now come to the third attack of Satan. Although victory is rightfully yours, you are likely to see failure at some point. Sin will suddenly crop up and immediately your enemy will be on the job to say:

“Now you’ve done it. Aren’t you supposed to be a Christian? Christians don’t do those things.”

Nevertheless, God makes provision in His Word for the failures of His children, and so the third card speaks of the “Assurance of Forgiveness,” 1 John 1: 9:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Here He not only promises to forgive us but to cleanse us. What a gracious provision!

ASSURANCE OF PROVISION

The three preceding assurances have been given to meet the principal attacks of Satan. However, there is one more card. Your needs for the future warfare, for living the life, for witnessing, along with all your own personal needs, will undoubtedly be many. God assures us that in answer to prayer He will take care of every need. Hence, the fourth verse is the “Assurance of Provision,” John 16:24:

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Each of these carefully selected verses has been printed with the reference in the lower right-hand corner of the card. The pocket is designed with a window in the right-hand corner to facilitate your memorization and review. We suggest the following procedure to enable you best to write these verses on the table of your heart:

Tackle the first card, 1 John 5:11, 12, repeating the reference “fore ‘n aft”- i.e., both at the beginning and at the end of the verse-each time you go over it. Note: The reason for this is to clear up any difficulties you may have in remembering the location of the passage for future use, review, etc. When you are able to quote the first verse, tackle the second in the same way and review the first. Then, when you are able to quote these two, tackle the third. When you can repeat the three verses perfectly, start on the fourth.

By all means, remember that the secret of successful memory work is Review! Review! REVIEW!

After you have memorized these four verses and applied them according to the instructions, you will be aware of the strength and blessings that come from hiding God’s Word in your heart. You may continue a systematic memory program capable of producing growth in your Christian life.

EXCUSES

The great enemy of our souls does not easily relinquish his captives. The person that you are dealing with may have many excuses, but he cannot give a single valid reason for not coming to Christ. Someone has said that an excuse is the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Helped by the Spirit of God you will be able to knock down every excuse that they can offer. In meeting their excuses be careful not to argue with them. Remember that you are out to win souls and not to win arguments! Some of the excuses you will meet will be like these:

“I want to be saved, but I do not have that feeling.” Show them that they are saved by faith and not by feeling. There is not a single verse in the entire Bible that says we must feel a certain way before we can be saved. Feeling follows salvation and is not a condition of it. For example, if the governor should hand a condemned man a pardon, would he refuse it, saying, “I do not have that feeling”? No! He would accept the pardon, and as a result of accepting it his heart would be filled with joy.

If someone should offer you a large gift, would you say, “I cannot accept it because I do not have the right feeling”? No! You would accept the gift and as a result, your heart would be filled with happiness. The sinner must learn not to depend on feeling but must receive Christ by faith.

Perhaps some will say, “I have my own religion.” That is fine. Tell me what your religion has done for you.” After you have given them opportunity to answer, you can ask, “Has it given you peace of heart? Do you know that your sins are forgiven?” Make it very plain that you are not talking to them about religion but about Christ. Be sure that you are preaching Christ and not church or creed.

Many people think that they are so good that they do not need to be saved. A good verse to use with them is Isaiah 64:4 or Romans 3:23 or James 2: 10 or John 3:18, and you can find many other good verses.

You will meet some few people who think that they are too bad to be saved. Preach the Cross to them. Show them that Christ died for their sins and the sins of the whole world. Use such verses as: 1 Cor. 15: 3, 1 Peter 2: 24, 3:18, 2 Cor. 5:21, Romans 5:8.

For those who say they would like to be saved but that they do not fully understand. Show them that we use and benefit every day from many things that we do not understand. We do not understand about our food, but we eat it. We do not understand how water quenches our thirst, but we drink it. We do not understand how that radio picks sounds out of the air, but we listen to it. Through faith, we will understand.

Then there are those who will say, “I would like to be a Christian, but I am not able to live the Christian life.”

“Certainly you are not able, but the same Christ who died on the Cross to save you from sins wants to live in your heart by faith, and He will enable you to live the life that God expects of you.”

Teach them about 1 John 1: 9 and God’s provision for them when they sin.

Invariably you will find some people who will talk about hypocrites in the church or point out the failings of a crooked preacher. Naturally, we regret such instances. Remind them that you are talking about Christ and not hypocrites, they must be smaller than the thing they hide behind.

You will need special wisdom and patience in dealing with atheists (those who say that they do not believe in God), agnostics (those who say, “I do not know”), and any others who do not believe the Bible is the Word of God. 

God has not called on us to prove His existence. With modern education, the number of atheists is increasing, and there is not much point in dealing with people who think they are wiser than God. We can pray that God will teach them His way. I remember dealing with a young chap who had been to the university for one term, and in that length of time, he had discovered that there was no God. I left him with his jaw hanging down when I told him, “It is an amazing thing that in six month’s time you have become wiser than Almighty God.” If they are the wise type, you might tell them that their name is written in the Bible, then have them read Psalm 14:1. When a person thinks he knows more than God, there is not much you can tell him. However, at times you may meet some honest, sincere person who needs help about the existence of God. Reason with him from the law of Cause and Effect. Urge him to make an honest investigation by carefully studying the Bible.

If you meet someone who would like to have some reasons for believing that the Bible is the Word of God, give him a copy of our booklet, “Why I Believe the Bible,” by M. H. Duncan, M.A. Yale.

With people who want to be saved but who neglect to make a decision, you can use such verses as Heb. 2:3, Proverbs 27:1, 29: 1, and 2 Cor. 6:2.

These are the main excuses that you will encounter. Some people are sincere in offering them; others use these excuses because they do not want to come to Christ. They love their sin more than they love the Saviour. All we can do is pray for them, trusting the Holy Spirit to work in their heart.

GET STARTED NOW

“Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.” Tomorrow may be too late. It may never come. You will soon stand in the presence of God to give an account of your stewardship. Make this a matter of earnest prayer. By the grace of God meet the necessary qualifications. Do not wait because you fear you are not qualified. The person who thinks he is qualified is not. God uses broken unworthy vessels. Hand out tracts and literature to those whom you encounter. When you are filled with the Spirit of God you will have boldness. Move out by faith even though you have fear in your heart. As you witness to people, this fear will vanish. Go in weakness, trusting God to give you the words to say. Though you may feel that you have failed many times, obey God, determine to do the will of God at all cost. Write to us for help and encouragement. Claim the promises of Christ, “Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1: 17), and “Fear not: from henceforth thou shall catch men” (Luke 5: 10).

Almighty God wants to use you to bring others to Christ. He asks you to surrender your body, your mind, your emotions, your will completely to Him so that He can make you a fisher of men. Just as the Lord came into the world nearly two thousand years ago to seek and to save the lost, He now wants to seek and save the lost through you.

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