leading someone to the Lord?

[antjen]

We recently had some church events come up that have me wondering something. If a person has said they are saved and then it turns out they were not, what would that mean of any that have been led by them? I know that the Holy Ghost is the one convicting and that the soulwinner is a tool, but I have just never thought about that before?

[Brother Rick]

We recently had some church events come up that have me wondering something. If a person has said they are saved and then it turns out they were not, what would that mean of any that have been led by them? I know that the Holy Ghost is the one convicting and that the soulwinner is a tool, but I have just never thought about that before?

Makes no difference. Jesus Christ does the saving, not the messenger.

Along those lines, I think much of the time people are saved but then some overzealous evangelist talks them out of it by confusing the issue. "Did you repent before you believed?" "Did you believe before you repented?" "Did you do it from a King James Bible?" "Did you think you could lose it when you got saved?" "Do you remember an exact day and time?"

All hogwash. Salvation takes place in the heart of an individual who knows he needs Jesus by faith. People over-complicate it. My pastor admits he has no clear cut day in which he was saved, but after going to church for six months and believing what was taught it dawned on him one day that he was saved. The church he went to when he got saved wasn't much for altar calls. He's been serving the Lord for over 30 years and pastoring our church for 25. Edited October 19, 2010 by Rick Schworer

[John81]

Makes no difference. Jesus Christ does the saving, not the messenger.

Along those lines, I think much of the time people are saved but then some overzealous evangelist talks them out of it by confusing the issue. "Did you repent before you believed?" "Did you believe before you repented?" "Did you do it from a King James Bible?" "Did you think you could lose it when you got saved?" "Do you remember an exact day and time?"

All hogwash. Salvation takes place in the heart of an individual who knows he needs Jesus by faith. People over-complicate it. My pastor admits he has no clear cut day in which he was saved, but after going to church for six months and believing what was taught it dawned on him one day that he was saved. The church he went to when he got saved wasn't much for altar calls. He's been serving the Lord for over 30 years and pastoring our church for 25.

Good points!

The only thing to really consider concerning the one who witnessed to them is whether or not they present the Gospel when witnessing and allow the Holy Ghost to do His work. Those who do this have done their duty regardless of the outcome.

Sadly however, there are those who don't properly present the Gospel, and some will even push and push someone to say a "sinners prayer" until they agree just to be rid of them. Those who "witness" in such ways are not doing the work of the Lord.

[Robert Reynolds]

I see this alot, here in the Philippines. The soul winner will go out and present the gospel to a person and then have them repeat a prayer and then ask the person to attend their services. That person who repeated the prayer will alot of times, ask where the service is and what time and then say that they will be there, but then never shows up. My point is that salvation does not come from reapeating a prayer because most of the time when a person repeats a prayer for salvation, they are only repeating it because they are being told to and it does not come from their heart or their mouth (Romans 10:9-10).

[John81]

I see this alot, here in the Philippines. The soul winner will go out and present the gospel to a person and then have them repeat a prayer and then ask the person to attend their services. That person who repeated the prayer will alot of times, ask where the service is and what time and then say that they will be there, but then never shows up. My point is that salvation does not come from reapeating a prayer because most of the time when a person repeats a prayer for salvation, they are only repeating it because they are being told to and it does not come from their heart or their mouth (Romans 10:9-10).

That is true and why we must be so careful to make sure those we speak with really understand the Gospel and they respond by conviction of the Holy Ghost and not by the prodding of us to say a prayer.

It's both amazing and sad, and a great shame, that there are some churches which send out folks witnessing and they claim hundreds or more come to Christ yet not a one of them ever shows up in church. The fact church members are claiming to have brought so many to Christ yet none come to church should cause the pastor to look into this but it seems most often the pastor is satisfied with the numbers they can post regardless of what the facts may be.

[Doc Flay]

I was led to the Lord, of someone who entered the ministry, and his fruit is more of the flesh than the spirit, and he has lost two preaching possisions; although I have grown in Christ, and am strong in the Lord.

¹⁴And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
¹⁵Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
¹⁶The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
¹⁷But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
¹⁸What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.