What's Wrong With Most Soul Winning Courses?

[RSS Robot]

Updated March 16, 2011 (first published December 15, 2010) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)

Since attending in Bible School in the 1970s, I have gone through several evangelistic courses and they contain many helpful things.

But something is wrong with the standard technique taught in these courses, because all too often they produce a host of empty professions, and surely we all know that an empty profession of faith that doesn’t change the life is not biblical salvation.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).

I read about a pastor who reported 4,000 professions in five years of ministry, but the church only grew from 98 to 100. Those are interesting “professions,” to say the least.

I read about a first-year missionary who reported over 700 professions of faith and 25 baptisms.

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[John81]

:thumb: This coupled with the lack of discipleship is a major problem. It greatly saddens me to think of the great many who will one day stand before Christ thinking they are "good with God" because they said a "sinners prayer" some time in their lives only to hear the devestating words that Jesus doesn't know them and they are to be cast into hell. :(

[JerryNumbers]

And many times its the new converts fault, for after getting saved they drop out of church, even in 2011 you still can not make the mule drink of the water after leading him to the water hole.

[John81]

And many times its the new converts fault, for after getting saved they drop out of church, even in 2011 you still can not make the mule drink of the water after leading him to the water hole.

Then, as Scripture says, we need to consider whether they were truly saved or not. They need to examine themselves, in the light of Scripture, to see if indeed they have been saved or not.

Unfortunately, there are many today who preach one can be saved and still "live like the devil", never showing any signs of having been saved. How convenient! Yet how unbiblical.

[Invicta]

Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Invicta

[John81]

Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Now that's :bible:

[JerryNumbers]

1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

[John81]

1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Far too many don't want to accept this truth.

[irishman]

yes, the Bible says there will be a change, but how great is that change? What if there is a change that we don't know about? We are sometimes too quick to analyze our soul winning and I believe it hinders our efforts to reach others. None of us is an adequate "fruit inspector".

[John81]

yes, the Bible says there will be a change, but how great is that change? What if there is a change that we don't know about? We are sometimes too quick to analyze our soul winning and I believe it hinders our efforts to reach others. None of us is an adequate "fruit inspector".

God obviously believes we can, with His help, look at the fruit in our lives and others to see where hearts are or He wouldn't tell us to do so.

This is why an understanding of repentance is so important and why it's so dangerous to leave it out. Can a person truly come to Christ if they have no idea about repentance, if they believe all they have to do is "say a prayer" and then they can go on living their life as before? Being born again is more than just saying "I accept Jesus". One has to understand what that really means, which in part means one is in agreement with God, accepts they are sinners, repents, determined to follow Christ.

Examples from Scripture show dramatic changes in those who were born again; a very clear change in their lives.

Part of the importance of discipleship is those discipling new converts spend time with them and can more readily see where their heart is.

It's all too common a belief in America that a person can be or become a Christian without such impacting their lives much. Is this the example of Scripture? Scripture is clear that a true follower of Christ will not remain the same, the Spirit will be at work in their lives. Anyone can "profess Christ" or claim to be born again, many Catholics do so, Mormon Beck does, but Scripture tells us it takes more than a profession. If we truly surrender to Christ there will be a heart change, we will actually follow Christ.

Over the years as I've been involved in soul winning and discipling I've noticed that those who truly came to Christ had an obvious heart change. They didn't become perfect of course, but they did exhibit a desire for the things of God. They wanted to read the Word, to get into a good church, to attend Bible study, to put off the old man and put on Christ. These were the ones who stood the test of time.

At the same time there were also a few who would profess Christ but not from their heart and those who wanted to be okay with God but didn't want to actually do it God's way. These professed to be saved, a few would occasionally go to church or a Bible study, but there was no surrender of their heart to Christ, they were not being led of the Spirit and these kept walking the way of the world with only a few making meager attempts to "please God" in their own power from time to time.

Would it be better to help someone make sure they are born again (or even ourselves) or to see those who show no signs of Christ in their lives and just hope they will turn out to be among the sheep and not the goats?

[JerryNumbers]

Think about this, God's Word tells us, if someone is saved, they will be a new man, and we shall know them by their fruit.

Now, do you believe God would have given such information in the "Holy Bible," if it was not true? Of course not, if there is no change, there was no conversion, it was lip service.

Yes, benefit of the doubt, that's what we want to give everyone, yet the Bible tells us how to know and recognize a brother and or sister in Jesus Christ.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.