Once
we are anointed by the Holy Spirit He indwells in us and we begin to
develop special gifts that allow us to be used for God's purpose in
aiding with Soul Winning (reaching the lost with the Gospel). Jesus
told us that we would do the same works that He did while He was
here, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and
greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
- John 14:12. What this means is that all who believe in Jesus will
receive gifts to be able to do the same things that He did.
So,
What Exactly Are We to Do?
Before Jesus ascended up to
heaven He gave us a command. "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." - Matthew
28:19,20. This is also what is known as the Great Commission. What
this means is that every believer is to do the work that Jesus did
while He was physically on the earth. We are commissioned to win the
lost to Christ, get them baptized, and then we are to teach them how
to win the lost to Christ and get them baptized. This is our task, it
seems easy enough, but it may not be as easy as one thinks, do not
get me wrong, many times the Holy Spirit will use even the lost to
get someone who is lost saved, but there is more to the Great
Commission than just telling someone how he/she can get to heaven.
For this reason, God gives us all gifts that allow us to reach the
lost in different ways.
We All Have
Special Gifts
God through the Holy Spirit, gives all of
us special gifts in order that the work of evangelizing might be done
more efficiently and effectively. "Now
concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols,
even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man
speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man
can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are
diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...For to one is given by
the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by
the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the
gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of
miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of
tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one,
and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be
bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit..For
our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body
together, having given more abundant honour to that part which
lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the
members should have the same care one for another. And whether one
member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be
honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after
that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues." - I Corinthians
12:1-4,8-13,24-28.
I have been soul winning in my
neighborhood for some time now and I will tell you that my social
skills are not very strong, but God knows that I am good with
computers and communicating with people on the internet. So, He gave
me these skills so that I can be a soul winner on the internet as
well. Through the Holy Spirit, He guides me to the right place at the
right time, then when that someone who is lost is looking for
something to give them answers he/she finds me and the angels
rejoicebecause another lost soul has been found.
Now, one
thing I would like to point out here is that these gifts are not
given as substitutes for soul winning, but rather aids for soul
winning. It should be noted also that soul winning is not one of the
gifts. Soul winning is a command given to all believers, whereas each
Christian is given a gift or different gifts in order to aid in soul
winning being done more effectively.
God established the New
Testament church so that the Gospel of Christ might be produced more
effectively. In a church, somebody plays the organ, somebody leads
the choir, somebody cares for the church business, somebody works in
the PA room, somebody has a special gift to pray for the sick,
another has exceptional faith, etc. All of these gifts simply oil the
machinery so that soul winning might be done more effectively.
Be
Careful of False Teachings
There are those who choose
one of these gifts and insist that every Christian is to have a
particular gift. Some say that if a person does not have one
particular gift, he is not even a Christian. Others say that the
obtaining of one particular gift is an evidence of being filled with
the Holy Spirit, but all of these assumptions are incorrect.
The
Bible plainly teaches how ridiculous it would be to assume that all
would have the same gift. "For the body is
not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the
hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if
the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is
it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where
were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the
smelling?" - I Corinthians 12:14-17. It is also evident
that each of us needs the gifts of the rest of us.
Many
churches are encumbered by multitudes of unnecessary committees who
have been delegated responsibility of doing the work of the various
gifts. When these duties have been discharged, these committees feel
that they have done their work for the Lord, while an unsaved world
perishes without the Gospel. There are thousands of churches all over
this nation and all around the world who have treasurers, finance
committees, deacon boards, music committees, Christian education
committees, and even committees on committees and yet there is not
one soul winner to be found! These dear saints have been deceived
into believing that the using of their gifts is their main service
for God. So the well-oiled machinery works beautifully while Hell
enlarges herself. It is a sin, it is a shame, and it is a crime that
hundreds of churches in America do not baptize one convert a year.
A good illustration is that of the fire department. Every
fireman is hired for one main purpose, and that is to fight fires.
However, in the fire station there are duties that must be performed.
Suppose, for example, one fireman is given the duty of sweeping the
building. Another is given the duty of cleaning the rest rooms.
Another's gift is that of caring for the paper work. Now these duties
are not substitutes for the fire fighting, but simply duties that
allow them to be the best firemen that they can be when it is
needed.
Now the gifts are important, but they are important
ONLY as they improve our soul- winning work and help us to do the
Lord's work more efficiently so we can win more souls to Christ. It
must be emphasized again and again that the gifts are not given to
some so that they can make it easier for others to go soul winning;
the gifts are given to all so that ALL of us can make it easier for
ALL OF US to go soul winning and to do it decently and in order.
Are You Ready to Accept Your
Gift(s)?
Each of us is to give himself to soul winning.
Bow your head now and promise God that you are going to obey the
commission of our Lord, that you are going to start telling people
how to be saved and leading them to Christ. Then, find a local New
Testament church (if you have not found one already), be faithful and
busy.
Do not see, a certain gift, but ask the Holy Spirit to
guide you and show you where to serve, and as He gives you a place of
service, He will give you the gift to fulfill that place of service,
but do not accept any place of service unless it will aid in the
carrying out of the Great Commission, that of soul winning, baptizing
and teaching, training and growing Christians to be mature so they
can go soul winning, as we all together obey the command that God has
given us and as each of us uses what gifts God gives to us to aid all
of us in pointing people from an eternity without Christ to the
glories of salvation and eternal life.
