Soul Winning: Don’t Tell Them About Hell But Love

What kind of love terrifies with messages of hell ‘when perfect love casts out fear?’ When we embark on a soul winning exercise and claim to preach salvation through Christ in the name of love but implant in people’s hearts more fear than godly guilt that could lead to repentance, what do we achieve?

When we consistently tell people outside of God’s grace how they will burn in hell if they don’t repent and give up their sins so much that we say little about God’s love and His provision of grace in Christ Jesus, how do we win their souls over to the light?

Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying we should suddenly go soft on sin and deny lost souls the privilege of knowing the truth. I am not saying we shouldn't ‘cry aloud and spare not…and not show the people of the world their transgressions and the repercussions of their sins’ (Isaiah 58:1-2).

My point is that, just as a good salesman wins a customer’s heart in purchasing a product or service, so should we, as believers, be persuasive but uncompromising in our techniques in winning souls to the Lord.

The world bleeds in agony, there is torment everywhere. Homes daily mourn the passing of loved ones, families drown in despair for lack of basic amenities, and take a look at the faces around you – people are hurting. They barely could survive another day with shattered dreams, with broken hearts; and terribly do they seek after succor, hope and reasons to live. This is where we come in, Christians – as the salt and light of the world – to walk with and lead them to Calvary in love (Matthew 5:13-16).

We may not have the power to heal broken hearts and revive shattered dreams but we can lead them to the One who can. What is needed is love. Nothing but love is the pressing need of the world. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend.” To paraphrase this in the context of this article, I would say “love is only the path there is in turning a sinner into saint.”

Of course, we can’t overrule the biblical truth that some have seared their conscience with hot iron from embracing the gospel of Christ (1 Timothy 4:2). Some have had their minds blinded by the god of this world and will not believe whatever anyone has to say about their spiritual predicaments, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Yet, salvation through Christ should be preached with love, patience and meekness, and not with a sense of self righteousness, condemnation and haughtiness.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Heellooo, it doesn’t stop there! “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). Verse 18 of John chapter 3 is what I want us to pay attention to:

“He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This verse lucidly speaks of choice. You choose to believe or not to believe; the choice is solely yours. But the onus rests on us as believers to influence sinners’ (that we all once were) decisions and help them to choose wisely.

Dear beloved Christians, let’s not tell the world so much of hell and what it holds to scare but of heaven and the many mansions above (John 14:1-3) to comfort and encourage. Unbelievers deserve to know that the price for their sins has been paid. They deserve to know that there is a way out, a solution to their problems, hope for their souls and One who can and is willing to redeem their lost glory and give them life more abundantly.

When a child crawls toward a deep ditch and on seeing the kid, you say: “Hey, child, stop right there! One more step forward and you are gone. You better stop right there and that’s a warning. I love you and don’t want you to perish, that’s why I’m saying this. Come child, come, come…come to daddy, come to mummy…”

No action is taken to rescue the child, what do you think will happen having said this? Your guess is as good as mine, and I believe this is the same way some believers go about telling the world to repent and come to the Lord.

No amount of harsh words and threat of ‘eternal death’ in hell can conquer the heart of a sinner. Only love and the Holy Spirit can do that. And He (Holy Spirit) does this by the seeds we sow in the live of such a sinner. These seeds are the words we say, the life we live, the way we act, the care we express, the offences we ignore, the insults we endure, the kindness we lend, the compassion we show and the love we share. These are what the Holy Spirit acts upon to convict that fellow you shared or will share the word of God with.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for as many that believe, and both in season and out of season must we preach it; reproving, rebuking, exhorting with all long suffering and doctrine. And though the time is upon us when men turn away their ears from the truth…let us continuously put on the breastplate of faith and love, comforting the feeble-minded, supporting the weak and being patient toward all men (2 Timothy 4:1-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10, 14).

“I exhort therefore, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men…(for all sinners); that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

If we must walk in line with God’s desire to have all men be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, the world needs more messages of love, hope, grace and mercy than messages of hell. Don’t scare people with the psychological picture of brimstones and lake of fire that depict hell as a place of eternal torment. Let’s preach love, show love and hinder not the work of the Holy Spirit with what we say to unbelievers.

May the good Lord fill us with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that we might walk (as ambassadors of Christ) worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Amen.

P.S.: “Thank you for your time and for reading this 'looong' article. I hope it was worth your time and was helpful to you.

“Thus, I want to say that I am not an authority in religious matters and have no degree in theology, but I desire to be deeply rooted in Christ and be established in the faith and truth of our Lord.

“This article is my humble opinion, as a believer, on this issue of soul winning. I stand to be corrected and I am open to learning and gaining more insights and wisdom on the things of God.” Once again, thanks for reading.

*** Written by Jacobs Adewale (Admin) ***

THE TRUTH MEDIA

...building the body of Christ.