Charles Peace, a notorious criminal in England, was executed in 1879. Just before his execution, a minister half-heartedly read these words: “Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring.” Charles responded, “Sir, if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!”

It seems as though most Christians are not even prepared to share the gospel with their next-door neighbours, let alone go to the unreached people groups of the world. Nevertheless, I’d like to think that I’m wrong and that there are believers out there who are willing to heed the call to be a gospel witness. Perhaps you are one of those Christians who desires to see lost souls won for Christ. Yet, you feel ill-equipped or afraid to share your faith.

So, in this blog, I would like to focus on the practical aspect of evangelism. Specifically, I’d like to answer this question, “How can we become soul-winners for Christ?” Let’s look at the example of Jesus and Paul and then draw some principles from their lives.

The pattern of Jesus Christ

The first example of soul-winning is Jesus Christ. He was heaven’s perfect ambassador to this earth (Heb 3:1). He came to fulfill the law of God and to do his Father’s will. In the process Jesus lived the life that no human being has ever lived and therefore He is our perfect example in the area of evangelism.

Though he was not of this world, Jesus lived as an ordinary man in this world (Jn 17:16). He memorized the Scriptures, learnt a trade, and experienced hunger and fatigue like all of us. He also socialized with people, often with those who were considered as outcasts by the religious establishment. He made it his habit to spend time with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors (Lk 15:1-2).

His pattern was to serve others in humility (Mk 10:45). It is astonishing to think that Jesus, the Son of God, who deserves all worship, would become a humble servant. Not only did he spend time serving sinners, but he gave his life for them, dying like a criminal for their salvation (Phil 2:6-8). Yet, his death on the cross proved his love for underserving sinners (Rom 5:8).

Making Christ’s pattern our pattern

Herein lies an important principle for aspiring soul-winners: They must make Christ’s pattern their pattern. Christians must cultivate the mind of Christ by learning to consider others as more important than themselves (Phil 2:4-5). How can they expect non-Christians to follow Christ if we are not first leading by example? So, becoming a soul-winner starts with adopting the attitude, “I am a servant to all lost people.”

Becoming a soul-winner starts with adopting the attitude, “I am a servant to all lost people.”

I read about an army sergeant who threw his muddy boots at a Christian private as he knelt by his bunk in prayer. They hit him in the head, but he went on praying. In the morning the sergeant found his boots beside his bunk beautifully polished. This act resulted in the sergeant’s salvation.

Friends if we are living with a sense of entitlement, expecting everybody around us to pander to our every need, then we will be hindered from becoming effective evangelists. Did Jesus wait until sinners worshipped him before he started serving them and sharing the truth? No, he first loved them, even when they least deserved it (1 Jn 4:10). So, look for opportunities to serve your family, friends, and strangers in humility, and then watch how God will open doors for you to share the gospel.

The Practice of Paul

The second example that we can look at is the apostle Paul. He made Christ’s pattern his practice. He chose to adopt the attitude of Christ and become a servant to all people. He made it is his goal to win as many people as he could to the Saviour, even if it meant putting shackles on his own freedom (1 Cor 9:19).

“I am a servant to all lost Jews”

When he was with his Jewish friends, he became like a Jew (1 Cor 9:20). Paul was a born a Jew (Phil 3:5). So, he knew the Law of Moses and all the commands. Yet, even though he was free from living under the authority of the Mosaic law, he still became like the Jews in order to win them to Jesus.

When Paul was visiting his Jewish friends, I can imagine that he gladly gave up his freedom to eat bacon with his eggs or refrained from adding a slice of cheese on his burger patty. He would do all of this because he lived with the attitude “I am a slave to the lost Jews.”

“I am a servant to all lost Gentiles”

When he was with his Gentile friends, he became like a Gentile (1 Cor 9:21). Although he was a Jew for Jesus, God called Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16). So, the Gentiles were his primary mission field. So, he became like the Gentiles in order to win them to Jesus.

For example, if Paul was hanging out with his Gentile friends, he would be free to enjoy bacon with his eggs or cheese with his burger because they did not live according to the Law of Moses. However, if someone came into the room and said to him, “Hey Paul, don’t you know that this food was offered to idols,” then he would have immediately stopped eating this food.

This may seem hypocritical to us. But we must understand that he respected the consciences of his unbelieving friends (1 Cor 10:27-33). If they were bothered by his personal diets, then Paul was prepared to restrict his eating preferences. He did not want to offend anyone intentionally and lose an opportunity to share the gospel with them. So, even though he was free to eat anything he wanted, he deliberately chose to restrict his liberty because he was living with the attitude “I am a slave to the lost Gentiles.”

Making Paul’s practice our practice

Paul used “all means” to save some people (1 Cor 9:22). This does not mean that Christians must compromise their convictions, nor behave in ungodly ways in order to share the gospel. During the hippie days, women from the ‘Children of God’ cult were encouraged to “be all things to all men” by offering themselves sexually to entice men to join the group! This is definitely not what Paul is saying.

However, Paul is saying that we must be intentional about sharing the gospel. God will open doors, but we must still walk through them (Col 4:3). This is not an easy task because it will require us to get out of our comfort zones or forgo some of our liberties in Christ. For example, even though you may not drink, you may need to spend some time at the 19th hole in order to build a relationship with your unsaved golfing friend.

Friends we cannot influence our unbelieving family and friends for Christ, if we don’t spend time with them. Like Jesus we are no longer of this world, but let’s not forget that He left us in this world in order to make disciples (Matt 28:19-20). Giving up our dreams, ambitions, time, and resources in order to share the good news is a small price to pay in light of eternity.

Like Jesus we are no longer of this world, but let’s not forget that He left us in this world in order to make disciples.

Who has God placed in your life to become all things to?

Take a moment right now to think of your workplace, your university, your school, your gym, your place of shopping, your place of leisure, or your favourite restaurant? Has God not caused your path to cross with different people for a greater purpose? Perhaps He wants you to become all things to them so that they can hear the gospel.
Consider how you can cultivate relationships with people in your life and adopt Christ’s pattern and Paul’s attitude towards them “I am a servant to all lost people.”