[210 words]
If you ask the average person why Jesus came to this earth you will get a variety of answers. “He came to do good.” “He came to tell people about God’s love.” “He came to heal people.” These are some of the many responses you will hear. Interestingly, Jesus, himself, told us why he came to our world. He said: “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
The reason He came to this world was love (John 3:16) but out of love he came to win souls. For to Jesus, one soul is worth more than all the treasure in the universe (Matthew 16:26).
The early church was just as convicted about saving the lost. That is why they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). The New International Version gives the slightly different reading. It says they “preached the word wherever they went.”
Even in the Old Testament, soul-winning was considered important and it is what Godly people did. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30).
May each of us do our part to help build a soul-winning church.
Larry Fitzgerald
Abilene, TX