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Extra mile for soul winning

By Chidi Okoroafor
02 February 2020   |   4:07 am
Jesus went extra mile for the sake of winning souls into the kingdom of God. Jesus went through Samaria on His way to Galilee, so that He might reach a woman and a city with the life-transforming and saving message of the gospel.

Key verse: John 4:34, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (KJV)
Jesus went extra mile for the sake of winning souls into the kingdom of God. Jesus went through Samaria on His way to Galilee, so that He might reach a woman and a city with the life-transforming and saving message of the gospel. Jesus ought not to go to Samaria because it was a land of half-breed Jews, who were compromised in all areas of their worship.

Jesus was constrained for the sake of the gospel to preach not only to Jews, but also universally to all men. Samaria lay directly between Judea and Galilee, which was north of Judea. However, the Jews hated Samaritans and had no dealings with them, so if they needed to go to Galilee, they would usually go way out of their way and walk through the transjordan area, all the way around Galilee and then cross the Jordan River to get into Galilee. But Jesus was constrained to pass through Samaria because He loved both the Jews and non-Jews that He might win lost souls for the Kingdom of God.

Jesus, forsaking the feelings of hatred and prejudice of His countrymen, went extra mile for soul winning. It seems that passion for lost souls has died in some of the churches, which have now been turned into entertainment centres. Most of our churches have abandoned the great commission mandate, which says “Go ye into the world to evangelise the world for Christ.” The purpose of saving us is that we should go and save others. Jesus said, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4: 34).

There is no other reason we are saved from our sins other than to go fishing for souls. Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The clarion call today from our Saviour, Jesus Christ is that we should lift up our eyes and behold the harvest, for they are white already to harvest (John 4:35). You have procrastinated enough on going out for evangelism, and that is why you are not winning souls for Christ. It’s time to awake from our spiritual slumber and go the extra mile in reaching out to souls.

Nothing should constrain you from reaching out to a soul, not even your ethnic bias or other considerations. As a believer, you are a product of someone’s labour and therefore, others should reap from your labour of soul winning. John 4:38, “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

Soul winning is the gathering of fruits unto eternal life and a soul winner will receive eternal rewards. One of the rewards of soul winning is Joy unto eternal life. Soul winning is the business of wise people and one of the secrets of accessing God’s Wisdom is soul winning. Daniel 12:3 says that they that are wise turn many to righteousness; Proverbs 11:30 says that he that winneth souls is wise and Proverbs 10:5 says, he that gathereth in summer is a wise son.

Why should I go extra mile for souls? Satan hates man so that they be destroyed in their sins (John 10:10); Hell is as real as hell, the Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and the clock is ticking, for the end is drawing near – we must go to set the captives free.

• Today’s Nugget: Soul Winning is gathering fruits unto eternal life

Prayer: Lord, help me to go extra mile in soul winning
Dr. Chidi Okoroafor, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria Prayer lines: 09078154261. E-mail: aggospelbell@gmail.com

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