Evangelism: Our Ultimate Aim

Call it what you will - visitation, witnessing, soul-winning - evangelism is the all important purpose for why God has left sanctified believers on this sin riddled earth. The believer will worship Christ forever at His feet in Heaven. Our fellowship will be so much sweeter and unhindered by the defilement of sin in God's eternal glory. Our edification will be complete, for we shall know even as we are known. 1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. But there is one activity that will not be available to believers in Heaven - that of soul-winning!!! The summer will be ended and the harvest complete and we will never again have another opportunity to tell a lost soul the wonderful news that Jesus saves!!!

Evangelism is the duty of every believer to get the eternal word of God into the eternal souls of men before both the sinner and saint enter eternity. This is what God expects of all believers. Only eternal things present in this world today will pass on from this life into eternity. All else will be left to burn. There are only two eternal things present with us today with which we can lay up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Both are eternal because they are breathed out by the eternal God. These two God breathed things are the eternal word of God, the Bible, and the eternal souls of men.

Soul-winning has never rested upon our charismatic personalities or our persuasive skills. People are won to Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God convicting them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He uses the scriptures, which Paul tells us is able to make one wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Every believer is an ambassador for Christ, and is to be faithfully seeking to get the eternal word of God into the eternal souls of men.

While individual believers ought always to be seeking ways to get the eternal word of God into the eternal souls of men, it is the gathered assembly that Jesus gave the great commission. As one united body we are to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Believers are not go-it-alone "hot-shots" but are called to work together to reach the whole world with the message "Jesus Saves!!!"

Worship is sublime, fellowship is wonderful, and edification is needful for the proper development of the individual believer and the church as a whole, but evangelism is the ultimate purpose for it all. Jesus tells us that we are to abide in Him and His word is to abide in us so that we may bring forth fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. It is in the obedience to His command that our heavenly Father is glorified and the church of Jesus Christ completely fulfills its purpose. (John 15)

Our blessed hope is the imminent calling of Christ from the clouds to "Come up hither," and so "shall we ever be with the Lord!" Until then, however, we are commanded to "Occupy till I come." That occupation, under every circumstance and in every situation, is to get the eternal word of God into the eternal souls of men. The Holy Spirit will use the word of God to point them to Christ, and the precious fruit of our labors will please our heavenly Father to no end. Prov. 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Be wise, and one day you will shine as the stars of heaven in the eternal presence of our Lord!!!