What The Bible Says About Soul-Winning - Part 4

What The Bible Says About Soul-Winning

- To Do Witnessing… or Be a Witness

Series - Part 4

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.” - Proverbs 4:18-19 NASB

There is a well worn path that goes from the back deck of my mother’s house out to a gate on the side of the property. The path has been used by every member of my extended family, as well as by myself, my husband and our children for many, many years. We have been on this path so many times, we know it very well. We can navigate this path in any season, whether in the rain, snow or the green grass of spring and summer. We know our way along this path, whether we are traveling on it during the brightest daylight or the darkest night. To our family, this path is so well traveled that it doesn’t even need to be lit. Whether it is light outside or pitch black, the path always seems lit to us,because we know exactly where we are going. However, a stranger who might try to navigate this path, will likely trip somewhere along the way, because there are hidden tree roots that would certainly stumble the unawares. For the unfamiliar, this path could be dangerous in the daylight, but most certainly in the darkness.

This may not be the best analogy, but my illustration of a stranger on our backyard path may be similar to what someone might experience who does not know the way of righteousness. They will grope around in the darkness, perhaps searching for a way to God or maybe not, but either way, they will stumble around in life over things they don’t even see. As the path of the righteous continues to get brighter, the one who is on the wrong path, and can’t find the right way, is going to experience a bumpy and troublesome path in this present darkness. However, the good news is that if you have found yourself on the wrong path, you can get on the right path; the path of the righteous. Come along!..Let me show you the right way!

This article will be Part 4 of a series we are teaching on... “What the Bible Says About Soul-Winning.” If you have missed the other foundational articles, you can click through to the Series Intro, Part 2 or Part 3, before continuing, if you would like. In Part 3 of this series, we covered a lot about the importance of being “established in righteousness.” It is absolutely imperative that you have a revelation and understanding of righteousness, how it is obtained, and how to become established in it. Why??? Well, because righteousness is the main message of the Gospel. You can’t share what you don’t fully understand.

The most important thing, when ministering the Good News of the Gospel to others, is to be grounded in your own personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and to be confident that you fully know Him and understand the Gospel message that our Savior Jesus has commissioned us to share with the world. There are many people who may “know” the message of the Gospel, but do not really know “Him,” Who is Himself... the Gospel! It is for this reason, we are going back to the basics of our salvation and our relationship through faith, in Jesus Christ our Lord. We are aiming to build you up as a Soul-Winner, by reminding you of some of the most important truths of the faith. When we are well equipped with a solid revelation of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, we will be energized to go out and declare to our cities that Jesus really is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, just like the woman at the well did. Let’s take a moment and look at just a few verses concerning this famous “Soul-Winner’s” story...

“Then the woman left her water jar, and went into the city and began telling the people,

Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done! Can this be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)?” - John 4:28-29 AMP

After spending some time with Jesus, this woman ran back into the city that she came from and encouraged her townsfolk to come out and meet Him. Notice their response to her after they also had spent some time with the righteous, Son of God...

“Now many Samaritans from that city believed in Him and trusted Him [as Savior] because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”

So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked Him to remain with them; and He stayed there two days.

Many more believed in Him [with a deep, abiding trust] because of His word [His personal message to them];

and they told the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; for [now] we have heard Him for ourselves and know [with confident assurance] that this One is truly the Savior of [all] the world.” - John 4:39-42 AMP

Talk about a revival! One woman had an incredible experience with Jesus that transformed her from a self-conscious woman, full of fear and ridden with guilt, to a self-abandoned witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. In one incredible conversation, this woman received a revelation and the gift of “no-condemnation” from Jesus. She met face to face with the King of Righteousness, and in receiving from Him, it transformed her life forever. Her path completely changed, and it got brighter and brighter; so bright, in fact, that she had no fear in going back home to the place of her shame and announcing without reservation that she had met the long awaited Messiah. You would have to be absolutely convinced, or incredibly crazy to make such a preposterous announcement in the middle of the town square. And yet, this transformed woman had lost all sense of her own self preservation. She had even lost all recollection of the natural purpose for which she had come to the well in the middle of the hot day in the first place, and received from Jesus the true, supernatural source of life...the Living Water of His word! As a result of encountering the Savior Himself and the Good News of the Gospel of the grace of God, this fearless woman boldly brought her entire city out to meet Jesus. This shameful sinner became a shameless witness. What a headline: “One Woman Brings Entire City to Jesus.” This is what it means to shine so brightly that you, by nature of the glory of God upon you, will lead many to righteousness.

“Those who are [spiritually] wise will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead many to righteousness, [will shine] like the stars forever and ever.” - Daniel 12:3 AMP

Friends, if you have never read the full story of this amazing “Soul Winner,” I encourage you to go to your Bible and read it in John, chapter 4. This is a perfect example of the power of the Gospel, and if this kind of result is possible in one city through one person, it is possible in any city. This is why the Apostle Paul declared…

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.” - Romans 1:16-17 AMP

To a Soul-Winner, this is a most important verse, and this will be our anchor verse for this writing.It defines for us, so clearly, what the actual message of the Gospel is. So, let us draw out all the rich gems from this passage of Scripture, and then make it a personal revelation and the motivation that drives us to go and reach out to the people in our cities and neighborhoods with what the Bible declares is the actual Gospel.

Again, in our last article (Part 3), we discussed the utter importance of being “Established in Righteousness,” because that will, by nature, make you an effective “Soul-Winner.” It is imperative, in these last hours of the ministry of the Church, that we are delivering the God-honoring, Holy Spirit confirming, Gospel of the grace of God through the righteousness that comes by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ. So...Here we go!

I want us to begin by noticing in Romans 1:16-17, that the Apostle Paul affirms his own “fearlessness” in sharing the Gospel. Let’s take a look at this key passage again…

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.” - Romans 1:16-17 AMP

These are very powerful words! Paul declares that he has no shame in proclaiming this Gospel to “all” kinds of people...” to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” To clarify...the Jews were the covenant people of God through their natural father Abraham, and the Greeks represented everyone else in the known, Greek-speaking world that was not born into the Jewish nationality through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.So here, the Bible puts people in two categories; you were either Jew or Greek (another term often used is Gentile.) Though Paul was born a Jew, his primary commission was to minister to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15) In fact, by the time we get down to verse fourteen in Romans 1, Paul tells us that he felt it was his obligation to minister to the Greeks or Gentiles; whether they were cultured or uncultured (barbaric is the term used), whether they were of the class of the wise or the unlearned. You see, the Gospel is for all cultures and all stations in life or levels of class in society. God does not play favorites! He wants everyone to hear the Good News. This is what Peter discovered when God called him to minister in the home of Cornelius, the Gentile...

“Opening his mouth, Peter said: “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing],

but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him.” - Acts 10:34-35 AMP

We also know from the Scriptures, that whenever Paul went out to minister, it was his custom to drop by the local synagogue first (Acts 17:2). It was important to him to offer salvation to the Jews, his countrymen, as they were and still are God’s covenant people. But God’s heart is that all people would hear the Gospel and be saved. So, in his first letter to Timothy, Paul declares clearly what the heart of God is “for all people”...

“[God]...who wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth.

For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus,

who gave Himself as a ransom [a substitutionary sacrifice to atone] for all, the testimony given at the right and proper time.” - 1 Timothy 2:4-7 AMP

It is actually the heart of God, that “all people,” of every nationality, will hear the message of the truth about His Son’s substitutionary sacrifice, believe it, and be saved. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. Though it is God’s desire that all people will be saved... all people will not be saved, because not all people will believe in the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Gospel must be believed and received by faith. So, whenever Paul and his team were rejected by unbelieving Jews, they were to bring the message of the gospel to the Gentiles (which simply meant, everyone else!)

“Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.

For the Lord gave us this command when he said,

‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’

When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.” - Acts 13:46-48 NLT

So, in a nutshell, the Gospel was meant for everyone and is still for everyone who will have an open ear to listen to it, believe it, and receive the salvation it declares. Personally, I am so glad that the Lord made salvation available to everyone, even a Gentile sinner like me! I would not be secure in my own salvation, if the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was not meant for everyone who would believe and receive. But again, let me be perfectly clear... not everyone will choose to believe and be saved. Don’t be mistaken, there is no such thing as universalism (or everyone-will-be-saved-ism).

It is hard to believe, but there will be those who will reject the Gospel (Good News) and will decide they don’t need God and His salvation, or will judge themselves unworthy of salvation, as did those Jews who refused to listen to Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:46. This is very unfortunate, because there is no one worthy of God’s salvation and mercy, as we are all guilty of sin and deserving of eternal punishment. And yet, He has still made His salvation “a gift” to be received by simple faith.Anyone can hear the good message and choose to believe. The Word of God is clear, that those who do make a personal choice to reject Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, will not enter the Kingdom of God; nor will those who continue to live in abject rebellion against righteousness. Even though it is in the heart of God that all people would be saved, all people will not repent (or change their mind) and make that all important choice! But that should not hinder us or discourage us from continuing to preach and boldly declare the Gospel message to everyone that we can. Even when Jesus gave his Great Commission to all of His disciples, He specifically said to us…

“... Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].” - Mark 16:15 AMPC

It was our Savior King and Captain who delivered this assignment to His believing ones (the Church). So, it is important that we remember that God, our Father, so loved the “whole world”, and He gave His Son for us and for the “whole world.” No human being was excluded in that sacrificial move of God. (see John 3:16) We must be prepared with this powerful revelation of the heart of our God and Father, because, when the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, wants to reach out to someone that may not be the kind of person that we are used to associating with (like the woman at the well, perhaps), we need to not be afraid or ashamed to share the Good News with them! One person, changed by the power of God, can transform an entire city; maybe even a nation.

The great Apostle tells us that there is nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to the Gospel that we are called to share with everyone in the whole world. It does not matter how big or multitudinous their sins are. If that Gospel could change him from the murderous, self-righteous man that he was, it has the power to change anyone. The world is still benefiting from this one man’s changed life.

Paul uses the phrase “I am not ashamed of the gospel…” to help us see something very powerful. The word “ashamed” is the Greek word "epaischunomai", which means to feel shame or disgrace for something, or embarrassment. The word for “shame” is “aischune", which describes something that is base, ugly, revolting, and grotesque.” (This definition is taken from Sparkling Gems from the Greek – Volume 2 -Rick Renner, Harrison House 2016 – pg. 339) This is the same word used in Hebrews 12:2 to describe the shame that Jesus experienced on the cross, as He hung there beaten and scourged, bleeding and completely naked before the eyes of His mockers and executioners.

“...who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” - Hebrews 12:2b

Friends, there is absolutely no reason to feel ashamed about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.What do you have to be ashamed of anyway? Jesus took all of your shame and bore it away at the cross, so you don’t have any shame left to be ashamed about. This is an awesome revelation! Let’s think about it…You are going to live forever in perfect fellowship with God and all your believing brothers and sisters in Christ’s paradise. Jesus Christ deeply loves you! That should be cause for great excitement, not shame or embarrassment.We should want to bring everyone along to this great future.Were you gloriously saved and promised a wonderful, eternal future when you heard the Good News that your sins were forgiven you, and that Jesus took the punishment that was due you? You’ve escaped eternal judgment and received life more abundant and life for all of eternity, as well as peace in your heart, the righteousness of Christ, and the Divine “Yes” to all of His blessings, promises and inheritance. That’s worth shouting about! There was clearly someone, at some point in time, who had no fear in sharing this all-powerful, life-transforming Gospel with you! That same care and concern ought to motivate your mouth to share this Good News with someone else. Oh, we’re getting excited now!

The simple fact that this Gospel is truly “Good” news is why Paul declared out loud, that he had absolutely no shame in sharing the Lord’s Gospel. Please note... that it is not the “bad news.” If your “gospel” is loaded with bad news about people’s sins and behavior, or a message of guilt and condemnation, perhaps it is not the Lord’s Gospel after all. While people do need to know that hell is a real place, and that tribulation beyond any imagination that Hollywood can create is truly coming to the unbelieving world, the Good News about everything that Jesus has done to place us in right relationship with God is the aim of our message. The Gospel is... the “Good News” about the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for the forgiveness and removal of our sin nature, and the receiving of the gift of His righteousness, as well as being cleansed in order to be able to receive the Holy Spirit inside of us as our constant companion for the rest of our journey in life. Yes, it is true! A person can have Almighty God living on the inside...Wow! That really is... “Good News!”

Armed with this powerful Gospel, we ought to be “on-fire” to preach it with no shame or embarrassment. You have no shame anymore in Christ, my Friend! Therefore, if you’ll believe that truth, you’ll be liberated and ready to preach this Gospel for the purpose of winning souls for His kingdom. The Holy Spirit in you has no shame or fear in testifying to the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is His entire purpose...to testify to the Son.

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me,

and you are testifying as well, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” - John 15 :26-27 NASB

So, if the Holy Spirit is so ready to go, what is it that restrains most Christians from testifying about Jesus? It is the fear of rejection or the fear of persecution that is the main reason why people hold back the Good News of the Gospel. Yet, as hard as it is to admit, this fear is really just based in self preservation and/or pride. This is the devil’s trick.This spiritual fear goes against the very character and nature of the Christ within you. Don’t be fooled, this is not an issue of personality differences. Someone might say, “Well, I’m just not that outgoing or bold with my words,” or “I don’t have that kind of confidence,” or “that’s just not my personality” or “I’m not called to be a preacher.”

Let me ask you a question? Has God given you a mouth? Can you speak (verbally or even in sign language)? Then you can deliver the Gospel! You can tell your own testimony, just like the woman at the well did. No one can argue with your personal experience or relationship with Jesus. Rely on the Holy Spirit, and He will guide your speech and effortlessly testify to the Son of God through you… with power, and signs, and wonders. Just be willing to let the Holy Spirit use you in everyday conversation. You may be surprised at how receptive people are to a powerful testimony, and how easy it is to release yourself to the Holy Spirit’s conversation points.The Holy Spirit is always desiring to reach out to someone with truth and love.Sometimes even a simple hug can break through the toughest barriers and fortified walls that people have built around themselves. I have found that a heart-felt compliment or a kind word opens doors with people that would otherwise remain closed. Friends, don’t be ashamed of the Gospel! Cling tightly to this promise…

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” - 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

This is a description of the Spirit of God that lives within the believer. He is the Spirit of power, the Spirit of love, and the Spirit of a sound mind (that is a self discipline that results in prudence and wisdom.) We see that Jesus was led by the same Holy Spirit to minister to the crowds even when He was physically tired, grieving the loss of His cousin John, and was actually needing to have some personal rest. And yet, He still selflessly delivered the Good News of His Father’s kingdom to the huge multitudes that relentlessly followed Him. Empowered by the Spirit, He taught them at all hours, healed their sick, and miraculously fed them. (see Mark 6) This is the character and nature of the One who lives on the inside of every believer. We need to recognize and understand that it is the devil who wants to keep us paralyzed by the fear of man, so we will not preach this “Good News” and continue to squelch the devil’s kingdom rule and reign over the unbelieving world. However, the Holy Spirit wants to supernaturally strengthen us with everything we need to carry this Gospel to the ends of the earth.

When it came to the urgency of getting God’s salvation message to people, the Apostle Paul said, “woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16) When he spoke about the motivation for preaching the Gospel, he said “...the love of Christ compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14) He knew that the preaching and declaring of the Gospel was an entrustment, as well as an empowerment. It is our very commission and assignment from Jesus. (see Mark 16:15)The Holy Spirit will make sure that we are well equipped for this high priority job. However, as the last days are winding down for the ministry of The Church, we want to embrace this same urgency, so that as many people as possible will be able to be saved before the Great and Terrible Tribulation begins. It’s time to hustle folks!

Let’s do a little bit of review… We have learned so far, that having no shame in delivering the Gospel message is one of the keys to being successful in winning souls. We will probably want to know where the Apostle Paul and the other apostles and disciples got such boldness, so we too can walk in the light and power of this same kind of boldness. Tuck this nugget into your pocket, because we will come back to this point in a future article.

Moving on through the verse of Romans 1:16-17, we discover that The Gospel “is the power of God for salvation.” I love how this reads in the Greek, so let’s check it out. The word for “power” is an incredible word. It is the word "dunamis". Dunamis is God-power. It is the divine energy provided by God Himself. It is the divine power that takes a person out of a destructive condition to a safe and secure condition. It’s the power of Divine rescue! It has been said that this word carries with it the idea of the strength of an entire advancing army. It is mighty, miracle-working power. If a person will listen and believe this Gospel message that we present to them, God’s mighty, miracle-working, explosive power immediately goes to work, giving the power they need to believe and to create in them...salvation. What does this mean?

When a person hears this powerful Gospel message and decides to believe it in their heart and declare it with their mouth, that person literally becomes a New Creation in Christ Jesus. This is what the Bible calls the “New Birth.” It is also referred to as “Being Born Again.” The spirit in them that was dead because of trespasses and sins, is immediately regenerated with God’s eternal life. This is the "dunamis" power of God at work. Their spirit comes alive and is filled with the life of God through the Holy Spirit. In other words, God comes to live on the inside of the person who believes in this Gospel message, and that now makes them capable of having unbroken fellowship with God. This incredible event, known as the New Birth, takes the "dunamis" power of God to recreate the spirit and give a person true eternal life; the actual life of God Himself. That’s right... As we said before, a person can have God living on the inside!

If this has never been explained to you before, let me elaborate further. You see, through the natural flesh, you were born into Adam’s family (the human race) and born with a rebellious sin nature (the nature of the tempter...Satan). This became the nature of Adam when he submitted to sin.However,when your heart believes the glorious Gospel message, your spirit (not your flesh or your mind) is re-born into God’s family through the Holy Spirit and you receive a new nature; the righteous nature of Jesus! There are two births, one is not a choice, the other is a choice! You did not chose to be born into the earth. You did not chose the family that you were born into. You did not choose the date or location of your birth. You did not chose your gender, as that was God’s choice, not yours. But you are allowed to choose whether or not your spirit will be born to live in God’s family for eternity, or whether you will remain in sin and Satan’s family, and eventually join your evil slave-master in the eternal lake of fire. Whether you like it or not, you were born into sin and Satan’s slavery, yet God has given you a choice to believe His Gospel and join His beloved family through receiving the free gift of salvation that was provided through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you made the most important choice of your life?

If you have believed the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you probably know that your name is already written in heaven and you are one of God’s precious children.

“You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.” – Hebrews 12:23 NLT

This verse says that if you have believed and your name is written in heaven as one of God’s believing children, then your spirit has been made righteous and perfect. You are just as righteous as Jesus. This revelation stirred me up the first time I heard it, because it is so incredible. To be truthful and transparent here, it was many, many years after I was born again that I actually was taught this amazing truth. It is almost hard to believe that you are actually in the same right standing as Jesus is, in all of His perfection before the Father. Though you have done nothing right, you stand before God justified in the perfect, righteous behavior and sacrifice of the resurrected Jesus. Remember that righteousness is received as a gift with your born-again spiritual nature. Oh, what a refreshing and marvelous truth!

But dear Friend, if you have never made the choice to believe in the Gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, I want to give you the opportunity, right now. Don’t wait another minute, as the time period of God’s grace is coming to a rapid close. Your sins have been forgiven you and God has made a way for you to be free of your sin nature. He has made a way for you to be loosed from Satan’s wicked bondage, dominion, and hold over your life, and He has given you the opportunity to enter the righteousness, peace and joy of the Kingdom of His Beloved Son. Let your heart believe in the glorious Gospel (Good News) that Jesus died in your place and allowed His sinless blood to be shed, so you could come home to God, without having to earn your acceptance.

When Jesus became sin on the cross, He removed the barrier of sin that kept you from God, and all of the blessings that the Father desired to bestow upon you. God placed you in Jesus and allowed you to be crucified and face the death you deserved in the body of a substitute, so you could have the unhindered opportunity to choose to come to God in faith and receive His salvation through receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. You would never have been able to approach God in your filthy, sin-filled state, if Jesus had not shed His blood for you to be cleansed and made acceptable to approach God in faith. So, if you have yet to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord, just follow the instructions in this Scripture and you will be saved, born again of the Spirit of God, and filled with His eternal life and peace...

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” - Romans 10:9-13 NLT

Simply declare this from your heart and with your mouth…

“I believe in Jesus! I receive Him as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Father God, for forgiving my sin and cleansing me of all unrighteousness through the sacrificial blood of Jesus. I look forward to enjoying my everlasting life with You and being able to receive all of your blessings in Christ.”

Congratulations, my Friend! If you prayed that for the first time, you just experienced the "dunamis" power of God, as your spirit has been re-created by this supernatural force of God. You are now a child of God, a new creation, a member of the ever-growing body of Christ. You are now the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) You probably didn’t feel a thing, but something incredibly supernatural just happened to you. Before you know it, you will begin to experience the peace of God that surpasses all of your understanding. You now have unhindered access to your Heavenly Father through prayer and His promises that are written in His Word. This is very exciting!

I think we are beginning to discover why the Apostle Paul told us that he was not ashamed of this Gospel. It is because “it is the power [dunamis] of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Paul knew that if he spoke the Lord’s Gospel without any shame or fear, God’s power was going to explode on the scene and result in signs and wonders. That’s right Friends, God’s power, such as the force of a mighty advancing army, is the direct affect of the message that we preach. This Gospel is so powerful, that it has the power to save.

We need to take a moment and look at the word “salvation.” We just explained how the "dunamis" power of God went to work to bring you salvation when you believed the Gospel, as it transformed your spirit into a “New Creation in Christ,” but there is so much more. The Greek word for salvation is sōtēria. When you study this word, you discover that it has a richer meaning. It includes a complete restoration to safety, soundness, health and well-being. It also has the meaning of being preserved or protected from danger and destruction. Friends, this is all part of the package known as our salvation in Christ. It restores us from the destructive state that sin put us in, as well as the bondage we were in with the devil, and rescues us from the future wrath of God against all sin. It has returned us to God’s original plan of health and wholeness. Jesus Christ was God’s rescue operation for mankind. What a great and glorious salvation that has been provided for those who believe in Jesus Christ. Yes, this salvation is for everyone who will “believe!”

“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;

not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” - Ephesians 2:8-10AMP

Wow!!! This just keeps me excited. This Gospel that we’ve been given to preach is amazing, if we understand it. I wonder if previous generations had been duped into down-playing this Gospel to the point that it has not moved into the culture with the same force and power that it began with. I know from my own upbringing, that righteousness seemed to be something you had to generate through your good behavior in order to be blessed and accepted by God. If you’ve ever tried this for very long, you discover that you always come up short, and therefore live in a constant state of self-righteousness, condemning others as well as yourself for the shortcomings. It is for this reason that many don’t even want to hear the Gospel, because they misunderstand it as a Gospel of works that they already know they cannot perform. We can change this religious attitude by being sure we are delivering the same Gospel that Paul preached. So let’s examine how Paul defined the Gospel message...

“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.” - Romans 1:17 AMP

Here is another version of the same verse, and it adds a little more clarity.

“This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” - Romans 1:17 NLT

Friends, this is very clear! Our Gospel ought to reveal something. It is going to reveal the “righteousness of God” and how to come in to possession of it. Jesus explained that you cannot enter or see the kingdom of heaven without having a certain kind of righteousness.

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:20 AMPC

This is a pretty stiff requirement. Everyone in Jesus’ day knew that the most upright people around were the religious scribes and Pharisees. They at least appeared to have the best behavior and were the most devout keepers of the Law of God. And yet, Jesus tells this great multitude of people that their personal righteousness had to be better than the best. In fact, He even clarified that the Law of God didn’t just apply to their outward behavior, but also the hidden thoughts of the heart. I’m sure that everyone must have been thinking, “How can I be perfect in thought, word and deed?” Have you ever tried this, my Friend! If you haven’t, just give it a try for 24 hours. See if you can be perfect in thought, word and deed for a measly 24 hours. I bet you don’t make it half the day! And if you think you can sleep the time away, I guarantee that your dream life will violate you in some way. We know in our heart, what the Bible reveals to us, that all of our efforts to make ourselves righteous before God are revolting to God. Here’s what the Word says about it…

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” - Isaiah 64:6 KJV

In our un-redeemed state, God could only see us as unclean in our sin. We were the unclean, sin-stained, corrupted, unrighteous seed (or human race) born through Adam. And, all of our efforts to be righteous before Him, at that time, were considered no different to God than a filthy rag. This Hebrew word for filthy is "iddah", and it refers to a woman’s menstruation, and the Hebrew word for rags is "beged", and it means a garment, covering or cloth. So, when you put it all together, God looks at all of our attempts to impress Him as nothing more than a disgusting menstrual cloth. Blood is the only acceptable atonement for sin, but since our blood was tainted with sin, it was therefore, unacceptable. For God to be satisfied with an atonement, it would have to be from righteous, sinless blood.

“...knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,

but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” - 1 Peter 1:18-19 NASB

So, when Jesus says that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, He’s making it clear that this is impossible with mankind. Only God’s righteousness is sufficient enough to qualify us for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. A few verses before in Matthew 5:17 (AMPC), Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them.”

Jesus obeyed all of the Laws of God perfectly, as He was led by the Holy Spirit, and fulfilled all of God’s righteous requirements. Then, He stood in the place of all of us as the sinful one, though He had no sin and did no sin, so we could be made the righteousness of God in Him.

“He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious loving kindness].” - 2 Corinthians 5:21 AMP

The only way that our righteousness would ever exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees was that we needed to receive the righteousness of a sinless man. We needed the sinless blood of Jesus to atone for our sin. None of us who were born of the unrighteous seed of Adam could ever qualify without the righteousness of Jesus. We receive His righteousness when we believe. The righteousness of God is received by faith. Praise God!!! This is our Gospel, and what a glorious Gospel it is…

“But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets.

This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction,

since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,

and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].

It was to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus [and rely confidently on Him as Savior].

Then what becomes of [our] boasting? It is excluded [entirely ruled out, banished]. On what principle? On [the principle of good] works? No, but on the principle of faith.

For we maintain that an individual is justified by faith distinctly apart from works of the Law [the observance of which has nothing to do with justification, that is, being declared free of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]. Romans 3:21-28 AMP

Friends, we are only made right with God through faith in the sacrificial blood of Jesus that atoned for all of our sin. Our faith in that act of substitution by Jesus on our behalf and the eternal fact that God is satisfied with the blood of Jesus such that He raised Him up from the dead, is what qualifies us for justification (being declared no longer guilty) and for receiving that necessary gift of righteousness that is required in order to enter heaven. “Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me!”

(By the way, I’ve included a link here that I know will bless you from the Detty Family)

So, how does this all apply to Soul-Winning? Well, knowing, understanding and speaking the right Gospel is what will compel the Holy Spirit to work on our behalf to lead people to Righteousness with signs and wonders following. Dear Soul-Winner, we cannot overstate enough the importance of being established in righteousness yourself and also having a revelation of it such that you can explain it to others. Every generation has suffered from a false gospel of works and performance-related religion, therefore forfeiting the power of God to save many lives. We must know, understand and preach the Gospel we have been given to deliver, and become equipped to deliver it with boldness and clarity. It has the miraculous power to save and transform. In our Gospel, the righteousness of God is available to anyone who will receive it though faith.This is why we are not ashamed of the Gospel. Nothing else is of any greater importance. Hallelujah!

“But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ,

and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did];

so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead.” - Philippians 3:7-11 AMP

Now that, dear Friends, is grace!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

written by

Eileen R. Jacobs (June, 2023)

Copyright © 2023 Eileen Jacobs Ministries. All rights reserved.

Artwork © 2023 Kaylee R. Jacobs. All rights reserved.

A Message to the New Believer:

Congratulations &

Welcome to the Family of God

If today you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, this is an exciting day! All of Heaven is rejoicing over you, and your name has been officially written in the Lambs Book of Life.(Luke 10:20)

“I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” - Luke 15:10

We would like to encourage you to write this date down somewhere important to you. Many people like to write the date of their salvation on the inside cover of their Bible. I can’t stress enough how important this is to do. Not only does it help you remember the day you became a Child of God, but it is a marker of your New Birth, like a birth certificate, which is a legal proof of your existence.

This date or marker is important because, whether you know it or not, there actually is a devil. Since he is a spirit, he has an ability to speak to our minds by way of deceptive thoughts. I can almost guarantee that there will come a time when a suggestive thought will come to your mind that will cause you to question whether you are really saved or not. This is where that date recorded or marker or New Birth certificate becomes important. You can simply go back to your Bible or wherever you wrote it down, and remind yourself, or say to the devil...”Nope, you’re wrong! This date is the day I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, the day of my New Birth, the day I became a Child of God, the day I was forgiven and saved, the day my name was written in the Lamb’s book of life...end of discussion!”

Finally, we would love to know that you have joined the family of God. We are so excited for you and we want to keep you in our prayers. Email us at info@EileenJacobs.org to let us know!