The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Proverbs 11:30
Two important things are manifest in our verse:
First is the fruit of the soul winner’s efforts.
When someone comes to Christ as savior they become a new creature and their life is changed for time and eternity.
Another fruit is obedience to our Lord’s command of the Great Commission (Matt. 28)
to bring the gospel to the lost. That obedience brings about the abundant life that Jesus said we should have by fulfilling the very purpose of our existence as born-again believers.
And finally the exercise of being an open witness for Christ privately (one on one) and publically (door-to-door, streets, etc.) will help give us the strong backbone to stand up for Christ and be the soldiers of the cross He needs for service, in the midst of an increasingly hostile society toward the truth of the gospel.
Second is the wisdom of the soulwinner’s heart. Jesus said that a man’s soul was worth more than the whole world (Mark 8:36). When we prioritize the saving of souls, we are demonstrating our be-lief in those very words of our Lord.
Another manifestation of this wisdom is the valuing of the eternal over the temporal. Souls won to Jesus Christ are the only “things” we can take with us to heaven, all that is material is left behind. (II Cor. 4:18)
Finally. I hope you have a great summer of relaxing and recreation with friends and family, but I hope at the same time you will let this summer be a summer of fruitfulness by availing yourself of witnessing opportunities both public and private. Let’s be the soldiers for Christ and stand up, stand up for Jesus . . .
Your Pastor and Friend
Rick DeMichele