Rely On The Holy Spirit To Save The Lost

    In Acts 26:16-18, in the commission of Paul, we have the soul-winner’s task outlined for us: "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things that thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me."

    Soul-winning is a supernatural work. It is not in the power of man to save his own soul or in the power of the witness to redeem his brother. The miracle of regeneration is the bringing of a soul out of spiritual death into spiritual life. The sinner is dead in trespasses and sins and alienated from the life of God (Eph. 2:1; 4:18). Only the Spirit of God can illuminate a darkened soul; only the Spirit of God can bring a lost sinner to the realization of his desperate need of Christ. Only the Holy Ghost can give the lost sinner a sight of the dying Lamb of Calvary.

    Someone has written: "If all the angels and saints in heaven, and all the godly on earth, should join their wills and endeavors and unitedly exert all their powers to regenerate one sinner, they could not effect it; yea, they could do nothing toward it. It is an effect infinitely beyond the reach of finite wisdom and power." (See 1 Cor. 3:6,7.)

    The sinner’s mind is also blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 3:14). Only God can command the light to shine out of darkness to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). How necessary it is to rely upon the Holy Ghost to use the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) in this great ministry.

    The three great fundamental passages in the New Testament concerning the sinner are Romans 3:9-20; John 3; and Ephesians 2. Salvation in John 5:24 is spoken of as a resurrection and only God can raise the dead!

    – Author unknown.