I have had the privilege and honor of taking our weekly Home Bible Study group through a little booklet entitled, “Words to Winners of Souls” by Horatius Bonar (1809-1889). This study has been most gut-wrenching as it lists and catalogs seemingly every excuse one might give for being complacent when it comes to seeing souls won to Christ. Coming up this week is a look at what Bonar calls “Past Defects” – where he examines the fruit of the minister’s life. Has the minister of God effectively and substantially called and confirmed (as best as humanly possible) souls to salvation. Let me include just a portion of what Bonar has written for your consideration:
Multitudes have perished under such a ministry; the judgment only will disclose whether so much as one has been saved. There might be learning, but there was no tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary. There might be wisdom, but it certainly was not the wisdom that "winneth souls" (“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls” – Proverbs 11:30). There might even be the sound of the gospel, but it seemed to contain no glad tidings at all; it was not sounded forth from warm lips into startled ears as the message of eternal life -- "the glorious gospel of the blessed God." Men lived, and it was never asked of them by their minister whether they were born again! Men sickened, sent for the minister and received a prayer upon their death-beds as their passport into heaven. Men died, and were buried where all their fathers had been laid; there was a prayer at their funeral and decent respects to their remains; but their souls went up to the judgment seat unthought of, uncared for; no man, not even the minister who had vowed to watch for them, having said to them, Are you ready ? -- or warned them to flee from the wrath to come.
Now then, while this is certainly a call to the minister to know the spiritual state of the souls to which he is guard, I also asked myself the question, “What is the individual soul’s responsibility in this matter?” In other words, are you certain that the minister knows the spiritual condition of your soul? How certain are you that he knows the reality of your salvation? What assurances do you give him to this end? What are the consistent fruits of salvation you think he should be able to pluck from your tree of life? You see, not only should the minister pursue with great eagerness and all diligence the evidences of salvation in the lives of flock entrusted to him, but I say to you that each “believer” is also duty-bound to diligently endeavor to make their election and calling sure for himself, for the body of believers and for the minister given to him by God, the minister who must…
“keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).
How certain are you that your minister knows the reality of your salvation? What are you going to do to insure this knowledge?
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed
Multitudes have perished under such a ministry; the judgment only will disclose whether so much as one has been saved. There might be learning, but there was no tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary. There might be wisdom, but it certainly was not the wisdom that "winneth souls" (“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls” – Proverbs 11:30). There might even be the sound of the gospel, but it seemed to contain no glad tidings at all; it was not sounded forth from warm lips into startled ears as the message of eternal life -- "the glorious gospel of the blessed God." Men lived, and it was never asked of them by their minister whether they were born again! Men sickened, sent for the minister and received a prayer upon their death-beds as their passport into heaven. Men died, and were buried where all their fathers had been laid; there was a prayer at their funeral and decent respects to their remains; but their souls went up to the judgment seat unthought of, uncared for; no man, not even the minister who had vowed to watch for them, having said to them, Are you ready ? -- or warned them to flee from the wrath to come.
Now then, while this is certainly a call to the minister to know the spiritual state of the souls to which he is guard, I also asked myself the question, “What is the individual soul’s responsibility in this matter?” In other words, are you certain that the minister knows the spiritual condition of your soul? How certain are you that he knows the reality of your salvation? What assurances do you give him to this end? What are the consistent fruits of salvation you think he should be able to pluck from your tree of life? You see, not only should the minister pursue with great eagerness and all diligence the evidences of salvation in the lives of flock entrusted to him, but I say to you that each “believer” is also duty-bound to diligently endeavor to make their election and calling sure for himself, for the body of believers and for the minister given to him by God, the minister who must…
“keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).
How certain are you that your minister knows the reality of your salvation? What are you going to do to insure this knowledge?
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed
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