Letter to Christians

By L. E. Ketcherside

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     Dear Brethren: An unexpected situation has just developed that has me on the "spot." But there is nothing you can do about it. I will just have to face it. My wife has just stepped to the door with a determined glint in her eye and informed me that there will be no dinner cooked in this home next Lord's day (April 21), as that will be our 49th wedding anniversary, and we are going to "eat out." To this I have conditionally agreed--if she will pay the bill!! Well, we have come a long way together, and I pray that we may have a long way to go.

     Brethren, have you ever known a truly new born soul that did not have a burning desire to win another soul to Christ? Andrew seeks his brother Simon, and Philip seeks Nathaniel. To me, building Christian character or a community of the Lord, without the soul-winning spirit is like writing "Hamlet" without the alphabet. "He that winneth souls is wise. It requires wisdom, and is a part of wisdom to do it. How could the wisdom that promotes the building of Christian character do it in any better way? Does not soul-winning strengthen faith, brighten hope, foster humility, cultivate patience and increase love? If wisdom would make us happy, there is no joy like it outside of heaven. If wisdom would enrich us for eternity, in what better way can we lay up treasures in heaven? They that be wise shall shine as the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and forever."

     If we would obey Him who is the wisdom of God, we must win souls, for the first command to his disciples was, "Follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men." His last command was simply an expansion of the first; "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Between these two commands are the words, "The son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which was lost until he find it?" Does that suggest to us that the alpha and omega of Christianity is soul-winning, and that every letter between the first and the last should be permeated by the spirit which seeks the lost? It is not enough to be evangelical. We must be evangelistic. The evangelical congregation is a reservoir of pure water without a pipe running anywhere. If you will take the trouble to go to it and climb the embankment, you will get a good drink. The evangelistic congregation is a reservoir of pure water with a pipe to every heart in the community, and every nation in the world. Evangelical may mean truth on ice. Evangelistic means truth on fire! Evangelical may be bomb-proof for defense; evangelistic means an army on the march with its face toward the enemy. Evangelical sings, "Hold the fort for I am coming"; evangelistic sings, "Storm the fort, for God is leading." The need of the congregations of our Lord today, is

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not evangelism as a thing to fight for, but evangelism as a force to fight with. The evangelical creed merely held and defended becomes a fossil, only a thing of interest; but the evangelistic life which feeds upon evangelical truth is a force that the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

     What is it to win a soul? It is certainly more than inducing a person to unite with the church. That is important. There are too many "believers" who attend the body of Christ but refuse to become an organic part of it. There are too many spiritual pleasure seekers. They look at the paper and go where the speaker, subject or music seems most attractive. At best, such are only "bush-whackers" and should be pressed in to the regular army. "One shall chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight"; that is, two together are ten times stronger than one alone. Let us be "strong in the Lord."