Pastor A

For every Christian it’s important to be obedient to Christ and to do the right things but it is equally important to do the right things for the right reasons. Obedience and service to Christ are a heart matter primarily for God hath said, “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7.

“Out of the heart are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 It is true that man looks upon the outward appearance in his evaluation of matters, but God looks upon our hearts and knows how we can perform a good deed perhaps for the wrong reason, and as far as God is concerned, we would not be credited for that good deed because we performed it with a motive that did not please Christ.

Good deeds, with bad motives, right actions for wrong reasons, these are matters that workers for Christ must carefully check into if we are to receive the reward from Christ that we desire on that day when He evaluates or service during this lifetime. No one would argue that soul winning is honorable service for Christ, but we must make sure that we serve Him this way for proper reasons. Our goal should be to have right motives for being a godly soul winner.

Let’s look at a couple improper reasons for being a soul winner: 1) FEAR! It would seem strange that service to Christ be motivated by an emotion such as fear. Let me qualify this matter of fear so we will be clear on its meaning. Jude 23 states, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” II Corinthians 5:11 “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” These verses imply that a correct form of fear is not altogether bad for a reason to be a soul winner. This fear is not  a fear of reprisal from the Lord toward us, but it is a holy fear of what it would be like for a lost person to die and face God. It is wise for lost and saved alike to have a proper fear of God.

You may wonder why I list fear as an improper reason; the reason is simple. If fear is the only reason we serve the Lord, then we will lose our joy and sense of fulfillment for having served the Lord. Most effective soul winners have found that fear alone will not sustain a Christian as a motive for working for the Lord. I John 4:18 “Perfect love casteth out fear.” May our hearts be made complete and be motivated by love.