Soul Winning: Misguided Soteriology

Above is a clip from my favorite pastor, an independent, fundamental, KJV-only, soul-winning Baptist. Is there any other kind of Baptist? Just kidding.

... "He who winneth souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30

Did you read that verse? This is the one place in the Scripture that tells us something about so-called "Soul-Winning." And it's just half of the verse. Note that this verse doesn't tell us to win souls necessarily, but that one who does it is wise. I would also note that this word in Hebrew is laquaqh, which basically means "to take a hold of." I'm not sure if either one of those notes are important or relevant, but there you have it.

Fundamentalists are very fond of the term and their idea of "soul-winning." Soul-winning Christians despise what they call "Lordship Salvation" because it, in their eyes, perverts the Gospel by adding repentance to what is necessary for salvation. Salvation, they would argue, is brought out of belief alone. To add baptism, repentance, or following Christ a requirement for salvation (which Calvinists don't do, by the way), they would argue is "methodism" or applying methods to salvation when it is a one step process.

What do they do with places like Acts 2:38 that says "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." I'm confused. I thought only belief was necessary for salvation, right?

So, when you think that belief alone causing salvation, it would seem like a good idea to run around get people to admit they believe in Jesus. If you can do that successfully, then every person who you can get to repeat some prayer confessing belief (as opposed to sins) then they'll have eternal life and you'll have won a soul.

If this is the case (which it is), then it would only be logical that winning souls is a lot like bowling. It's all about technique. Soul winners argue against Total Depravity, which asserts that humanity is utterly hopeless and will never seek Christ of their own will. If this were the case, then it means that people can accept Christ because they are smart enough to see the merit and good enough to follow through. They need not be brought by the Spirit that "comes and goes as it pleases," but are brought by their own volition. This means, the soul winner would argue, that we simply need to go around, knocking doors, and convincing people to believe in Jesus, say a prayer, and get your get-into-Heaven ticket.

And that's where technique comes in. Knock on a door. Look pleasant. Where a tie, because Jesus would. Don't ask their name, that is just unnecessary information. You're winning souls, not friends after all. Start with asking "if you died today, do you know..." bla bla bla. Then automatically assume that they believe the Bible and assume that for them it is authoritative. And if you're really skilled, you have them read the verses of the Roman Road out loud instead of you reading them. And what it comes down to is how good a job you do in the process. Have your verses highlighted. Counter their arguments. And most importantly, out-wit them. This is going to come down to you convincing them the Bible is right and they are wrong. You're going to have to use logic and reason to convince them they're sinners. If they don't believe the Bible, then talk longer until they do. Then, get them to say a prayer. Afterwards, tell them that God is not a liar and if they ever doubt their salvation then it's the devil trying to mess with them. So you write the date they said that prayer in the Bible so they can be assured they're saved. Finally, let them know that they're saved forever regardless of how much they mess up. The last ingredient in Soul Winning methodology is to pat yourself on the back for saving the guy from hell and then go to church and brag that a soul was won. When they never show up at church, change their lifestyle, or repent of their sin, remind yourself that God works in mysterious ways.

Such is the soteriology of fundamental soul-winners. And what hog-wash it is.

There is no example - none - of someone being "saved" in the Bible by saving a prayer. To reduce salvation to saying a few words in the right order is nothing but a superstition at best and witchcraft at worst. Salvation is begun by God in a process called regeneration. It's none of man, and all of God.

For example, consider the account of Nicodemus:

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Jesus doesn't really answer Nicodemus' question, because he really didn't ask one. Jesus jumped the gun and told Nicodemus that if he wants to see the Kingdom, he must be born again. Notice that Jesus doesn't say "Hey, buddy...do these things, say this prayer, repeat it after me, believe these facts, and then if satan every bothers you about it then tell him to go to hell." Jesus simply says "you must be born again," not "get born again" as if Nicodemus had anything to do with it. Then Jesus clarifies that the Spirit goes around saving whoever He wants for no reason discernible by man. Such is the Reformed - and the Biblical - take on John 3.

You see, "soul-winners" get angry when we talk about repentance, baptism, and discipleship as a part of salvation. They say that we're bringing methodism into soteriology. When in truth, it's the opposite. We don't believe that salvation is a result of anything except God's sovereign will. It's not a result of repentance, baptism, or discipleship and it's sure as heck not a result of a superstitious, extra-Biblical prayer more similar to a pagan conjure of ancestral spirits than a heart-felt communication with God via the Holy Spirit. This is what religion does: it reduces divine nature (salvation, for example) to a method or to a system. "Say this prayer" is not any different than "do this dance" or "join this church." And although repentance and discipleship (baptism is a part of discipleship) do not cause salvation, but are an affect of salvation.

What is quite amazing is that soul-winners harp on the Great Commission as their anthem. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 reads:

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Are we told in this great command to go win souls or make Christians? Of course not. It is not we, but the Spirit that convicts the sinner to repentance because of regeneration, and it's the irresistible grace of God the Father made possible by the propitiation of sin through the death of Jesus that makes one saved. We simply preach the Word faithfully (through which regeneration begins in the hearing) so that we can be blessed in being a part of God's redemptive plan for the people He chose before the world began.

What we do is make disciples, first baptizing them and then teaching them. A soul winner would believe in the concept of the "carnal Christian"... that it is possible that someone believes in Christ and is therefore saved, who continues in sin, does not repent, is not baptized, and refuses discipleship. I'm not sure there is a more warrantless theological doctrine than that of carnal Christian theology. As if it were possible (or assumed in the Bible) that one could come in contact with God, be owned by Christ and filled with the Spirit and not be changed! But alas, the soul-winner must believe in carnal Christianity to explain why the vast majority of of the souls they have "won" do not exhibit any signs of transformation.

There is an inherent problem with this. Romans 8:29 says:

29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

The reason God saves some is to transform them to the image of Jesus. Because if he predestines you he will then eventually justify and then glorify you. You will be discipled if you are truly saved. Period. The sinner's prayer, therefore, does not result in salvation. The sinner's prayer results from a salvation that was begun by God long before the sinner was even aware.

In fact, no where are we told to win souls in the New Testament, nor to win or bring converts. We are go into the world making disciples...not from those we have saved, but those that God has saved due to His sovereign will.

There is an abject self-righteousness and arrogance in soul winning theology that is almost laughable (if it didn't make such a mockery of grace). To believe that the soul of an individual for whom Christ died somehow hangs in the balance, dependent upon how you or I go about winning Him is audacious. If we are not faithful to tell him, and He is elect, God will send someone else. Jesus died for that person. That person's fate is dependent upon God's grace and Jesus' sacrifice, not my obedience.

On a side note, I used to sell vacuums for a living. I made a living at it, and a darn good one (if you judge a living by the amount of money made). I made a living selling $2500 vacuum cleaners on a three year note at 21% interest to little old ladies who couldn't put $5 dollars down and who had wood floors. I can sell. I convinced people that this vacuum would bring them good health and change their lives. Literally. I once convinced a lady that she would be able to go on a vacation to Bermuda, get a job, and lose weight if only she would buy my contraption. And as long as these people didn't figure out they got taken advantage of or manipulated for three days, the bring-back day was up and they were stuck with making 80 dollar payments for three years. I'm not bragging, that was horrible of me. Horrible. But the point is, I can manipulate anybody to do or believe anything. If it was all about technique, then I should go around my little town and just use my manipulation techniques to convince people to buy into Jesus. But Jesus hasn't bought them. They're so-called salvation is invalid and nonexistent. But they've gotten that date written in their Bible, so by the time they're really introduced to the Bible, they think they're saved because after all, "God's not a liar" they were told.

Then why does a Reformed Baptist like myself evangelize? Why do we go to great lengths to tell people about Jesus? There are two reasons. 1) We must be obedient to proclaim the good news and 2) because the chief end of man is to glorify God, and when we make God known He is glorified. Perhaps it is correctly understanding the reasons for evangelism that Reformed churches are one of the few segments in American Christianity that are growing while "soul-winning" independent fundamentalist churches are shrinking into obscurity.