I love the books that make me feel conviction. The kind of books that make me think that I should be doing better. The books that point out a specific area of the Christian life that I need to improve upon. I also like to read books by authors from years ago and not just recent authors. Therefore, The Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon was an obvious choice to be on my favorites list.
As implied in the title, the book is about being more faithful in evangelism, and that is a topic that I think we all could admit we need to do better. What is strange though, is that while most of us admit we need to do better at evangelism, we don’t read books on evangelism. Maybe something inside of us is scared of that conviction that the book will bring, but conviction is a good thing! Conviction is healthy because it shows us where we need to grow.
For those reading this who are not familiar with Charles Spurgeon, he was a giant in evangelical Christianity. He pastored the Metropolitan Tabernacle for 38 years in the 1800’s and he was dubbed the ‘Prince of Preachers’ for his amazing sermons. Back then, sermons were transcribed, copied, and then sold. In 1865, Spurgeon’s sermons sold around 25,000 every week. That is a tremendous number! But adding to his preaching ministry was his writing ministry. There is more material written by Charles Spurgeon than any other Christian author…in history! The Soul Winner is primarily written to pastors and church leaders but all can profit from reading.
The title of the book is based off of Proverbs 11:30 that says, “…and he who is wise wins souls.” It still amazes me that these authors could write a 300+ page book based on one portion of one verse! Spurgeon was a careful theologian and by no means does the title suggest that he will tell us to use some gimmicks or stunts in order to see more people get saved. Spurgeon believed in the sovereignty of God in salvation just as much as anyone else. Just to emphasize this point, Spurgeon tells an illustration of a preacher who led many souls to Christ but upon his judgment day it is told him that he receives no credit for their salvation because the blessing of those salvations came from the “deaf old man sitting on the stairs and praying” (177). That was the source of the rich harvest of souls.
If you have ever read Spurgeon you know he has a rich way of using the English language. His points are simple, yet his illustrations are vivid and powerful; his admonishment hits straight at the heart. He describes ‘soul-winning’ (evangelism) as our one main business. He says too many preachers are trying to amuse men by entertaining them with lively speaking from the pulpit, to educate men by simply teaching information, and moralizing men by telling them to live rightly. As he says in classic Spurgeon form, “he who wants motion in a corpse should first seek life for it” (253). As he says so powerfully, “of what service will it be to him who has been amused when the trumpet sounds, and heaven and earth are shaking, and the pit opens wide her jaws of fire and swallows up the soul unsaved?” (254). Again, “of what avail even to have moralized a man if still he is on the left hand of the Judge, and if still, ‘Depart, ye cursed,’ shall be his portion?” (254).
To the reader who thinks to himself, ‘I cannot be a soul winner,’ Spurgeon says, Jesus turned peasants of Galilee into founders of churches. Christ makes average people into soul winners. But, you must have holiness of character, a high spiritual life, and a humble spirit to be used by God in this endeavor. In true Spurgeon fashion he says, “If the Lord has opened your mouth, the devil cannot shut it; but if the devil has opened it, may the Lord shut it up!” (57).
Circling back all the way to conviction, Spurgeon does not leave us off the hook. He asks very pointedly on page 254, “How many others have you brought to Christ?” A question we must seriously ask ourselves. He continues, “Did you never win a soul for Jesus? You shall have a crown in heaven but no jewels in it. You will go to heaven childless; and you know how it was in the old times, how the women dreaded lest they should be childless. Let it be so with Christian people; let them dread being spiritually childless. We must hear the cries of those whom God has given to be born unto Himself by our means. We must hear them or else cry out in anguish, ‘Give me converts, or I die’” (225). I don’t want a book that tells me I’m doing everything right, I want a book that shows me where I need to grow. Read this book and be challenged in ‘soul winning.’
-Pastor Mark Scialabba