"Loving Them To Christ"
by David Paden

One of the greatest challenges we have in the church today is winning souls. We know the command. It's so clearly taught in the Bible. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) We just struggle in fulfilling this command. What if there was a characteristic that would help us fulfill this great request? Would you practice it every day in the life you live? Okay. Here it is. It's love! Can you think of a more powerful characteristic? Love originates with God (1 Jn. 4:7), is proof that I have been born again and I know God (1 Jn. 4:7), is sacrificial (1 Jn. 4:9), describes the character of God (1 Jn. 4:16), perfects and gives confidence (1 Jn. 4:17), removes fear (1 Jn. 4:18), is proof that I love God (1 Jn. 4:20-21), and to sum it up, love is the greatest emotion the soul can enjoy (1 Cor. 13:13). I'm thoroughly convinced that if we completely saturate our lives with love, our success rate in winning souls for Christ Jesus will sky rocket! So, consider with me some areas where we must exhibit love.

To begin with, we must love God.After all, He certainly is worthy of our love, isn't He? The apostle John said He loved us first (1 John 4:19). Our love for God must be supreme. Jesus said,  "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment." (Matt. 22:37). How do we show God we love Him? This is done by doing his will. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15). When Christians love God the way they should, souls will be won! 

Second, we must love the Church. If souls are going to be won to Christ, we must possess a true genuine love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. (1 Pet. 1:22) Too often brethren pretend to love one another. There is perhaps nothing that will turn an individual away from the truth quicker than hypocrisy. Our love must be genuine! Our love must also be continual. The Hebrew writer states, "Let brotherly love continue." (Heb. 13:1) Too often brethren practice "conditional" love and not "continual." When it comes to the love that we have for our brethren, there should be no boundaries. Our love for our brethren should be like that of Christ. Christ's love for the church was exceptional. He was willing to give His life for the church (Eph. 5:25).  When Christians have a true, genuine love for the church and people outside the church can see that love, then souls will be won.

In the third place, we must love ourselves. Jesus commanded "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:39) Why must we love ourselves? How can we extend love to our fellow man when we don't love ourselves? Such is an impossible task. When we fail to love ourselves, we fail to secure ourselves spiritually. Likewise, we will not be interested in the spiritual security of our fellow man. When we love ourselves, we will love our own souls and the souls of others, which will result in church growth. 

Finally, we must love our fellow man. The second greatest commandment given is to love our fellow man (Matt. 22:39). Why should we love our fellow man? Who do we care about the most in this life? It's those people we love. When we love someone, there is nothing we will not do for them. The same is true when it comes to our fellow man. When we love them, there is nothing that will keep us from seeking to bring them to Christ.

How can we successfully bring people to Christ?  We must love them to Christ. Are you practicing the kind of love in your life that will lead people to Christ?