Why Should We Win People to Jesus?

Originally Posted on February 8, 2015

Why should we win people to Jesus?  In Luke 19:1-10 we read the beautiful and poignant story of the Lord Jesus reaching out to Zacchaeus, a despicable tax collector.  We can clearly see how the heart of Almighty God beats for a lost world.  Jesus was determined to be Zacchaeus’ Savior and Lord.  This is the only place in all the gospels where Jesus invited Himself to be someone’s guest.  Zacchaeus gladly received Jesus into his home, as well as into his heart.  By making restitution for his sins, Zacchaeus publicly wanted the people to know that his time with Jesus had changed his life.  Jesus publicly affirmed Zacchaeus’ decision by stating: “This day is salvation come to this house.”  Then, the Lord Jesus announced His purpose in living: “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which  was lost.”  The Greek word for seek is zeteite  (dzay-the-ee-the).  It means to go after, to strive, to pursue, to desire, to aim at, to search for, to endeavor, to get; to make that which is most important your primary concern.  The primary concern of Jesus is to save a  lost soul!

Jesus commands us to do so.  In Acts 1:8 Jesus told His followers before he went home to heaven: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit  has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  The Greek word for witnesses is martures (mar’-tour-ehs).  This is the same word as martyr.  We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are to be so committed to  reaching men, women, boys, and girls for Jesus that we are ready to die as martyrs if need be.  A genuine, Spirit-filled Christian becomes by nature a witness for the Lord Jesus.  When you live in deep communion with the Lord Jesus, the life of Jesus will naturally flow from your lips.  Dr. Darrell Robinson states: “Sharing Christ is both the natural expression and the obedient lifestyle of a true believer.  It is the outflow of the overflow of the inflow of the Christ-filled life.”  Over 93,000 people die every day all  over the world without Jesus.

Jesus tells us that heaven is a real place.  In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  The kingdom of God is heaven.  The New Testament refers to heaven 225 times.  People who have truly repented of their sins and made Jesus their Lord and Savior will be in heaven.  What is heaven like?  In Luke 23:43 Jesus told the thief who was hanging on his own cross beside Jesus: “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”  In Psalm 16:11 David said: “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right  hand there are pleasures forever- more.”  In 1 Cor. 2:9 Paul states: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”  The physical attributes of heaven are likened unto one gigantic, brilliant jewel. The streets are pure gold and the walls are made of jasper. Heaven is a reflection of the glory and power and wealth of the God of the universe. No sadness, sickness, death, and suffering will be in heaven (Rev. 21:4).

Jesus tells us that hell is a real place.  The word hell is used 22 times in the New Testament.  In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  The rich man died and found himself in a literal  burning hell, not because he was rich, but because he never repented of his sins and made Jesus his Lord and Savior by faith.  Jesus does not send you to  hell.  Your rejection of Him sends you to hell.  What is hell  like?  Outer darkness with wailing and weeping and gnashing of  teeth (Matthew 25:30).  No one can get to you and you cannot get to anyone.  You have eternal separation from God and man.  You are in a lake of fire  and brimstone.  You burn without burning up.  You are punished according to the degree of evil you have done just as you are rewarded in heaven for the good you have done after conversion (Luke 12:42-48).

It is very clear as to why we should win people to Jesus.  I plead with you to make it your life’s goal to win as many people as you can to Jesus!  You will see them in heaven and they will thank you.