Securing decisions for God constitutes the main objective of a minister's commission, which may be summarized in the words "Go, Teach, Make Disciples." (Matt. 28:19, 20.).
Every minister needs to remind himself constantly, My main business is to lead people to obey the Lord. This matter of making disciples is the basis of his divine call to service. "From henceforth thou shalt catch men." "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Luke 5:10 ; Matt. 4:19.
The sacred work of leading people to obey the Lord touches the most vital matter of human life. The supreme issue of what will become of each man depends on what he does with God's message. It is a case of heaven or hell for every soul, according to how he obeys the Lord Jesus Christ.
How solemn, then, is the task of Christian workers in persuading people to obey the Lord ! When we work and pray and plead with a soul to step over the line for God, everlasting joy or everlasting destruction is the issue at stake. The apostle Paul declares:
"For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Cor. 2:15, 16.
Since this matter of securing decisions is such an important part of our work, should it not have careful and thorough study? One of the most important subjects for a gospel worker to study is, How can I lead more people to decide to obey the Word ? What soul-winning principles should I apply which will enable me to lead more souls to obey the Lord from among those to whom I present God's message?
Two of the greatest needs of every worker in the advent movement are: first, a deeper spiritual experience for himself; second, more proficiency in leading men and women over the line for God.
As our workers go forth to teach God's message, they find it is comparatively easy to convince their hearers that the doctrines of the Adventist Church are true. This is especially the case among people who regard the Bible as the Christian's guidebook. But workers do find it quite difficult to lead those men who are thus convinced to step out and obey God.
Some may think that a certain number of honest in heart will accept the truth, regardless of what procedure a worker follows. It is true that there are some souls on the verge of the kingdom, waiting for the evangelist or the Bible instructor to gather them into the fold. These souls may accept the truth in spite of a lack of effective methods. On the other hand, it is possible for many additional souls to be won if certain effective soul-winning principles are followed in the evangelistic effort. It must also be kept in mind that one of the prime purposes of evangelism is, under God, to make dishonest people truly honest.
Truth may be unfolded in a way that helps people to decide to obey it. Or truth may be presented in a way that hinders people from accepting it. "The manner in which the truth is presented often has much to do in determining whether it will be accepted or rejected."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 404.
We learn in Gospel Workers, page 483, that some reject the truth as it is presented by one laborer, only to open their hearts as it is presented in a different manner by another laborer. On page 118 we are informed that some workers have closed the door of access to many souls, when by following a different method of labor, they would have gained access to these hearts, and to many others through them.
Manner of Unfolding Truth Important
These statements reveal the error of the idea that, regardless of how the work is conducted, all the honest in heart may be expected to accept the message. Some have decided against the truth who might have accepted it if right principles had been followed.
Is the securing of decisions for obedience something on which the gospel worker must proceed blindly for results by chance? Or is it a case of where the application of the respective right principles makes favorable results possible? Are there not laws or principles of cause and effect in the spiritual realm, which are designed to produce certain spiritual results?
In the natural realm there are laws to regulate everything, from the tiniest atom to the mightiest sun. There is a law in reference to water, by which it May be made to rise of itself and float off in the air. The formula for boiling water is a simple one, in keeping with a certain fixed law. There is another law by which water can be made so solid that an elephant can walk on it.
Soul winning, however, cannot be reduced to any formula. We cannot proceed on the basis that by following a certain procedure, we are as sure to win certain people to God's message as that water will boil at a certain point as fixed by natural law. In the case of the water it has no choice as to what it will do. It must react in one fixed way. In the matter of accepting truth, every soul makes his own choice as to what he will do. He can decide for or against the truth.
God has ordained certain principles or laws in the spiritual realm which help people to decide to obey His commandments. The gospel 'worker needs to discover what these principles are, and how to apply them in his evangelism. It is self-evident that the worker who utilizes these divine principles which govern decision for obedience will secure better results than if he disregards these principles and fails to use them as aids to decision.
The science of securing decisions consists in properly applying those divinely appointed laws of principles which govern the action of the human mind and the heart for obedience to the call of God. It is by applying these principles in our .evangelism that we shall be able, under God, to -win the largest number from among those to whom -we present His message. We may make it easier or harder to secure decisions by the way we observe these principles, hence, the need of careful :study as to how to apply them in evangelism.
It will be readily admitted that for successful iarming there needs to be a knowledge of the laws of agriculture, and a proper application of effort in keeping with these laws. For successful teaching there should be a knowledge and application of the laws of teaching. Likewise successful soul winning calls for a knowledge and application of the principles or laws which lead people to obey the Lord.
Successful evangelism demands not only a study of the Bible, the doctrines of our message, effective speaking and presentation, but also a study of the workings of the human mind. "In order to lead souls to Jesus there must be a knowledge of human nature and a study of the human mind."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 67. "He [the minister] should study the workings of the mind, that he may adapt his teachings to the intellect of his hearers." —Gospel Workers, p. 191.
The evangelistic worker should understand the laws of the mind in receiving, acknowledging, and deciding for the truth. He needs to know the principles which govern the operation of the human mind in making a decision. He should study how to formulate and direct his presentations according to the working of the mind. When he directs his effort in keeping with the working of the mind for a favorable decision, people are influenced to step out and obey the truth. If he conducts the work contrary to these laws of the mind, the securing of decisions is hindered.
Some of the main steps in the working of the mind by which a person is led to obey, the call of God are attention, interest, conviction, desire, decision, and action. The process by which a person acts on a given proposition or course of action as presented, seems to center in these six phases of the working of the mind.
1. The mind is first arrested. It pauses to consider God's message. We call this Attention.
2. The mind then acts upon the matter to which the attention has been drawn. It begins to investigate the truth. It is stirred to learn the meaning of God's message. We designate this Interest.
3. The mind next comes to a conclusion about the truths presented. It is favorably satisfied in reference to obeying the doctrines as taught. We term this Conviction.
4. The mind then longs for, or wants to obtain, the truth with which it has become favorably satisfied, and which is seen to contain such inherent beneficial possibilities. We refer to this as Desire.
5. The mind next is made up or determines to follow the truths it has decided upon. It resolves, under God, to obey that which it has reasoned is best or right. It moves to possess the truth it desires. We speak of this as Decision.
6. The mind and body then co-ordinate to fulfill the determination of the mind, or reasoning powers, and the person moves forward to obey God's message, in harmony with his decision. We call this Action.
Note the natural progression in the working of the mind. Attention ripens into interest. Interest deepens into conviction. Conviction is aroused into desire. Desire crystallizes into decision or resolution. Decision moves into action.
Soul winners need to study especially these phases of the mind in acceptance of, and obedience to, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. They should study how to present God's message so that the evangelistic process will, as far as possible in the case of the hearers, be a progression of these steps to the ultimate desired result.
