Is There a Difference Between Witnessing for Jesus vs Winning Souls?

The Most Powerful Contrast in All of Scripture

Have you ever stopped to think about this profound truth: the same God who spoke the entire universe into existence also became a curse for you and me?

This isn't just another feel-good message about God's love. This is about understanding the staggering contrast that should revolutionize how we approach witnessing and evangelism.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 33:9, "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Think about that for a moment. God didn't sweat or strain to create the heavens and the earth. He simply spoke: "Let there be light... let there be a firmament... let the dry land appear." The existence of our entire world depended upon God's speaking. That's pretty amazing, and it didn't cost God anything - that's just His glory, His majesty on display.

But here's where it gets powerful...

When the Creator Became the Cursed

What did it cost God to save us? Everything.

2 Corinthians 5:21 declares: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

The Creator God who can speak things into existence - this cost Him something. He became sin for you and for me.

Galatians 3:13 drives this point home: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

Jesus Christ, God manifest in a body of flesh, was made a curse for you and for me. Someone that powerful, someone that majestic, came down and became a curse for mankind.

It should turn your stomach when you hear someone use the Lord's name blasphemously - as if He didn't speak this whole world into existence, as if He didn't become a curse for you, and now you're cursing Him.

The Profound Humility of Our Savior

Desire: Philippians 2:5-11 paints the most beautiful picture of this divine humility:

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Equal with God, yet He made Himself of no reputation. He spoke the world into existence, yet He took upon Him the form of a servant. The highest becomes the lowest. A great contrast - and this is why we evangelize the lost.

Luke 2:13-16 shows us this contrast beautifully: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men... And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."

You've got God getting praise from the heavenly hosts, and two verses later you have Him manifest in a body of flesh lying in a manger. The highest becoming the lowest, taking on no reputation, becoming a servant, humbling Himself.

Your Role as God's Witness (Not Soul Winner)

Here's where most Christians get confused about evangelism and witnessing.

Action: Romans 12:1 tells us: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Wait a minute - didn't Jesus make the one-time sacrifice? Absolutely! That's been completely done for sins. But now that we're saved, God says we've got a sacrifice too - not to die for somebody's sins (that's completely finished), but to present our body as a living sacrifice to serve the Lord.

The highest of high, the most glorious of glory, the most majestic of majesty allows us to play a part in giving the gospel message of redemption to others. Think about that! The most important decision any soul could make, and God says, "I'm going to use My saints, My church." All you have to do is present your body a living sacrifice.

We Don't Win Souls - We Witness

Now here's a critical distinction that may revolutionize your approach to evangelism:

Proverbs 11:30 says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life: and he that winneth souls is wise."

But is it really our responsibility to win souls? Or is our responsibility to proclaim truth and present the truth to lost souls?

First Corinthians 9:22 gives us Paul's perspective: "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

Is Paul the savior? Of course not! This is God using us and saying we get to play a part in proclaiming the truth of who He is and what He's done.

1 Corinthians 3:9 clarifies our role: "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."

We get to labor WITH God! We are His witnesses - we don't win the soul, the Lord does. We present the truth of the Gospel.

Biblical Witnessing: Taking the Stand for God

Acts 1:8 gives us our marching orders: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Why was the Holy Spirit given? To be witnesses.

When you go into a courtroom, a witness takes the stand and presents evidence either for or against the person on trial. We are taking the witness stand for God, presenting evidence of what God said for God and against the sinner.

Evidence against: "Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever lusted? Have you ever had an idol? You're guilty before God."

Evidence for: "But God said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

We are witnesses for God. The Lord saves the soul - we don't. We present the truth of the Gospel.

Avoiding the Trap of Easy Believism

We have to be careful that we don't take that verse about winning souls and create a system where we think it's our responsibility to get somebody to pray a prayer or jump through religious hoops.

This is how we got into the mess of easy believism - trying to get somebody to do something that the Holy Spirit never convicted that person to do.

I want everybody to get saved, but I don't want false conversions. We need to be careful that we're not playing the Holy Spirit. We are witnesses, and we present the evidence and proclaim the truth of the Gospel.

The Urgency of Our Times

Let me put this in perspective. If you could find someone who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, you'd discover something interesting: back then, you couldn't find anybody who said they were a Muslim or an atheist. For the most part, everybody feared God and believed there was a God.

But look how far we've come in just 50 years! Now you can knock on 50 doors, talk to 50 people, and find one's a Muslim, one's an atheist, one's a Buddhist, one doesn't care about God, one's a Satanist, one's a witch, and then you'll hear other stuff you never even heard of.

People want a new god - they used to find them on television, now they find them on computers, cell phones, and social media. But we've got the true and living God!

It Doesn't Matter What They Look Like

Romans 10:12-13 is crystal clear: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

You meet somebody who says they're a Jew? Give them the gospel. You meet somebody with purple hair, blue hair, pink hair, and a ring through their nose? You preach the gospel to them. Someone with tattoos all over their body and face? You give them the gospel.

It doesn't matter what they look like - "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Romans 10:14-15 drives home the necessity: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?"

Just this past Friday, I met someone who told me they'd never read the Bible. I thought they meant they'd never read the whole Bible, but they meant they'd never read ANY of the Bible - not even John 3:16! There are people out there who don't know "For God so loved the world." That's why we've got to bring it to them.

Faith Comes by Hearing

Romans 10:17 gives us the method: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

We've got to get the Word of God out to our community, through our state, to our country, and to this world. Don't try to win a soul - just be sent by the Lord and witness for Him, and the Holy Spirit will convict someone's heart. The Lord will do the winning; we get to play a part as His laborers.

The highest became the lowest, and we get to work for Him. He does the saving - we are His witnesses.

🎧 📖 Want to hear the full power of this message? This blog post just scratches the surface of this incredible expository preaching on God's glory and our role as witnesses. Listen to the complete verse-by-verse bible teaching sermon to get the full impact of this life-changing biblical truth about evangelism and witnessing. [Click here to listen to the entire message] - you won't want to miss a single word of this powerful exposition of Scripture!