My interest in fishing for souls began as I learned about fishing in the New Testament. In my youth, I admired members of the evangelistic Christian organization "Fishers of Men." Their one goal was to spend their energy winning others to the Lord.
Rules of Fishing
While watching my brother Sig fishing, I observed that fishermen have 10 unspoken rules:
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Go for the biggest ones.
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Do not pollute the lake.
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Sharpen fishing skills.
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Observe the law.
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Respect rights of other fishermen.
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Respect rights of property owners.
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Pass on knowledge of fishing to others.
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Support conservation efforts.
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Never stock fish into public waters.
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Promote the sport of fishing.
Those rules are a great analogy to winning souls to the Lord:
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Go for the biggest sinners—the real bad boys and girls who know the other sinners. They run in "schools."
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Keep your life clean and above reproach as you fish for the big bad boys.
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No soul winner brings a soul to Christ every trip.
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There are absolute rules which the Lord expects His followers to observe. These can be learned by studying the Bible and praying for
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enlightenment through reading the Word.
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Learn more about soul winning from the Bible and from other successful soul winners.
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Keep in mind that others are on soul-winning trips also.
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If other Bible-believing soul winners are already talking to the person, back off and pray for your fellow laborer.
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Share your experiences in and knowledge of soul winning with other Christians.
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Conserve and preserve the catch by following up on seeing that they are taught how to walk the walk of a Christian in a world hostile to God and His people. Draw the "catch" into the church and teach them how to survive in the secular world.
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Promote the art of winning souls. Lead the convert into your soul-winning mission.
Dr. Fay Forlines is a freelance journalist, retired educator, and former instructor at Free Will Baptist Bible College.
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