The Eight Steps to Spiritual Healing (One and Two)

Close observation of salvation allows us to isolate eight steps to spiritual healing. We could also call these the eight confessions of the sinner. They stand out as vital personal revelations to one’s journey from spiritual sickness to the spiritual cure. Everyone must traverse through each one of the following steps.

1. “I am sick.” =Repentance
2. “Nothing is working.” =Renunciation
3.  “My sickness is terminal.” =Reality Adjustment
4.  “There is a cure.” =Recognition
5.  “I can be cured.” =Receptivity
6.  “I will accept the cure.” =Regeneration
7.  “I will follow through with the cure.” =Reconciliation
8.  “I will live in spiritual health.” =Responsible Living

The number eight possesses nothing magical. Some scriptural significance may lie in that the number eight is often used in the Bible to set forth a new order of things. For the purpose at hand, eight steps simply seem logical in moving toward spiritual healing. An analysis of actual cases in the lives of many people makes this evident. While scriptural terms exist to describe each step, it helps to see salvation in the context of healing. Every candidate for salvation from sin must come to these points of admis­sion. Since each one consti­tutes a profoundly spiritual act, we may refer to these admissions as confes­sions.

First Confession: “I Am Sick.”

A man of God once said that there are two greatest things that a man can know. The first is to know that he is a sinner. The second is to know he is saved. The second is impossible to know without the first. When people admit that they are spiritually sick, it indicates that they have worked through denial. Nothing good starts to happen until a person admits sin.

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:19-23

Confession of sin and repentance signal the move to God’s grace and favor. They deliver a deathblow to pride. They bring a person out of the fog of half-truths, speculation, human reasoning and lies into spiritual reality and truth. They put one into right perspec­tive in terms of eternity and the Judge of All the Earth. They give a concrete definition to life and death, divinity and humanity, and heaven and earth. Unless a person says, “I am sick,” he/she is both unable and unqualified to deal with anything else on a spiritual level. “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

Survey this list of confessions of men of the Bible. They did not make excuses for themselves. They did not justify their wrongdoing. God’s brilliant and revealing light exposed their sin. They knew that open confession was the only way to reconciliation with the Almighty.

• “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’S command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” -I Samuel 15:24
• “Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” -II Samuel 12:13
• “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” -Isaiah 6:5
• “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” -Psalm 51:1-5
• “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” -Luke 5:8
• “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” -Luke 15:18
• “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” -I Timothy 1:15

Second Confession: “Nothing Is Working.”

The second step to spiritual healing is to renounce every other answer to the sickness as a false cure. If another cure to sin existed in the universe, God’s sacrifice for sin would have been in vain. Only the blood of Jesus will suffice. Yet, there appear to be many other means. A person must deal directly with these pseudo-cures, and say no to them all. Neither alcohol, drugs, carnal pleasure, wealth, position, posses­sions, novelties, the occult, wrong relation­ships nor any other substitute for true salvation will perma­nently erase the pain of sin.

A person who desires the true cure may confront some of these false cures with great difficulty. “Just say no” is easy to say, but hard to do. Alcohol and drugs cause extreme addiction. Carnal pleasures tempt the flesh severely. False religions sink their roots deeply into one’s heritage. Many habits resist change regardless of how heroic the efforts are to break them.

One of the miracles Jesus performed involved a woman with severe hemorrhaging problem. When the opportunity finally

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. “She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” -Luke 8:43-44

From a spiritual standpoint, people must not seek relief from the pain of sin from any source other than Christ. Anyone who tries an eclectic approach and attempts to take the best of all worlds faces certain failure. We must not mix the blood of Calvary together with the wisdom of the world. Many fall into this trap because it plays into the process of human reasoning. It seems wise to try a little bit of everything. Only a total renunciation of all this world’s feeble efforts to find an eternal cure, however, will satisfy Christ. To put it plainly, the sinner must confess that nothing else has worked or will work to take away sin or the effects of sin.

• Alcohol has not worked.
• Drugs have not worked.
• Wild living has not worked.
• Materialism has not worked.
• Education has not worked.
• Friends have not worked.
• Philosophies and ideas have not worked.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12

Not only do attempts to find a cure to sin from sources other than Christ fail, they impede the true cure from moving forward in one’s life. Physically, as long as the body is simply fighting infection, healing cannot progress. When the infectious agent is driven out, however, repair and regeneration can take place. Spiritually, deep and genuine repentance cuts out the infectious agent of sin. Christ did not come to save us in our sin. He came to save us from our sin. The deeper the repentance, the deeper the cure.

Spiritual Healing

Process

Taking our cue from the physical healing process, we can understand that spiritual healing also follows a process. We have outlined the basic steps of this process in the following section, “The Eight Steps To Spiritual Healing.” Complete, inner healing involves many events which occur sys­tematically, and work interdepen­dently with each other. Physically, should the body achieve some but not all of the four lines of defense, or should it repel the infection but fail to supply scar tissue or to coagulate the blood, or should it lose the proper balance of the contributing systems, the person will not attain full health. In spiritual healing, one may realize some initial steps toward full salvation, but if he/she falters, or stops along the way, or goes off in another direction, the goal of spiritual health will remain unreached.

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”   Psalm 84:5-7

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” II Corinthians 3:8

In a process, each step builds upon the preceding one. Omitting a step flaws the process, and negates the end result. Faith without repen­tance, repentance without water baptism, accepting Christ without obeying His word, and so on, will leave a candidate for salvation short of the intended goal. There is no hypotheti­cal, absolute bottom line that “faith” does it all, or that infant baptism qualifies as the sole re­quirement for salvation, or that some other act alone saves anyone. There are no exclusive steps in the quest to be saved. Our observation of the physical healing process clearly shows that no single step is exclusive and indepen­dent. Each step works with other steps to form a process. Therefore, it is the process that leads us to the end result of spiritual healing.

Balance

No particular step, by itself, incorporates everything necessary for complete healing. The key lies in balance. We must not become so obsessed with any individual step, whether it is faith, repentance, water baptism, or even the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that we feel satisfied with an incomplete healing. This leads to an imbalanced view of full salvation. At each point along the way, a person will feel better. As we will see in a following section, faith does make a person feel better. Repentance makes one feel better. The same goes for water baptism, prayer, Bible reading, joining a church, listening to a sermon, worshipping God, or any number of spiritual activities. Some mistake these feelings for the ultimate, intended goal, however, and go no farther. Sooner or later, they lapse back into sickness.

Medical researchers have shown that an imbalanced diet causes major problems in the human body. Lay persons often think that if a certain food, vitamin or mineral is good for them, then more of it will even be better. Thus, they often overdose on a good thing. On the other hand, they may think that if something seems to have little importance, it can be left out altogether. Nothing could be further from the truth. Certain chemicals that exist in traces in the body are necessary and good. Whenever those same chemicals get too large in quantity, however, they become lethal. Instead of helping the body, they can actually kill it. If those same chemicals get totally eliminated from the body, however, sickness or even death can occur.

Spiritual­ly, we must not overdose on—-nor eliminate—-any element of salvation. In the church body, for example, there are times when pastors need to con­centrate on one thing, whether it be faith, repentance, baptism, worship, holiness, etc. These areas are handled just long enough until the body gets brought back into line. After we have achieved balance, we must attend to other needs.

Water baptism is often targeted as unnecessary by some who attempt to “streamline” salvation. To them, it seems to be merely an outward show with no real, eternal significance. No one can read very far in the Acts of the Apostles, however, without noting the emphasis that the early church placed upon baptism. Evidently, it was important enough for Jesus to command it and the first disciples to practice it. Yet, we cannot make so much of water baptism that it becomes the exclusive step to salvation. The point is simply that we must neither eliminate nor overemphasize any step. Everything must be kept in balance.

Equilibrium

Health is not simply a matter of “feeling good.” Almost anything—-drugs, alcohol, or even emotional euphoria—-can temporarily fool the body or the mind into this state. True health requires that the body achieve a state of equilibrium. This impor­tant principle in health maintenance holds that the body’s resistance must remain at a level high enough to ward off all attackers. While we cannot live in a vacuum where every menacing cell has been removed, we can overcome the harmful effects of hostile cells through healthful living.

Similarly, spiritual health thrives within a right relationship with God. When one finds peace and accep­tance with God, he receives an enduring peace that resists all attempts of the world or the devil to interrupt. In other words, the spiritually healthy person maintains an equilibrium with the hostile world around him/her. While the believer may not vanquish sin and Satan from the earth, these enemies of the soul may be kept at bay. Jesus said it best. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Spiritual healing is a miraculous process, but it is still a process. Sometimes it happens with incredible speed. Rejoicing breaks out in the church when someone is quickly saved, or when someone takes overt, public steps toward salvation. Covert, internal steps are just as vital, although they may not draw as much attention or stir as many hearts. Each step elevates a person’s spiritual health and makes the next step accessible.

T h e H e a l i n g P r o c e s s

How the Body Heals

Our Creator fashioned a marvelous body for us. In its normal, healthy state, it works ingeniously to sustain our life. But that’s only the beginning. When disease or injury threatens, its built-in powers multiply, turning the human physique into a mighty army. It calls up lines of defense, maneuvers units into place to launch a counter-attack and destroy invaders, invokes emergency procedures to beef up supply lines and transport troops and munitions, and restores damages and losses. As we look at how the body heals, we will receive a great education on the spiritual aspects of healing.

The Four Lines of Defense

The old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” accurately describes the strategy that the body employs when fighting against disease. Our bodies come equipped with four major lines of defense: primary protection, the combative response, the inflammatory response and the immune response. These systems work together to prevent enemy microbes from getting a foothold in the body, thus inducing illness or death. When these natural responses do their job in a normal, healthy body, major problems need not occur.

Primary Protection

Great numbers of harmful bacteria exist in the air around us and on our skin. Most of them cannot invade the body, however, because the skin and linings of the gastrointes­tinal tract serve as a first line of defense against them. Barring injury to these protective shields, we can “swim” through the biotic sea unmolested. Invaders that do enter the body are further subjected to attack by enzymes and acids contained in saliva and stomach secretions.

The Combative Response

What happens when the skin is punctured? Should a splinter, for example, break into your finger, your body immediately mobilizes tissue cells and white blood cells. The tissue cells surround the particulate matter and engulf it, releasing a barrage of destructive chemicals against the splinter. Simultaneously, millions of white blood cells migrate through the blood-vessel walls and eat the foreign substance, especially bacteria. Thus, most intruding organisms discover a hostile environment within the human body.

The Inflammatory Response

While the tissue cells and white blood cells begin the fight against an invader, the brain soon calls the entire body to help. The small blood vessels expand to allow more blood to flow to the injury. Clear fluids fill the area to dilute any harmful substances. White blood corpuscles are dispatched to the breach in great quantities. Dead cells, killed in battle, along with the white blood cells form pus. Inflamed areas become reddened and give off heat, swelling and pain. We don’t under­stand precisely why pain appears, but we do know that it signals the onset of the healing process. Thus, even though it causes discom­fort, it represents a positive response.

The Immune Response

A remarkable event develops within the human body when many harmful bacteria types attack it. Biologists call it the immune response. They explain it by this analogy: A suspicious looking criminal shows up in town. Just before he sets off a crime spree, the police arrest him and throw him in jail. (The criminal is the antigen and the police are called the antibodies.) In this manner, the body prevents a crime wave, and secures itself against future invasion. This analogy describes the immune response in a simple way.

Two important qualities in the human body which provide for the immune response are specificity and memory. Specificity means that only a certain kind of police can arrest a certain kind of criminal. In other words, an antigen can only be stopped by a specific antibody. Memory means that the body remembers the criminal, perhaps by some sort of elaborate “fingerprinting” scheme, and sends out the right kind of police each time he comes to town. The discovery of these qualities formed the basis for inoculation shots. They also help us to understand why certain childhood diseases never return.

Repair and Regeneration

What Happens When the Body Is Injured?

When an individual sustains an injury, the human body begins to repair itself and regenerate the damaged or lost tissue. God gave us some cells, like those in the bone marrow and skin, that repro­duce themselves continually throughout life. Other cells, like the ones found in the glands and kidney linings, have the capacity to reproduce themselves when they suffer loss. A third kind of cell, called permanent cells, cannot reproduce. Our brain, heart muscles and bones are comprised of these cells.

Most minor injuries affect the skin. God demonstrated His great wisdom, then, by creating the skin cells to reproduce so quickly and easily. Internal injuries that damage the glands can heal too, but more slowly and by greatly restricting the person’s activities and lifestyle. The permanent cells of the brain can never be replaced, barring a divine miracle. Brain cells die every day, but the sheer number of them ensures that a sufficient quantity remains to support life. The heart cells cannot regenerate either. After a heart attack, however, scar tissue fills the damaged area. This tissue does not act like the heart muscle, but it enables the rest of the heart to function, if only at a reduced level. Most importantly, life can go on after a heart attack.

Since the majority of minor injuries involve the skin, let’s summarize the steps of the skin’s healing process. To simplify this descrip­tion, we will assume that, aside from the injury, this person is healthy. His/her body should respond quickly to the threat.

1. The injured area becomes reddened, swollen and painful, due to the inflammatory response.
2. Blood clotting begins, stopping the bleeding, and forms a scab over the wound.
3. The cells next to the wound start dividing and growing over the injured area.
4. In a minor injury, the replaced skin will be so complete than no permanent markings will result.
5. If the injury is more serious and breaks the skin surface, connective tissue, known as fibroblasts spread and fill the wound. These are scar tissue cells, com­prised of fibrils that are tough and very strong. They lack the characteris­tics of the skin they replace. They are not as flexible, are less sensitive, and are missing other features such as hair and sweat glands.
6. Irreversible scarring occurs.

Interrelationship of Body Functions

Because of their implications for spiritual healing, it is sig­nificant to note how physical healing processes interact in the body. In the normal state, the systems of the entire body work together to maintain health. For example, should the kidneys stop functioning normally, the sodium content of the blood may rise. As a result, the body suffers from high blood pressure. Coupled with stress, this may bring on heart failure. When one system runs into trouble or shuts down, other systems are affected and complications occur quickly.

Diet content profoundly affects the total physical being. We cannot eat simply what tastes good, without regard to the nutritional value in the food, calories, fats, sodium and a host of other substan­ces. Sometimes, the same food may be fine for one person, but toxic to another who has a particular allergy. Not only does diet impact our bodies, we must also carefully monitor temperature, humidity, exercise, stress, rest, exposure to the sun, air quality and anything else that involves our basic survival. Each element affects one or more systems in the body. Each system, in turn, affects the other systems. Eventual­ly, the entire body gets involved.

Similarly, to treat one bodily system, health care professionals must monitor the direct or side effects on other systems. Hormone replacement therapy, for example, may stop or delay osteoporosis, or deterioration of the bone, but may induce cancer or cause other serious problems. All the body’s systems, therefore, must be kept in balance and treatment of one system must not interfere with the operation of another.

Symptoms of Sin

We have already discussed in detail how people react to spiritual pain. Denial, phobias, indecision, use of painkillers, etc. describe these reactions. A symptom, however, is a direct manifes­tation of a disease or injury. The difference between reactions and symptoms may be understood in this way. When people deve­lop stomach ulcers, they manifest such symp­toms as severe abdominal pain, especially after eating certain foods, and may notice signs of bleeding from the intestinal tract. These are symptoms. These same people, however, may clutch their stomachs and bend over, cry out from the pain, drink milk to sooth the inflammation, or do something else to relieve the pain. These are reactions. Reactions vary from person to person, and many times are simply choices. Symptoms are involuntary and automatic.

The inherent sinful nature manifests itself by various acts or symptoms of sin. Sinners commit individual sins involuntarily because of their sinful condition. People in sin automatically develop guilt, shame, loneliness, pain and emptiness as a by-product of sin. The scriptures give us several catalogs of sin which define these behaviors. All of them result from a sinful heart.

“Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, “Slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32

In the Galatian epistle, these sins are described as the works of the flesh. Any person who walks in the flesh instead of in the Spirit will manifest telltale signs.

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; “Idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions And envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

It must be abundantly clear that the underlying culprit in all these areas remains the basic sinful nature of man. We must not succumb to the false, humanistic ideas that the problem is the social milieu, the cultural mix, or the “oppressive” tradition of religious influence. Social programs may help alleviate some injustice, pain and suffering. As long as sin exists, however, the root of evil will continue to produce harm.

Signs of Spiritual Activity

The first-aid caregiver must not only learn to detect symp­toms, it is also important to know whether the treatment is working. Spiritually, the soulwinner should be able to see the results of spiritual first-aid. The gospel always brings some kind of reaction from people. If it is received in faith, the seed of the Word will germinate and begin to grow. If it is rejected, it will manifest signs of that as well. Here are some scriptural examples of spiritual activity that resulted when people heard the Gospel.

• “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37
• “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Acts 10:44
• “As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” Acts 24:25

People often become very agitated when the gospel is preached to them and they resist it. We call this “conviction of the Spirit.” In other words, they feel a great deal of guilt and realize that they must make a decision. They are unwilling to act, however, in accordance with the will of God. In family situations, a person who is “under conviction” may show great irritation, erupt in fits of rage, start arguments or make life miserable for everybody in the family. In the workplace, a person who rejects the truth may cast insults, ridicule, or even plot to cause a believer to lose his/her job. Such behavior stems from the work of the Spirit in that person’s life. The soulwinner must take great care to react to each incident in a positive, loving way. Of course, even a Christian does not have to jeopardize a good job or position if a righteous and fair recourse is open, but whatever happens, integrity and honor must be preserved. The desire for revenge should never seize a believer.

A witness may not bear fruit immediately. In fact, in many cases, years pass by before someone acts on a gospel message or witness. Do not ruin the painstaking efforts out of exasperation. These efforts may still pay off some time in the future.

Circulation and Heart

Threats to the cir­culatory system involve excessive bleeding and/or loss of pulse. Blood is often called the liquid of life. Each blood cell carries food and oxy­gen to all the body’s tissue. If the blood supply gets too low, or if the blood’s health deteriorates, this transfer of food stops. In a matter of minutes, death can occur. From a spiritual perspective, sinners may be severely wound­ed by the effects of sin. When the system that gathers nutrients and ingredi­ents that are neces­sary for life stops function­ing, it not only signals imminent death, but healing be­comes quite im­pos­sible.

As we know, the absence of a pulse means the heart has stopped beating. Even with an ample blood supply, or if there is plenty of food and oxygen, life ends when the heart cannot pump the blood throughout the body. A strong heart, how­ever, can keep a person going long after he/she sus­tains other life-threat­ening in­juries. Spiritually, people who lose heart no lo­nger want to keep up the fight. All hope and desire drains from life. With­out the will to win, or the desire to press on, or the convic­tion that things are going to get better, there is noth­ing to do but accept de­feat. In these cases, the spirit­ual param­edic makes every effort to stop the bleeding and get the heart pum­ping again.

Wounds. What can happen to a person to cause deep wounds to the soul? Without trying to over-analyze, it may be useful to classify wounds into three categories.

1. Accidental wounds. “Time and cha­nce happens to all men.” Life itself can sometimes be difficult. People lose jobs, suffer broken relationships, go through financial setbacks, and get hit with any number of disappointments in life. These wounds are painful, but the mind quickly understands the logic and circumstances behind them, and makes the necessary emotional adjustments.

2. Intentional wounds. In contrast to accidental wounds, it is far more difficult to adjust to intentional attacks, such as rape, abuse, rejection, gossip and slander, and other kinds of hurtful behavior. These wounds result from hatred or malice in the heart of ano­ther person. The wound is two-fold. First, the actual surface wound itself causes pain. Se­cond, and maybe even worse, is the deep­er pain of knowing that someone delib­er­ately did it. Instinc­tively, the victim asks not only what happened, but why. The second question is much harder to deal with than the first. Even worse, loved ones such as parents, spouses and children often inflict these wounds.

3. Self-inflicted wounds. Health care experts classify wounds to the physical body according to severity. Burns, for example, are said to be first, second or third degree, depending on the extent of the injury to the flesh. Broken bones get classified into simple or compound fracture categories. Cuts or lacerations may be super­ficial, needing only light bandages, or they may be deep wounds requiring tourni­quets, stitches, or extensive care.

In our application, self-inflic­ted wounds must be judged as a third de­gree. We must not only treat the actual wound itself, but also we must deal with the compl­icated reasons why a person wanted to do this to him­self/herself. The true mo­tives hide in the fog of past hurts, em­otio­nal, psychological and spiritual crises, and ongoing problems. Clear-cut answers seldom emerge fully from this fog. Some­times, as spiritual caregivers, we might feel sure that we understand the problem only to be thrown into chaos by a new twist to the story. Suicide attempts, self-destructive and self-defeating behavior should be un­derstood as self-inflicted wounds stemming from com­plex problems.

How can we best help a victim who has been severely wounded by sin? Physically, a wounded person is in a delicate con­dition. Sudden move­ment, stress on the heart, careless treatment of tender or open flesh wounds will worsen the problem. Likewise, the person in spiritual pain may slam the door to his/her heart quickly if a well-meaning caregiver is insensitive. We cannot overemphasize the fact that awareness, care and sen­sitivity are indispensable.

Love. The simplest defini­tions of love are best in light of our theme. M. Scott Peck makes a powerful point when he says that real love is “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.” The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually en­couraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1:11-12.

This leaves no room for selfishness, manipulation, or any gesture that is not beneficial to the other person’s spiritual well being. What do we mean, then, when we say that a soulwinner must love the person he/she desires to win to Christ? The fol­lowing words come closest to the mean­ing.

Commitment. Commit yourself, not to the whim, favor or goodwill of the person, but to his/her salvation and spiritual healing. While you must use tact and discretion, you should never compro­mise the ultimate solution for the person simply because you fear you might be offensive.

Giving. “For God so loved… that He gave.” Giving grows out of loving. Give of yourself, your time, your moral support, your spiritual strength, even your physical help, if necessary. Guard against being manipulated, however, because there are people who will use anyone they can for their own selfish aims. Tie all your efforts back to spiritual goals for this person.

Unqualified acceptance. Love like Jesus loved. He declined to condemn a woman taken in the act of adultery. He ate in the house of sinners. He permitted Mary Magdalene, a known pros­titute, to wash His feet. He touched a funeral bier, an act forbidden to a rabbi, and raised the widow’s son from the dead. He entered into a cemetery, another act forbidden to a rabbi, in order to raise Lazarus. He let anyone touch him, He healed on the Sabbath, He mingled with the rabble, He continually shocked the religious hierarchy by His unorthodox approach. Yet, Jesus never con­doned sin. He distin­guished between the sin and the sinner, and deter­mined to show that He loved souls who were debilitated and ruined by sin, even while He disdained their sin. ­

Compassion. While love, as a positive emotion, extends from your heart to the person in pain, compassion enables you to receive that pain into your own heart, as though you were the one suffering. In fact, compassion actually means, “to suffer with someone.” When the hurting person looks into your eyes, can he/she see that you are absorbing the pain? Compassion animates your prayer life. Without it, you cannot carry the burden for the lost and intercede for them.

Go to bat for them. When an injured person bleeds profusely, someone must apply firm pressure at the point of the wound. In case life or limb is threatened, tourniquets may be required. A victim can only suffer the loss of blood for a limited time. Help is urgent.

In a spiritual emergency, you may need to step into a crisis that swirls around a person, and take over until you find an im­mediate solution. This may mean keeping someone on the phone until he/she calms down, g­oing to get someone and going out for a soft drink, keeping someone overnight, or helping to work out some other temporary plan to get someone through a crisis. If you have good communication skills, you may need to mediate between this person and someone else. You may need to provide contacts for a person, give him/her transportation, or do whatever is neces­sary to stop the bleeding.

Because this kind of intervention may be awkward, delicate or even dangerous, you ought to keep some guidelines firmly in mind. Never help a person to do something wrong, even if you are begged to do it. In case you are helping a minor, never oppose the parent or guardian unless a crime is involved. Explain that your purpose is only positive and helpful. In marital disputes, take a person in only if you have reason to believe that his/her life or safety is actually in danger. Never give legal, medical or financial advice unless you have profes­sional credentials. Even with these con­straints, however, you can continue to do many practical things that will mean much to the person you want to win to Christ.

Heart.

In order for us to understand the heart from a spiritual perspective, let’s look at the physical organ we call the heart. The human heart is a specialized, four-chambered muscle that maintains blood flow in the circulatory system. Blood supplies food and oxygen to the cells of the body for their life needs and removes the waste products of their chemical processes. Blood also helps to maintain a consistent body temperature, circulate hormones, and fight infections. The brain cells are very dependent on a constant supply of oxygen. If the circulation to the brain is stopped, death ensues shortly.

The role of the heart has long been given elevated impor­tance. The scriptures use the heart to convey the seat of the soul. Other ancient writers thought it was the center of love, courage, joy, and sadness. Primitive man must have been aware of the heartbeat and probably recognized the heart as an organ whose malfunction could cause sudden death.

Metaphorically, if someone “loses heart,” we mean that he/she has no more motivation or inspiration to go on. Someone may be in a race, a fight to save a marriage, a competitive struggle for a position or a job, or even in a battle against a life-threatening disease. Suddenly, this person quits. It is as if somebody turns off the switch and everything grows dark. “I can’t go on” and “it’s no use,” and other negative phrases are heard. This person loses the required strength and willingness to face life. Hope for future goals disappear. Nothing seems like it’s worth the effort. When this happens, one virtually ceases to live.

Without the heart to go on, life either becomes meaningless or impossible. Unsaved people frequently battle with these feelings. Some sink into a sea of melancholia. Others grow cynical about all the people and circumstances around them. Still others retreat into self-pity. If these symptoms reach a severe point, such people may suffer clinical depression. The caregiver should respond with alarm if a person experiences extreme sadness, pessimism, guilt, self-dislike, self-accusation or suicidal ideas, which persist for a long period and interrupt the normal function­ing of life. If so, professional help may be in order. The soulwinner must not play amateur psychologist or psychiatrist.

What should the spiritual caregiver do, then, to help a person who loses heart? Let’s concentrate on three areas: the worthwhile­ness of life, the love of God which involves God’s specific will for each life, and life really does get better with Christ as Lord. In each area, you must give hope, show faith and express your belief in God’s power.

Life is worthwhile . People who lose heart may despair of life. If talk of suicide comes up, counter it firmly by using scriptures, which show that life is God’s gift. Again, unless you are a skilled or professional counselor, avoid getting into the depths of a person’s problems. You will do far better by staying in the province of scripture and prayer.

• “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  Genesis 1:26-27.
• “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderful­ly made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”   Psalm 13­9:14
• “Thou shalt not kill.” Deuteronomy 5:17
• “Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” Job 10:12

Often, a person contemplating suicide seeks for “permission” from someone he/she trusts. That’s why you should show that the Bible expressly forbids it. This places a huge barrier in the way. Next, it is important to show that life is not only worth saving, but it is worth living. These scriptures can help demonstrate this.

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:5, 8-10.

The Love of God. Assure the people you deal with that God’s unselfish, eternal love includes them. While they may not believe that God hates them, they may feel ignored, left out, or that they are non-persons. Without an assurance of God’s love, they have no deep-rooted sense of security or purpose in life. Communicate the following truths:

•   God is love.
•   God uniquely created each person.
•   God loves man in spite of sin.
•   Love caused God to find a way to redeem man from sin.
•   God provides for each person.
•   Every good gift comes from God.
•   God’s love is unsolicited and voluntary.
•   God’s love is unconditional.
•   God’s love is eternal.

As you share these truths, you offer hope, en­couragement and affirmation. Keep in mind that those you talk to may have never had anything but abuse, put-downs and neglect given to them. Your message of love and hope can become a powerful force in their lives. Here are some scriptures that express God’s love to man.

• “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
• “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribula­tion, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35, 39.
• “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” I John 3:16
• “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I John 4:10

The Word of God and your own words, combined with your attention and kind action massage the heart back into activity. When the blood starts flowing, temperature will rise, color will return and the victim will experience a renewed desire for life.

Life always gets better when Jesus becomes Lord. When people are in the grip of pain and despair, they tend to develop negative attitudes about their lives in general. It appears to them that every­thing is bad and getting worse. Present frustrations get blown out of proportion and destroy all hope for the future.

The soulwinner must counteract these negative feelings with the Word of God. Assure this person that his/her life will be vastly different the moment Jesus Christ becomes Savior and Lord. Point out the positive changes that Jesus makes in a believer’s life. Even if this person stubbornly resists such positive talk, do it anyway. Do not back down. A soulwinner must commit to being an unmovable fortress of strength for the benefit of the lost.

Plenty of scripture verses lend themselves to this effort. Learn some of them to help you show a person that his/her life will improve after salvation. Here are a few of them.

• “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:37-39
• “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:9-10
• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30