Philemon 1:6 “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
It is possible to tell others about Christ and yet see little or no fruit from it. Others will see a lot of fruit because of their witness. It must always be remembered that God wants to see a large harvest – one as big as possible.
Paul told Philemon that fruit in witness comes from an acknowledgement of what is already in you. He says there are many things (“every good thing”) in you that are capable of bearing fruit.
Of course, He is speaking of the Holy Spirit. He is the One that gives fruit to the glory of God. The many things in us include:
A. The Holy Spirit Who enables us:
- To remember the verses we need to use
- To love the person – not the sin
- To demonstrate the need for salvation
- To draw the individual to Christ in us
- To let the Spirit convict of sin and the need for righteousness
B. Faith that God will work when you witness
A believer interested in soul-winning must have faith that God will use him or her when they witness. In Christian work, it is always “according to your faith be it unto you” (Mt. 9:29). We have His promise that His Word will not return unto Him void (Is. 55:11).
It does not mean that everyone you talk to will be saved – because they will not. But when we are surrendered to God and follow His leading, then He is free to work.
It is also true that the more people you talk to, the more fruit you will see.