Proverbs 11:30 Commentary and Bible Study

The believer is now considered from the perspective of the eternal gain that his life brings. Think of a tree that produced fruit which had the power to give eternal life to all who ate it; who would not come to eat of it? The righteous man or woman, including their words, their acts and their whole life is a tree of life, replacing that tree which was lost in Eden. Christ pre-eminently is this tree, and the Christian is a tree by virtue of him. Every believer is a witness to this lost world, and to the extent that he appreciates his salvation, he wishes others to share the same blessings. He therefore bends his whole life to this end, and it is then a major part of righteousness that it is directed towards the salvation of human souls. What else is there in this world which will be of value in the world to come? That world and its eternal endurance should determine the value of all things in this life. What is passing away is of no comparative value and if there is anything that will last and not be obliterated by the final conflagration, then that must be considered as something of far greater worth than all around it. The soul of man has the potential to live for ever and will do so when touched by the saving power of the Holy Spirit. What can we do as individuals to achieve this? We must make everything we do to communicate knowledge of the gospel, to live consistently by its principles, to avoid putting a stumbling block in the way of others, and to actively choose to be a soul winner. Souls are said to be won because conversion brings them into a new, stable and irreversible relationship with the Lord which guarantees future blessings. As a man is said to win a wife, wooing her with tokens of love and as an athlete wins a prize through competitive skill, so souls are taken or won. Nothing can be won without deliberately setting a goal to do so, and focusing all our efforts on this goal. The wisdom involved is from above, for the world does not understand the value of the soul. This is why this sinful world is allowed to continue; this is why the believer is left in the world after conversion. Each one of us can be a worker in this harvest and there is no shortage of work, but time is short.