Proverbs 24:11-12 gives us the picture. It reads as follows: “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’ Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” What is the picture of evangelism and witnessing that can be developed from these verses?
The unsaved people around us are like blind-folded people with black blindfolds so that they cannot see. They are near high deadly cliffs all around them and could fall off at any time just by wandering off in the wrong direction. They are being drawn towards death by furtherance in sin and by the oncoming of the day of their death. We Christians are not blind-folded, but rather we see their danger and because we see and know the danger they are in, it is our obligation (it is incumbent on us) and it is the response of love (which we should have) to warn them of the cliff — of hell and the lake of fire — eternal damnation and to tell them that only by repenting and believing and receiving the Lord Jesus can they escape “falling off the cliff” — i.e., death and damnation. Through regeneration their blinders will be removed and their sins will be forgiven.
Proverbs 24:11b says “hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.” This implies that unbelievers do not know where they are going – because they are blind-folded (i.e., spiritually unenlightened or blinded) and they are unstable. We believers should try to stop them — even if they are angry with us because they don’t know the terrible tragedy and horror that awaits them if they go to hell. They might say “Leave me alone — let me go — I don’t need your help or God.” But they are blinded and ignorant and so we ought to try still to convince them because they do not know what they are doing or saying. In the end we and God honour every person will but we should try to make the strongest and most powerful appeal to try to persuade them to turn to Jesus.
Proverbs 24:12 states that we should not make excuses about not warning the lost because we do know better. God knows that we know about the dangers of the lost. If the dangers of the lost are not real to you then pray to God for it to become a reality.
Go out in the world, in your neighbourhood or circle of acquaintance and love people — care for them and warn them of the danger they are in. Then tell them the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ask them to repent and receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.