SOUL WINNING AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

That is the next principle. What did Jesus say to Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit when he came to him by night? The wind, he said, blows where it desires. You hear the sound of it but you cannot tell where it goes or where it comes from. By that he means that the Spirit of God is sovereign. You never know where he is going to work. You never know what kind of person he is going to choose and bring to life. But apart from that quickening work of the Spirit it is useless to try to win someone to Christ. It is only as the Spirit of God touches and blows upon them that they are prepared to receive the word of life. Now I grant you that the elect, or the heirs of salvation (or whatever term you may want to use) do not go around with a red spot in the middle of their forehead or a yellow stripe down their back or any visible sign that identifies who they are. That being so, we must always sow our seed "by every water" as the scripture says, and there is no harm in making a probing attempt in any circumstance to talk with someone about Christ.
But learn to recognize that if there is no response, if it's rebuffed for the moment, you don't need to press the matter. In other words, witnessing is not grabbing someone by the coat lapel, backing them into a corner and arguing them into the faith. That kind of tactic has driven many away.