How to bring men to Christ 10

How to bring men to Christ 10

6. _Always hold the person with whom you are dealing to the main point

of accepting Christ._ If he wishes to discuss the claims of various

denominations, or the question of baptism, or theories of future

punishment or any other question other than the central one of his need

of a Saviour and Christ the Saviour he needs; tell him that those

questions are proper to take up in their right place and time, but the

time to settle them is after he has settled the first and fundamental

question of accepting or rejecting Christ. Many a case has been lost by

an inexperienced worker allowing himself to be involved in a discussion

of some side issue which it is utter folly to discuss with an

unregenerated person.

 

 

7. _Be courteous._ Many well–meaning but indiscreet Christians by their

rudeness and impertinence repel those whom they would win to Christ. It

is quite possible to be at once perfectly frank and perfectly courteous.

You can point out to men their awful sin and need without insulting

them. Your words may be very searching, while your manner is very gentle

and winning. Indeed, the more gentle and winning our manner is, the

deeper our words will go, for they will not stir up the opposition of

those with whom we deal. Some zealous workers approach those with whom

they wish to deal in such a manner that the latter at once assume the

defensive and clothe themselves with an armor that it is impossible to

penetrate.

 

 

8. _Be dead in earnest._ Only the earnest man can make the unsaved man

feel the truth of God’s word. It is well to let the passages that we

would use with others first sink into our own souls. I know of a very

successful worker who for a long time used the one passage, “prepare to

meet thy God,” with every one with whom she dealt, but that passage had

taken such complete possession of her heart and mind that she used it

with tremendous effect. A few passages that have mastered us are better

than many passages that we have mastered from some text book.

 

The reader of this book is advised to ponder, upon his knees, such of

the passages suggested in it as he decides to use until he himself feels

their power. We read of Paul that he “ceased not to warn every one night

and day, with tears.” (Acts xx. 31.) Genuine earnestness will go farther

than any skill learned in a training class or from the study of such a

book as this.

 

 

9. _Never lose your temper when trying to_ _lead a soul to Christ._ Some

persons are purposely exasperating, but even such may be won, by

patience, forbearance and gentleness.

 

They certainly cannot be won if you lose your temper. Nothing delights

them more, or gives them more comfort in their sins. The more extremely

irritating they are in their words and actions the more impressed they

will be if you return insults with kindness. Often times the one who has

been most insufferable will come back in penitence. One of the most

insulting men I ever met afterwards became one of the most patient,

persistent and effective of workers.

 

 

10. _Never have a heated argument with one whom you would lead to

Christ._ This always comes from the flesh and not from the spirit. (Gal.

v. 20, 22, 23.) It arises from pride and unwillingness to let the other

person get the best of you in argument. Refuse to argue. If the one with

whom you are talking has mistaken notions that must be removed before he

can be led to Christ quietly and pleasantly show him their error. If the

error is not essential refuse to discuss it and hold the person to the

main question.

 

 

11. _Never interrupt any one else who is dealing with a soul._ You may

think he is not doing it in the wisest way, but if you can do it any

better, bide your time and you will have the opportunity. Many an

unskilled worker has had some one at the very point of decision when

some meddler has broken in and upset the whole work. On the other hand,

do not let others, if you can help it, interrupt you. Just a little word

plainly but courteously spoken will usually prevent it.

 

 

12. _Don’t be in a hurry._ One of the great faults of Christian work

to–day is haste. We are too anxious for immediate results and so do

superficial work. It is very noticeable how many of those with whom

Christ dealt came out slowly. Nicodemus, Joseph, Peter and even

Paul—though the final step in his case seems very sudden—are cases in

point. It was three days even after the personal appearance of Jesus to

Paul on the way to Damascus before the latter came out into the light

and openly confessed Christ. (Acts xxii. 16.) One man with whom slow but

thorough work has been done, and who at last has been brought out

clearly for Christ, is better than a dozen with whom hasty work has been

done, who think they have accepted Christ when in reality they have not.

It is often a wise policy to plant a truth in a man’s heart and leave it

to work. The seed on rocky ground springs up quickly but withers as

quickly.

 

 

13. _Whenever it is possible and wise, get the person with whom you are

dealing on his knees before God._ It is wonderful how many difficulties

disappear in prayer, and how readily stubborn people yield when they are

brought into the very presence of God himself. I remember talking with a

young woman, in an inquiry room, for perhaps two hours and making no

apparent headway; but, when at last we knelt in prayer, in less than

five minutes she was rejoicing in her Saviour.

 

 

14. _Whenever you seem to fail in any given case go home and pray over

it and study it to see why you failed._ If you have been at a loss as to

what scripture to use, study that portion of this book that describes

the different classes we meet and how to deal with them and see where

this case belongs and how you ought to have treated it. Then go back if

you can and try again. In any case you will be better prepared next

time. The greatest success in this work comes through many apparent

defeats. It will be well to frequently study these hints and suggestions

to see if your failures come through neglect of them.

 

 

15. _Before parting from the one who has_ _accepted Christ, be sure to

give him definite instructions as to how to succeed in the Christian

life._ The following are points that should be always insisted upon.

(a.) Confess Christ with the mouth before men every opportunity you get.

Rom. x. 9, 10; Matt. x. 32, 33. (b.) Be baptized and partake regularly

of the Lord’s supper. Acts ii. 38, 42; Luke xxii. 19; 1 Cor. xi. 24‒26.

(c.) Study the Word of God daily. 1 Pet. ii. 2; Acts xx. 32; 2 Tim. iii.

13‒17; Acts xvii. 11. (d.) Pray daily, often and in every time of

temptation. Luke xi. 9‒13; xxii. 40; 1 Thes. v. 17. (e.) Put away out of

your life every sin, even the smallest, and everything you have doubts

about, and obey every word of Christ 1 Jno. i. 6, 7; Rom. xiv. 23; Jno.

xiv. 23. (f.) Seek the society of Christians. Eph. iv. 12‒16; Acts ii.

42, 47; Heb. x. 24, 25. (g.) Go to work for Christ. Matt. xxv. 14‒29.

(h.) When you fall into sin don’t be discouraged, but confess it at

once, believe it is forgiven because God says so and get up and go on.

1 Jno. i. 9; Phil. iii. 13‒14. It would be well to give these

instructions in some permanent form to the one whom you have led to

Christ. You can write them out or get a little tract called the

“Christian Life Card” published by Jno. C. Collins, Bureau of Supplies,

New Haven, Conn. This contains them and some other matter.

 

 

16. _When you have led any one to Christ, follow him up and help him in

the development of his Christian life._ Many are led to Christ and then

neglected and get on very poorly. This is a great mistake. The work of

following up those who are converted is as important as the work of

leading them to Christ, and as a rule no one can do it so well as the

person whom God used in their conversion.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XIII.

 

THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

 

There is one condition of success in bringing men to Christ that is of

such cardinal importance, and so little understood, that it demands a

separate chapter. I refer to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Acts i.

5; Luke xxiv. 49 (comp. Acts i. 8), and Acts ii. 4, we have three

__EXPRESSION__s; “baptized with the Holy Spirit,” “endured with power from

on high” and “filled with the Holy Spirit.” By a careful comparison of

these and related passages we will find that these various __EXPRESSION__s

refer to one and the same experience. This experience we shall see as we

proceed in the study of this subject is an absolutely necessary

condition of acceptable and effective service for Christ.

 

 

1. WHAT IS THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

 

1. _It is a definite and distinct operation of the Holy Spirit of which

one may know whether it has been wrought in him or not._ This is evident

from the fact that Jesus bade His disciples tarry in Jerusalem until

they had received this enduement, (Luke xxiv. 49, comp. Acts i. 8), and

if it was not a definite and distinct operation of which they might know

whether they had received it or not, of course, they would not know when

this command of Christ had been complied with and when they were ready

to begin their witnessing.

 

 

2. _It is an operation of The Holy Spirit separate from His regenerating

work._ This appears from Acts i. 5, where the disciples are told “ye

shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” But from

Jno. xv. 3; xiii. 10 we learn that the disciples were already

regenerated. It appears also from Acts viii. 15, 16 where we are told of

certain who had already believed and were baptized with water, but upon

whom the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen. The same thing is shown by Acts

xix. 1‒6, where we are told of certain who were disciples, but who had

not received the Holy Spirit since they believed. _One may then be

regenerated by the Holy Spirit without being baptized with the Holy

Spirit. Such an one is saved but he is not yet fitted for service._