T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1938
240
Summer vacation months offer to the Christian oppor tunities for unhurried conversations with unsaved friends and strangers. From wide experience as a physician and soul-winner, Dr. Wilson shows how those who know God ’s Word and the plan of salvation revealed therein can diagnose spiritual needs and apply G od ’s remedy under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You Be the Doctor By WALTER LEWIS WILSON, M.D. Kansas City, Missouri
with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout eternity?” The answer will show the in dividual’s heart attitude toward the person of Christ. And this is most essential for the subsequent handling of the case. Those who are in Group 4 will reply quickly in the af firmative. Perhaps those in Group 2 will say “ Yes” also, for they are not opposed to Christ but are seeking to know Him, are seeking to be saved by methods and means quite contrary to the truth of God. Still another attitude of heart may be revealed by asking the question, “ Is your faith in religious things quite satisfactory to you, enough so that you would recom mend your faith and belief to me for me to die on it and go out into eternity with
ourselves? W e shall find that many cases may be grouped in a general way as fol lows : First, there are those who are quite antagonistic to anything that savors of Christianity. Such a one was Pharaoh, who did not know God, did not want to know God, and was antagonistic to the very thought of God. Second, there are those who apparently are seeking the things of God but are wrongly informed, badly taught, and sometimes wickedly taught. They are not antagonistic to God, but they are seeking to find God along paths that lead only to the dark. Such were the Sad- ducees. Third, quite a number will be found who are just disinterested. They have no antagonism toward G od; neither
PART I M aking the D iagnosis H a v e you fo u n d the Lord Jesus
so wonderful that you lo n g that others may know your precious Sav io u r ? D o you wistfully imagine that you might bring oth ers to Him if you knew ho Dr. Wilson do they have a hunger for God. They are of the world and love the world and have no interest in spiritual things. Gallio was such a case (cf. Acts 18:17). Fourth, you fre quently will encounter those who compose a very large group, those who have been reared in a Christian atmos phere and attend o rth o d o x churches, have believed gen erally in orthodoxy but have never personally appropriated the Lord Jesus Christ. These are attempting to save them selves by good works plus an orthodox belief. These will be found on every hand. Questions that Probe Kindly By wise questioning you will learn quickly where your friend stands with re gard to these four attitudes of heart. You might ask him the question, “ Do you believe in the things of G od? Are they attractive to you?” The answer which you receive will place this subject quickly in one of the above-men tioned groups. His reply will indicate his attitude of heart. It w ill r e v e a l at once whether he is friendly to spiritual things or whether he has a hostile spirit. Another helpful question is this: “ Do you expect to live the life-giving power of God’s W ord are supremely important, there are many little practical methods that can aid the Chris tian’s testimony. In this series of three arti cles which will appear in three issues of T he K ing ’ s B usiness , we shall attempt to present to our readers some aspects of soul winning which will be profitable in the blessed business of winning hearts for our Lord Jesus Christ. This first o f the series w ill be occupied with how to make a diagnosis of the case. W e shall attempt to discover the need of the heart and soul that we are attempting to attract to our Lord, in order that we may know the line of truth to present and the Scripture portions to use in dealing with the individual heart. The second article will be occupied with the presentation of the proper truths to suit the kind of case that we have discovered. The success of our work will depend largely on a correct diagnosis of the per son’s need and then a proper presentation of the remedy that has been indicated. The third discussion in the series will suggest wise ways of handling “ patients” who do not wish to take the “medicine” that we offer to them. Sometimes, without omission of the essential remedy, the dose may be changed or the prescription altered to adapt it to the whims and ideas of the one with whom we are dealing. This mat ter will be taken up in the third and last in the series of articles. Classifying the Case How can we ascertain the condition of the heart of the one to whom we address In the Doctor’s “Bag” For the Condition of the Heart: “ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). *‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psa. 51:10). For Soul Thirst: “ Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink** (John 7:37). “ Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlast ing life** (John 4:14). For Extreme Weariness: “ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest** (Matt. 11:28). “ There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God** (Heb. 4 :9 ). For Distress of Mind: “ Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). “ Christ died for our sins”
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