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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1938
The answer will be quite general in character, for it'has never dawned upon the inner conscious ness of many Cath olics that the Lord Jesus did anything for them personally and individually. Your friend prob ably will not be able to tell you the name of any one. Your next ques tion will be, “ Do you su p p ose He was d y in g there for you and for your sins?” The reply will be, “ Oh, yes, for me and fo r e v e r y body.” You might then inquire, “ Did His death do you any good? Do you get any blessing from it, or did Jesus die in vain as far as you are concerned?” At this point your Catholic friend will be extremely puz zled, and. if he is honest, he will be distressed. I have found that right here at this very place, you may turn the heart of this
it?” By this question you will learn whether the person is quite satisfied with what he has or whether there are some doubts in his mind as to the value and efficacy of the faith which he has accepted. Quite often this type of question will do more to un cover the hunger of the heart than will any other. It is well to remember that you are to be friendly and helpful toward the person you are seeking to win. Come to these friends in the spirit of seeking to be their servant in this matter of relieving the dis tress of the heart. People will not open their minds and hearts to those who ap proach them merely as religious agents or professional preachers or teachers of spirit ual dogmas. Every human heart hungers in some way for a sympathetic person to whom he may confide his innermost desires. You must be that friend, else you will not win the one you are seeking to approach. Make very kindly inquiries concerning the faith wThich this friend professes to hold. Ask all kinds of questions about his belief, his attitude toward the Bible, his feelings about the Lord Jesus Christ, his view of spiritual truths in general. It is not necessary for you to tell him your thoughts at this junc ture, but it is absolutely necessary for you to discover his thoughts. Most people will tell you freely what is going on in their minds if they are approached in a kindly and humble and earnest spirit. Coming to th$ Root of the Matter If you find that your friend does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal, living, powerful Saviour, you may ask questions concerning important points in the view which he holds. Here are some sample questions: To a Mormon: “ Is it true that one of the doctrines of your church is that sins are put away by- baptism administered by one of your auth orized leaders?” The answer will be “ Yes.” You will then ask, “ Does baptism put away all of the sins from the cradle to the grave?” His reply will be that it does not, but only puts away the sins up to the time of baptism. Your next question will be, “ How are the sins to be put away which have been committed since the baptism ? And what happens to the person who dies without having been baptized just at the time of death in order to be sure that all the sins are washed away?” ‘ The Mormon has no sufficient answer for this question. You have not burdened him with any statements of your own faith, but you have made it necessary for him to explain the efficacy of his own doctrines. If he is honest, he will ask you for help about this serious matter. To a Roman Catholic: These friends are occupied with a Christ on the cross dying for sinners. Ask the friend, “ For whom did Christ die?” The answer will be, “ For sinners.” You will then ask, “ Can you give the name of any particular sinner for whom Jesus died on the cross?”
Fhoto by H. Armstrong Roberts
Sunny days . . . quiet talks . . . What an opening for long conversations about the Saviour who can heal every heart!
that there is such a Person in the universe. To thè indifferent one: You will find out quickly whether or not your friend is interested in spiritual things if you say, “ There is a wonderful speaker at such a church. Would you like to attend with me this evening? I will come to get you. I believe he will interest your heart in spiritual matters.” The reply of the careless man will be, “ I have no interest at all in religion. There are so many kinds of religion that no one can know which is right. They are antag onistic to each other and preach things that are opposite, and I care nothing whatever to be tangled up in such a mess. Religion is all right for those who want it, but I am quite happy without it.” On some occasions it might be well to open the inquiry with, “ Do you carry a Bible with you? What is your favorite method of studying it?” The answer will come very quickly. “I never read it because I am not religiously inclined. I got plenty of religion at home and had it stuffed down my neck until I got weary of it. I love the things of this world, and my religion is that ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’.” The more this friend says to you about himself, the more easy it will be for you to place him in his proper category and therefore to find the correct remedy. To the zealous one in a false cult: Those who have forsaken the truth of [ Continued on Page 271]
friend to a personal faith in Christ by pressing the personal value of Christ to the heart, providing of course he has a heart hungry for peace. To the Atheist: You may not know that the one to whom you are speaking is an atheist, but a ques tion after this order will elicit that infor mation: “ Are you a thankful man, express ing your thanks to the living Lord for all His kindness to you?” In just a moment you will know whether this individual believes in God and is friendly toward Him, or whether he does not. He probably will come right out at once and say, “ I do not believe that there is a God. I certainly do not believe in a God that would permit all the suffering and injustice that exist in the world today.” This answer reveals at once the unbelief and the hostile attitude of the one with whom you are conversing. You might ask this friend, “ Is it not wonderful that God should make us to enjoy nature and then make nature to satisfy us? The flowers are so beautiful to the eye and so fragrant to our sense of smell; these are given us to rejoice our hearts. Fruits and greens and vegetables are given to us as well as meats to sustain and strengthen our bodies. Coal and oil are deposited in the earth to supply our need of warmth in the winter time. Do you not think our God is wonderful in thus providing so richly for us?” The reply to this will give evidence that your friend’s heart hates God or else denies
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