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T H E K i N f i ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1938
meet one who through an erroneous atti tude has missed being at peace with God. Take plenty of time to learn all that you can about this friend’s innermost feelings and thoughts. By listening—not cross- examination— find out his attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ, toward the Bible, toward Christians, toward preachers, to ward missions, and toward the church. Do not correct him at all in anything that he says until you are ready to handle the case entirely. It is better for you to take two weeks where this is possible to discover all you can about your friend rather than to try to interpose your own thoughts and arguments and objections at the beginning. A thorough diagnosis of the case will make the treatment rather easy. You can quote what he said to you as the reason for your giving the answer you do. You can take each of his statements and compare them with the Word of God, always assuming that down deep in his heart he recognizes the Word of God to be God’s own revela tion. Let your friend know that you believe in his honesty of purpose and his true de sire to be properly,informed and to be in a right attitude toward God. Give him the benefit of being a true seeker after the real truth. It may be that he is not, but if you deal with him as an enemy, you may never win him. You must give him the benefit of the doubt as you diagnose the case. When you touch the sore spot in the the ology of any friend, he will “ holler.” T ry to find these sore spots; see what it is that has captured his attention and won his con fidence. With this information in your hand, you will know just what answer to make and what remedy to apply. If you find that the friend suddenly becomes antagon istic to you while you are talking with him, change the subject to something that is more pleasant and to a subject in which you know he is interested, and upon which you can converse without controversy. In this way you will quiet the heart, regain his confidence, and in some wise way re turn to the subject which you desire to present. Remember you aré out to win the person and not to win arguments. Make the person the object of your search. (To be continued) A Biola “ Go Forward” banquet was held in the Melrose Baptist Church of Oakland, Calif., on Saturday evening, April 30. About two hundred people were in attend ance, and Henry E. Burke as toastmaster conducted a splendid program. Christian leaders who spoke enthusiastically of Biola’s contribution to the cause of Christ included Edwin S. Johnson, pastor of the Mission Covenant Church, Oakland, Calif., Paul Casswell, pastor of the Free Church, Ber keley, Calif., and Arnold C. Grunigen, Jr., Chairman of the San Francisco Bay Area Christian Business Men’s Committee. The Ambassadors Quartette, composed of young men now attending the Institute, gave sev eral musical numbers, and Paul W . Rood, President of the school, gave the final mes sage of the evening. On Sunday afternoon, May 1, a Biola rally was held in the Oakland Auditorium. Biola “ Go Forward” Campaign in Oakland
The Salvation Army Band gave a half-hour program, and a union choir under the leadership of Woodrow Rood brought two selections. The Ambassadors Quartette again revealed their versatility in a group of instrumental and vocal numbers. Dr. Rood gave the message to the largest audi ence he had ever addressed in Oakland, and Mr. Johnson and Mr. Burke stirred the listeners to great enthusiasm as they spoke o f Biola’s spiritual service to the evangelical churches of the present day. Many friends subscribed to Biola’s “ Go Forward” Campaign, and the school owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Burke, who is chairman of the Biola “ Go Forward” Cam paign committee in the East Bay region,
and to all who were associated with him in making the banquet and rally successful.
Biola’s World-W ide Prayer Circle C h r ist in a J. B r a s k a m p , S ecretary Saturday, June 11, marks the second anni versary of Biola’s W orld-W ide Prayer Circle. God has been pleased to send numerous blessings to the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles during the past year in answer to the continual stream of prayer ascending to Him. T o inaugurate another year of this blessed, most worth-while ministry, this day has been set apart for a day of prayer, beginning at 10 :0 0 a . m . at the Bible Institute.
G irls ' Que ry Corner Conducted by M y r t l e E. S co tt
Dear Miss Scott: Your letter in , the Corner last October telling a girl how to be saved helped me greatly, but I still need help in regard to doubts. I went forward in a meeting and joined the church when I was quite young, and so far as I could understand, I believe I truly accepted Christ. I know the way of salvation and truly believe on Jesus, and I am quite active in the church, but some times I have many doubts as to whether I am saved or not. Do other people have that same trouble? I have two little children and want to do the right thing for them, but how can I help them when I do not know whether I am saved myself? One thing that makes me doubt my salva tion is that I have many sinful habits and faults that it seems to me I would not have if I were a Christian. I lose, my temper and do many things that surely a Christian w’ould not do. I have tried very hard at times, then have failed, with the result that I get discouraged and seem indifferent for a long time until I get stirred up again. I do not know what makes me this way. Tell me plainly— do you think I am saved? — D iscouraged . Dear Discouraged: You might be surprised to know how many letters have reached my desk in the past few weeks showing that others are meeting with the same problem that troubles you. Satan does his best to keep us stirred up with doubt and unbelief. However, the Word of God has made the way plain for us so that we may know where we stand. Your concern should not be whether I think you are saved or not, but rather a desire to know on the authority of the Word of God (not the testimony of feeling) whether or not you have passed from death into life. A mere intellectual belief in Christ —a mental assent to the fact that He died for the sins of the world in general— can avail nothing as far as one’s personal salva tion is concerned. But if you truly believe on Him with your whole heart, trusting Him as your own Saviour, you can claim John 5 :24 and can know you have everlast-
*.ing life as your present, personal possession. God wants us to take Him at His Word. If you have done your share, you can rest assured He has done His part. Believe Him with the simple childlike faith with which your child believes you. You must be sure to seek the Lord with your whole heart, however. That includes repenting o f and turning from sin. “ The; soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20). We must make no allowance for sin nor treat it lightly. As long as you live, you must be ready to fight Satan, but we can be “ more than conquerors” through Him that loved us (Rom. 8:37). “ Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14). Perhaps you will recognize your photo graph in the picture of a defeated Christian life as given in Romans 7. Read this whole chapter which shows the failure and despair of a Christian earnestly trying in his own strength to live a Chris'tian life. Do not stop until you have read Chapter 8 to learn how he found that the secret of victory was walking in the Spirit. You are insufficient in yourself to deal with the desires of fleshly human nature. What you have found you cannot do, God the Holy Spirit can do in you. Do not ask the Lord to help you, but ask Him to do it. Yield yourself in full surrender to the Lord, and let Him search your heart to show you any hidden sin. Ask Him to cleanse and fill your heart and to live through you. That does not mean that you yourself have nothing to do about it. You must will to put off sin and must take your stand against evil, keep out of the way of tempta tion, be much in prayer, and be careful to obey the Spirit’s leading. God will re buke but never will discourage. Discourage ment is the work of Satan. Refuse to give way to it. Spend much time with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. Turn to Him quickly when temptation comes, and claim Him as your present victory. Be ever ready with a testimony and praise to your God. The Holy Spirit will bear witness with your spirit that you are a child o f God (cf. Rom. 8:14-16).
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