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nail represents Christ. If we use it with the above three tests we find that it can not be crushed, or be de stroyed by. burning, and it ’cannot break. The secret of victory, then, is union with Christ. If we put the nail and the match together, we find that the nail takes the strain. The nail protects it. Faith and love [,the adhe sive strips holding the match to the nail], our faith and His love, hold us to Christ. When that is true we need not fear the world, the flesh, or the devil!” The meeting closed, and I did not know to what use the illustration had counted. * * * The flames of the camp fire pushed the dark shadows back among the trees and lighted the. faces of the young people gathered there for the closing meeting. Chorus after chorus echoed a m on g the over-arching branches as young voices sang His praises. There were mingled expres sions on the faces, brought into relief by the firelight. Here and there was a touch of regret that the time of fel lowship was over, and they must go down to everyday life once more; other faces radiated their joy in the new awareness of Christ and the un limited possessions they had found in Him. But on the face of one, whom I recognized as Millie Davis, hope, in decision, and rebellion struggled for place. I began to pray for her. f Continued on Page 197] SCRIPTURES USED In the accompanying article, the following Scriptures, among others, were used: ROMANS 10:9: ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." ROMANS 10:13: “For whoso ever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight." JOHN 3:36: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." 2 TIMOTHY 1:12: “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." PHILIPPIANS 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
ing about feeling there. If you have believed, you have everlasting life.” She accepted the Word and went away. But I could not silence the question in my heart. Did she really understand? A few days later I had the answer. During the opportunity that was given for testimony, Barbara rose and said, “When I came to this conference I did not know what salvation meant. Then I found Jesus. But even after I had accepted Christ, I did not feel any different, and I doubted my sal vation. That doubt is gone, now. I know I am saved. And that isn’t based on my feelings, either. I know that, should I suddenly be called to stand before God, I could just hold His Word out before Him and say, ‘I know I was a sinner, but I did .what You told me to, I believed, so I know I am saved.’ ” Hearing that clear-cut testimony, my doubt of Barbara’s salvation was gone. But I was still to see what God could do through a young life, even a babe in Christ, fully yielded to Him. * * * “Victory through Christ,” was the subject of the Sunday address. It was the closing day of the conference, and as I thought of what God had done, my heart was full of thankfulness. He had answered that burdened prayer abundantly. Could I ask for more? Yes, for with intensified feeling I yearned over any who, still resisted, who still remained outside the place of perfect trust and surrender. I was using an object lesson to illus trate the thought of victory through union with Christ., “This match rep resents a young person,” I began. “But there are three things in the life of this young person that seek to over come and to conquer him. "First, the world comes in to crush. (I crushed the match.) That young person could not stand against the temptations of the world. He was crushed and defeated. "Second, the flesh strikes and sets aflame. (I struck the match and let it burn out, showing the worthlessness of the charred remains.) If young people allow the »flesh—lust—to get the best of them, ruined lives are the result. "Third, the devil seeks to conquer and to destroy-. In many subtle ways he accomplishes this—ways that may seem worthwhile in themselves. But those who obey him, for whatever mo tive, are broken. (I snapped another match in half.) "But, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.’ This
shadow stealing across her expressive face. ‘‘It was because I was afraid. Jane, my girl friend, and I have been going with two boys, but we knew we shouldn’t be going with them. Every time we went out I was afraid, des perately afraid. Because of my fear, and because I was so dissatisfied with my life, I came up here to see whether I could find something better. The Lord opened my eyes just in time,” her voice faltered. “This came this morning. It’s from Jane.” As I read the'letter she handed me, it seemed that a cold wind blew across my heart, and I felt chilled through and through. The horror of the words beat their way into my mind—stark words that were brutal in their impli cation of a night’s temptation and' yielding, and of a young life’s ruin, “That would have happened to me,” Carol said deliberately, taking the letter again, “if I had gone on as I had started. But praise God, He found me in time. I have tried to find peace in the world, but it only left me with a lonely heart. But Christ has come into my heart, now, and I feel that I am just beginning to live.” She turned quickly to hide her tears, and hurried away. * * * Barbara Blake was the next to find Christ. When I knew what her back ground had been—her father a good- for-nothing drunkard, her mother a churchgoer but definitely unsaved— I marveled at the way the Lord had led that the girl should be in that group to be reached by His voice. I was to be yet more amazed. “How can I be saved?” she asked one afternoon, from a heart moved to want the peace and assurance of sal vation.- Again using Romans 10:13, I ex plained the way of salvation as sim ply and clearly as I could. She lis tened eagerly. Unhesitatingly, s h e knelt and took the Lord as her Sav iour. But when she rose from her knees, a puzzled look crossed her face. “I don’t feel any different,” she said, disappointment t i n g i n g her voice. “Am I really saved if I don’t feel different?” “We must stand on God’s Word alone,” I explained, showing her the Scriptures and praying that her belief and trust in the Saviour was a real one. “ ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight,’ ” I quoted. “ ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’ You see there is noth
In one week, fifty-five young people found the answer to a problem that months of mere churchgoing had not given.
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