November 1927
T h e
706
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
What N ico la itan ism Does For Us B y C harles E . R obinson Springfield, Missouri
5 HE Lord Jesus commended the church at Ephesus because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, adding, “which I also hate.” One of thè indict ments he brought against the church in Per- gamos was that there were some among them who held the doctrines of the Nicolaitanes, and again He added, “which thing I hate.” It is said that the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes (a doc trine now almost universally recognized as sound) is that there are two kinds of saints, the ministry and the laity— the priests and the people. Accepting that as the truth, it is not to. be wondered at that Jesus expressed His dis approval of such teaching in such strong language. In the beginning, wfien the church was just starting out, everyone in it made it his business to witness to the sin ners of his acquaintance what a wonderful Savior he had. Therefore.when they were scattered abroad they went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8 :4). Doing this way, although the progress of the church was op posed by the utmost power of a great government, the cause of the Lord went forward by leaps and bounds, until it seemed it was actually going to take the world. It was an exemplification of the old adage that many hands make light work, as well as of the truth that God’s ways are best. Now, when it began to be said, and the church finally announced, that the laity was an inferior branch of the church, subject to the ministry or priesthood, who were superior, it was only a step, to the further belief that the ministry was ordained of God to lead men to Christ and the laity were to come to them for spiritual food, and each one try to make his way, by the assistance of the ministry, to heaven. So the feeling of responsibility that in the beginning actuated the l,aity as well as the ministry to go into all the world, witnessing, and telling the Gospel of the good news that Jesus saves from the power of sin and evil habits .and heals from disease, diminished until it well nigh vanished. Can anyone wonder that Jesus, who could foresee just what that doctrine of the Nicolaitanes would lead to, should say, “’which thing I hate”? It has palsied the arm of the church and is probably the most masterly stroke ever landed by Satan upon the body of the church. To W hom A re W e P r ea c h in g ? We are preaching in our pulpits, telling the good news ; but whom are we telling ? The sinners to whom we would preach are not there. True, a few of them are there, but the vast majority of them have not come. They have gone to the show, the dance, the party, the joy ride, the picnic, the ball game or somewhere ; at least they have not come to hear us tell them about Jesus. Sinners can be found almost anywhere who have not heard for years anyone witnessing that Jesus, is a real Savior. Sinners by the hundreds of thousands are being allowed to go absolutely unhindered down to hell. When I was twenty-seven years old I made an effort to get my old father saved. At that time he said to me, “You are the first man who ever tried to induce me to repent of my sins.” He was not peculiar in that. My experience teaches me that there are men almost anywhere who have had a similar experience with
the people called Christians. Whether they are Christians, when they let sinners drift past them into hell without lift ing a finger to prevent it, is another question. God expects every saint to be a soul-winner. A man who is saved loves Jesus, and, knowing how Jesus yearns over every sinner and wants him saved, the Christian who loves Him will show that love by doing what he can to induce that sinner to lay down his arms of rebellion and surrender to Christ. Jésus said to His Father, “A s thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” “Ye are my witnesses,” and you are to witness in the power of the Spirit both to those near at hand and afar off. You (plural pronoun)' are to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, i.e., proclaim or pub lish the good news, to every creature. Not everyone is to go into all the world, and not everyone is to proclaim the good news to every creature ,j|but everyone is to contin uously publish the tidings to everyone in his own world. God calls some specially to go fo rth .spending all their time publishing the good news. They witness to all they can reach, far and near. Possibly there are not just now more than thirty or forty sinners in my world, and So it is in your world. But God’s plan is for me to witness to those thirty or forty, and you witness to your thirty or forty, and then as fast as they are saved let them each witness to their thirty or forty. If the saints of your assembly, dear reader, would begin right now going forth and each one hunting up every sinner in his list of acquaintances and faithfully witness ing to him, trying to get him to come to Jesus, what would be the result? Anyone can see that the mightiest revival that ever visited your community would break out. Many hands make light work. Let the pastor, take the place to which he is really called, that of overseer or supervisor of the workers who are seeking the lost, encouraging, guid ing, inspiring, assisting the workers in getting people saved, A vast ingathering of soûls would be the result. O ur N ecessary E q u ipm e n t Before we start, however, let us think of some neces sary things. You will remember Jesus told them to first tarry in Jerusalem. Not the preachers alone, mark you, but all the saints, preachers and people just alike, because they were all alike to go forth witnessing, and exhorting people to give up to God, and so they all needed power. When you go to a sinner and begin witnessing to him, that is, begin telling him what Jesus does for you, be sim ple and straightforward. Tell him that Jesus has taken away your feeling of guilt, has made you happy, has delivered you from the desire for wealth, for shows, for tobacco, for the praise of men, and so on and on. Your daily life must be such that the sinner shall not be able from his knowledge of your life, to give the lie to your words. If he could do that, it were better for both you and him if you kept yoür mouth shut. So if there is anything left in ypur life which is but of harmony with the kind of a testimony you would like to give to the sinner, tarry there in earnest self-abasement and deep consecration until that thing is gotten rid of. By the way, that samë thing that would hinder your going to the sinner successfully,
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