King's Business - 1969-09

faith and his heart was strangely warmed. This man, who had tried to find God for years, at last met Christ in a personal way; became a mighty servant o f God; and helped to change the whole course o f history in England and in many other countries o f the world. It is necessary to remember that wonderful promise, “ For by grace are ye saved through fa ith ; and that not o f yourselves: it is the g ift o f God: not o f works, lest any man should boast.” 1 It is not enough for us to invite Christ into our lives. God honors faith— faith in the fact that He prom­ ised that if we would open the door, He would come in. It is not enough to give intellectual assent to His Word, nor to have some emotional experi­ ence. There must be a change down inside — a change o f heart. There must be a commitment o f the will before Christ will come into our lives. I f you have never said to Christ, “ I do receive You as my Saviour,” I encourage you to do so right now. Then, on the authority o f His promise, thank Him that He has come into your life. For the rest of your life, thank Him that He is there, fo r He promised never to leave you nor forsake you. The Bible says, “ I f we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 2 The word confess, in the original language, means to agree with God. What do I do when I agree with God? First, I acknowledge that what I have done is wrong. When the Spirit o f God says to me, with that still, small voice, “ I am grieved with your conduct, your attitude,” I can know that what I have done is wrong. God is holy. God does not look with favor upon sin. He loves the sinner, but He hates the sin. When I confess (agree with God), I acknowl­ edge that sin is wrong and that it is grievous to the lo rd . Second, I acknowledge, according to He­ brews, chapter 10, that the sin which I have com­ mitted has been paid for at the cross. There is nothing that I can add to what Christ has done for us as God’s sacrifice for our sins. Third, I thank Christ for dying for my sins. Fourth, I re­ pent — which means that I change my mind and my conduct. I turn from doing what I have done that has displeased God to doing what He wants me to do. No man can be used o f God who refuses to confess his sin. The Bible says, “ I f I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” 3 Jesus commanded the disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but His last words to them were for them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. He said: “ But ye shall receive power after that the THE KING'S BUSINESS Second« Be sure that there is no uneontessed sin in your liie. Third« Be sure that you are tilled with the Holy Spirit.

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W i t n e s s in g in t h e a» p i n t by W illiam R . Bright T h e b e is n o t h in g in this world more exciting than the adventure o f sharing Christ with others. Over a period of .years, I have asked two questions o f tens o f thousands o f people in many countries o f the world — old and young, rich and poor, famous and average: (1) “What is the greatest experience o f your life?” The answer o f Christians always has been, “ To know Christ as my Saviour is absolutely the most important experience o f my life.” (2) “What is the most important thing that you can do to help another person?” Again, the answer is always the same: “ Help him to know Christ.” Every sincere believ­ er knows that he should share his faith in Christ with others, but very few are doing it. I meet many students o f the Bible who are not happy. I meet people who spend time daily in protracted prayer, yet they are not experiencing the abundant life. But I have never yet met a per­ son who is sharing Christ regularly, as a way o f life, in the power and control o f the Spirit, who is not radiant with joy. How can we experience an abundant life in Christ and share our faith more effectively with others? I should like to share with you a scrip­ tural formula which, if followed carefully, will help you to be fruitful for God for as long as you live. Flrali Be sure that you are a Christian. There are millions o f people who are active in the church, but who are not sure that they are Christians. They may hear a stirring sermon; be moved by some experience o f life; and pray again and again, “ Lord Jesus, come into my life” ; but they are never sure that God hears their prayers; and thus, they are never sure o f their salvation. John Wesley, one o f the great servants o f God, did not become a Christian, according to his own words, until his life-changing experience at Alders- gate. There, he read Martin Luther’s treatise on

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