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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
September, 1936
c _Around the King’s ‘Tables B y P a u l W. R ood
God’s Book is a living Book, and “ the word o f God is quick, and powerful.” The of the Word ministry that magnifies the Word of God will be a powerful ministry. God has not promised to bless the theories and philosophies o f men, but He has promised to bless His own Word. “ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth : it shall not re turn unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa. 55:11). Faithful teaching and preaching of the Word The Power
Holy Spirit works the miracle o f the new birth through the Word. Men are “ born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word o f God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Pet. 1 :23). Thus, every step o f the way, God, in the person o f the Holy Spirit, honors and uses the Word. Conviction, faith, regeneration, yea, and sanctification, come through the Word. “ Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth” '(John 17:17), said our Lord. Because God’s Word is thus prominent in the work of
will never be without result. The expository preacher wears well and has a fruitful ministry. The Holy Spirit works through the Word. It is important to note what a prominent part the Word has in the salvation o f a soul. The Holy Spirit convicts the sinner of his sin, especially the sin of reject ing Christ (John 16:7-9). We would never know that unbelief or Ghrist-rejection was a sin if this truth were not revealed in the Word of God. Therefore the evan gelist and soul-winner must use the Word in dealing with the sinner so that the Holy Spirit will have an opportunity to show the lost one the exceeding sinfulness of unbe lief. “ For the word o f God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, pierc ing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and o f the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4 :12 ). The word “ discerner” means “ critic,” and in stead o f being critics o f the Word, men should allow the Word to criticize them. A fter the sinner has been made to realize his awful sin o f failure to believe in Christ, he must be led
salvation, should we not use it more? Let the sermon be filled with quotations from the Word, and let every statement be sup ported by a “ Thus saiih the Lord.” Always use the Bible itself in per sonal evangelism, and let the one with whom you are dealing read for himself the passage under con sideration. Remember the Word of God is powerful! the present hour is spiritual dis cernment. Many Christians lack this quality; consequently they give audience to speakers who lead them astray, and they read books and periodicals that are unsafe and misleading. A visit to the average Christian home, and an inspection o f the li brary in that home, will usually re veal that there are books in that library which are teaching false doctrine. When attention is called to these books and their contents, the excuse will be given that they were bought from an agent who said that the books would help the reader to understand the Bible. O n e of t h e greatest needs of God’s p e o p le in Discernment
The BIBLE Other books tell us what men suppose; the Bible tells* us what God knows. Other books tell us what other men, almost as fool ish as ourselves, speculate; this Book tells us what an infinitely wise God, who made us and all things, and consequently knows all things, has inerrantly revealed. This Book makes men wise with the wisdom that is golden, the wisdom that brings eternal sal vation. No one can study this Book aright, no matter how ignorant he may otherwise be, without becoming possessed of that priceless wisdom that means eternal life. No other book has the power to make us ac quainted with God and with His Son, Jesus Christ, that this Book has. Oh, study the Book that brings eternal life; make it in your own experience "the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (Jas. 1:21, R.V.). — R. A. TORREY.
to believe in Him. “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31) was Paul’s injunction to the Philippian jailer. The way of salvation is clearly re vealed in 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.” But how shall faith be created in the sinner’s heart ? The answer logically follows : “ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word o f God” (Rom. 10: 17). As the preacher or personal worker proclaims Christ as_ He is revealed in the Word, the Holy Spirit creates faith in the heart o f the sinner. Faith then comes through the Word. How does regeneration take place? When the sinner beholds Ihe Lamb o f God, and accepts Him by faith, the
The agent was probably a propagandist for a cult or a false doctrine, but the buyer did not investigate the contents, and thus unknowingly introduced poison into the home— reli gious poison that may damn the souls o f the children. Sometimes a conversation will reveal that a Christian is listening to a religious broadcast without realizing that he is allowing the poison o f modernism to enter his home. When reminded o f the danger involved, the individual is likely to reply that the speaker has a fine voice and elegant diction, and that he says many fine things. The Apostle John has a warning to which we should give heed. “ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of G od : because many false proph ets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4 :1 ). This ex hortation shows us that we should not take things for
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