PersonalEvangelism By T. C. Horton
give t he lie to their profession. Show them t he exceeding sinfulness of such a life as in lesson IV. (2) If truly converted ascertain if possible t he cause of their backsliding. This -frill p ut you in touch with them, and greatly aid you in dealing with t h em. The main causes of backsliding are failure to read the Wo r d, neglect of prayer, f a i l u re to confess a nd abandon known sin, a cold f o rmal church, the worldliness of professed Christians, and sometimes leaders in Ch u r ch work, the cherishing of some secret sin and failure to do Christian work. (3) You will invariably find a real backslider filled with unrest. This mu st be so logically. You k n ow t h at and so deal with t h em accordingly. 1. Use for deep conviction J e r emi ah 2:17. " Th i ne own wickedness shall convict thee and t hy backsliding shall reprove t h e e—k n ow t h e r e f o re a n d see t h at it is an evil t h i ng and b i t t e r ." This is a mighty verse and the Spirit will send it h ome with power. Follow this with Jer. 2:5, and 2:13. 2. Show how t he t e n d er love of God goes out t owa rd H is wayward children and how He longs for their fellowship, by using Jer. 3:12-14; Isa. 43:25-44:22. 3. I Jno. 2:1-2 will show t h em t h at Jesus is their intercessor pleading for them, and I Jno. 1-9 the way to perfect peace. F o r your illustration use Lu ke XV. This whole chapter is a message to the backslider. T h e Lo fd Jesus is t he Shepherd, who goes out a f t er the way- ward sheep and never comes back until He finds him. The Holy Spirit as the woman who looks f or the lost coin until she finds it. The F a t h er is God our F a t h er whose h e a rt is full of love for the wa n d e r i ng boy. He is on the look- out for hifti and the boy is t he backslid- er whose own wickedness h as convicted him and who h as found backsliding an evil and bitter t h i ng and who know- i n g ' t he good things t h at are in the F a t h- er's house, goes back and receives a wonderfully gracious reception. F a t h e r, Son and Holy Spirit all work- ing together for the one purpose. Sounds of rejoicing wh en t he sheep is b r o u g ht back, when t he coin is found and when t h e prodigal returns. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38-39.
F or successful soul saving work t h e re needs to be the sticktoitiveness quality. Many people are quite enthusiastic about a personal workers' class who never en- t h u se in personal work. Solomon says, "Wh a t s o e v er thy h a nd findeth to do, do it with thy m i g h t ," Eccl. 9:10. And Moody says, "Be t t er say, 'this one t h i ng I do,' t h an to say, 'these fifty things I dabble in.' " Th e re a re b ut few soul winners in the Church and yet soul win- n i ng is t he wo rk committed to the Church and the work for which the Holy Spirit desires to qualify every believer. You can be a soul winner if you will. If you a re not you are failing in t he one t h i ng which above all others should and does characterize the t r u e follower of the Lord J e s us Christ, who came to seek and save t h at which was lost. An essential quality in the soul win- ner is humility. A grave danger con- f r o n t i ng t he personal wo r k er is a tend- ency to spiritual pride and pharisee- ism. Beware of this subtle temptation of Satan. The fact t h at the Lord h as graciously condescended to save us and h as given us a desire for t he salvation of others should h umb le us in t he dust. By His g r a ce we are saved and by His grace we are kept. Rejoice in it a nd glorify H im by reason of it, but do not t a ke any credit to yourself on account of it. Th e re is a very large class of people to wh om the Spirit will send us in our work of personal evangelism. They are people who a re identified with the Church by membership but who have lost their first love. The scripture calls t h em back-sliders. Those who have t u r n ed back or away. Th e re a re t h r ee classes of persons un- der this head. 1. Those who profess to have been saved b ut who were never born again. 2. Those who were really saved but who have become cold and indifferent. 3. Those who are truly penitent and are anxious to know t he way of r e t u rn to t he Lord. Deal lovingly b ut firmly. Rememb er your own experiences in this respect and how o f t en you have been backslidden in h e a rt and the bitterness of it. (1) Ascertain whether the inquirer h as ever been truly converted, remem- bering t h at ma ny are in the Church who have never been born into the Kingdom. If you find they have not, deal with t h em as hypocrites and imposters whose lives
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