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THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
September 1925
P ra c t ic a l M e thod s o f P e rsona l W o rk
F o r “Defenders o f th e F a ith ” T. C. H orton
SEVENTY YEARS A DEFENDER A dear saint, living in Los Angeles, who has recently enrolled, w rites as follows: “I am g la d to s a y I h a v e b e e n a ‘D e fe n d er o f th e F a ith ’ fo r a lm o s t s e v e n ty y e a r s , b e in g b orn in 1841 a n d ‘b orn a g a in ’ b y th e S p irit o f G od in 1859. “I h a v e r e c e iv e d T h e K in g ’s B u s in e ss a n d th e ‘a m m u n itio n ’ w h ic h y o u h a v e s e n t m e a n d am tr y in g to d o m y lit t le b it b y d is tr ib u tin g th e le a fle ts w h ic h I k n o w w ill b e n e fit th o s e w h o rea d th em . Y o u rs in th e M a ster’s s e r v ic e , M rs. L . J .” AN IR ISH DEFENDER “I w is h to e x p r e s s m y th a n k s fo r th e » am m u n ition ’; a ls o , th e th a n k s o f m y m o th e r a n d b ro th er. “T h e e n r o llm e n t b la n k s w e h a v e p a s se d on to o th e r C h r istia n s, w h o h a v e to ld u s th a t th e y a r e d e lig h te d w ith th e lite r a tu r e s e n t.” A CANADIAN DEFENDER “O ne o f y o u r ‘D e fe n d e r s o f th e F a ith ’ h a s b een th e m e a n s o f g r e a t ly in t e r e s t in g m e in th e w o r k , a n d I am e n c lo sin g , h e r e w ith , m y e n r o llm e n t co u p o n . I am h o p in g n o w to be a b le to g e t s u g g e s tio n s fr o m y o u w h ic h w ill e n a b le m e to r e a c h so m e o f m y r e la tiv e s w h o a r e n e a r a n d d ea r, a n d w h o m I g r e a t ly d e sir e to s e e b ecom e C h r istia n s.” These are all real'so ld iers, “ diligent in business, serving the Lord,” passing on the' good news and endeavoring to get others to enlist. We are praying th a t every “Defender” may get the vision (John 4:35, 3 6 ): ' “ L ift u p y o u r e y e s , a n d lo o k on th e H elds; fo r th e y a r e w h ite a lr e a d y to th e h a r v e st. “A n d h e th a t r e a p e th r e c e iv e th w a g e s , a n d g a th e r e th fr u it u n to lif e e te r n a l; th a t b o th h e th a t s o w e th a n d h e th a t r e a p e th m a y r e jo ic e to g e th e r .” If you who are reading th is have not already enlisted, tu rn to page 394 NOW, fill out the coupon, send it in, and you will receive your ammunition and suggestions for this most blessed service. LESSON F IFTEEN How to Deal w ith Roman Catholics There can be no soul saving w ith out soul sacrificing. One reason for our lack of success in th is work is our lack of sincerity. We are thinking of this work as a kind of holiday affair ra th e r th a n a holy day sacrifice. We are w anting to win men w ithout work ing for them . We would be glad to see them saved, b u t would not w ant to pay any g reat price for th e ir salvation. We read of Moses saying, “Yet now if thou w ilt forgive th e ir sin ;— and if hot blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book” (Exodus 3 2 :32 ). You hear P au l saying: “ I have g reat heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish th a t I. were accursed from Christ for my breth ren , my kins men according to th e flesh” (Rom. 9: 2, 3). The Saviour prayed w ith strong cry ing and tears. Soul w inners must know soul sorrow for th e lost. They must have compassion for the Christ- less. Dr. J. H. Jow ett says, in speaking on Col. 1:24: “The Gospel of a bleed ing h eart demands the m inistry of bleeding hearts. As soon as we cease
“W e k n o w th a t w e h a v e p a s se d fro m d e a th u n to lif e , b e c a u s e w e lo v e th e b r e th ren . H e th a t lo v e th n o t h is b ro th er a b id e th in d e a th .” (1 John 5 :4 ): “W h a tso e v e r is born o f G od o v e r - c o m e th th e w o r ld ; a n d th is is th e v ic to r y th a t o v e r c o m e th th e w o r ld , e v en our fa ith .” (3) Show how th e sinner becomes a sain t through the new b irth (John 1 : 12 ) : . “B u t a s m a n y a s r e c e iv e d h im , to th em g a v e h e p o w e r to b ecom e th e so n s o f G od, e v e n to th em th a t b e lie v e o n h is n a m e.” (1 Pet. 1 :2 3 ): “B e in g b o rn a g a in , n o t o f c o rr u p tib le se e d , b u t o f in c o r r u p tib le , b y th e w o rd o f God, w h ic h liv e th a n d a b id e th fo r e v er .” Use also (Jas^ 1:18) and (Eph. 1: 1 ; 2 : 1 ). (4) Show th a t salvation is not by works (Rom. 4 :5 ): “B u t to h im th a t w o r k e th n o t, b u t b e lie v e th on h im th a t ju stifie th th e u n g o d ly , h is fa ith is c o u n te d fo r r ig h te o u s n e s s.” (2 Tim. 1 :9 ): “W h o h a th sa v e d u s, a n d c a lle d u s w ith a h o ly c a llin g , n o t a c c o r d in g to our w o r k s, b u t a c c o r d in g to h is o w n p u r p o se a n d g r a c e , w h ic h w a s g iv e n u s in C h rist J e s u s b e fo r e th e w o r ld b e g a n .” (Eph. 2:8, 9 ): “F o r b y g r a c e a r e y e s a v e d th ro u g h fa ith ; a n d th a t n o t o f y o u r s e lv e s : it is th e g if t o f G od: N o t o f w o r k s, le s t a n y m a n sh o u ld b o a st.” (5) Show th at, the children of God have the joy of assurance (John 10: 27-29): “M y sh e e p h e a r m y v o ic e , a n d I k n o w th em , a n d th e y fo llo w m e: a n d I g iv e u n to th em e te r n a l lif e . A n d th e y s h a ll n e v e r p e r ish , n e ith e r s h a ll a n y m a n p lu c k th em o u t o f m y h an d . M y F a th e r , w h ic h g a v e th em m e, is g r e a te r th a n a ll; a n d n o m a n is a b le to p lu c k th em o u t o f m y F a th e r ’s h a n d .” (Acts 13:38, 39 ): “B e it k n o w n u n to y o u th e r e fo r e , m en a n d b reth ren , th a t th r o u g h th is m a n is p r e a ch ed u n to y o u th e fo r g iv e n e s s o f s in s : A n d b y him ' all* th a t b e lie v e a re ju stifie d fr o m a ll th in g s , fr o m w h ic h y e c o u ld n o t b e ju stifie d b y th e la w o f M o ses.” (6) Emphasize the necessity of con- fession^r-in the first place confessing th e Lord Jesus Christ before men (Rom. 10:9, 10 ): “T h a t i f th o u s h a lt c o n fe s s w ith th y m o u th th e L ord J e su s, a n d s h a lt b e lie v e in th in e h ea rt, th a t G od h a th r a ise d h im fr o m th e d ea d , th o u s h a lt b e sa v ed . F o r w ith th e h e a r t m a n b e lie v e th u n to r ig h t e o u s n e ss ; a n d w ith th e m o u th c o n fe s sio n is m a d e u n to s a lv a tio n .” and in the second place, confessing one’s sins to God (1 John 1 :9 ): “I f w e c o n fe s s o u r s in s , h e is fa ith fu l a n d ju s t to fo r g iv e u s ou r s in s , a n d to c le a n se u s fr o m a ll u n r ig h te o u s n e ss .” (Luke 1 5 :2 1 ): (7 ) Show th a t th e re is b u t one Mediator (1 Tim. 2 :5 ): “F o r th e r e is o n e G o d ,.a n d o n e m e d i a to r b e tw e e n G od a n d m en , th e m a n C h rist J e s u s .” (8) Encourage the reading of God’s Word (John 5 :3 9 ): “ S ea rch th e .S crip tu res; fo r in th em y e th in k y e h a v e e te r n a l lif e : a n d th e y a re th e y w h ic h t e s t if y o f m e.” The Bible is no t addressed to the priests, but to the common people. •
to bleed, we cease to worry. As soon as we cease to bleed, we cease to bless. Does the cry of th e world’s need pierce the h ea rt and ring even through the fabric of our dream s? Do we fill up our Lord’s sufferings w ith our own sufferings, or are we the unsympathe tic m inisters of a m ighty passion? The m inisters of Calvary must supplicate in bloody sweat, and th e ir intercession must often touch the point of agony.” In our m idst th ere are a large num ber of persons claim ing to be Chris tians who know little or nothing about th e Lord Jesus, and nothing about the joy of assurance. (1) Some Roman Catholics are good Christians, although many are of course, unsaved, ju st as th ere are many unsaved members in P ro testan t churches. The business of the per sonal worker is not to attack the er ro rs in the Roman Catholic church, bu t to show them th e tru th , and the erro rs will take care of themselves. Remember th a t the Roman Catholic church in stru cts th e children from earliest infancy and indoctrinates them in its teaching so th a t they say “If we have th e children un til they are seven years of age, we care not who has them afte r th a t.” They are tau g h t th a t P ro testan ts are unregenerate and lost people,-^-so th a t if you begin by m ak ing an attack upon the church, you are likely to antagonize them , ra th e r th an help them. This is one of th e places where you w ant to be as wise as a ser pent, and as harm less as a dove (Matt. 10 :16 ). Remember also th a t th e Roman Catholic church has a m easure of tru th . They believe in th e Scriptures and the church, bu t believe th a t the church has the rig h t to in te rp re t the Scriptures. They believe in Christ as th e Son of God, and in His atoning blood; bu t they do no t believe in ju s tification by faith alone, and they really give a la rg e r place to th e Virgin Mary th an they do to Christ. • (2) Show the necessity of th e new b irth (John 3 :3 -7 ): “E x c e p t a m a n b e b orn a g a in h e c a n - n o t s e e th e K in g d o m o f God, M a rv el n o t th a t I sa id u n to th e e , Y e m u st b e b orn a g a in .” Show w hat the new b irth is (2 Cor. 5 :1 7 ): “T h e r e fo r e i f a n y m a n b e in C h rist, h e is a n e w c r e a tu r e ; o ld th in g s a r e p a sse d a w a y ; b eh o ld , a ll th in g s a r e b ecom e n e w .” Prove to them th a t baptism is not the new b irth by having them read 1 Cor. 1:14: “I th a n k G od th a t I b a p tiz e d n o n e o f y o u , b u t C risp u s a n d G a iu s.” Then use Acts 8:13, 21-23 to show th a t the baptism of Simon did not regenerate him. If one has experienced the new birth he will have evidence of it (1 John 3:9, 14): ‘W h o s o e v e r is b orn o f G od d o th n o t c o m m it s in ; fo r h is s e e d r em a in e th in h im ; a n d h e c a n n o t siq , b e c a u se h e is b orn o f God.”
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