Aunt B etty
f For you ! i l l i s
and a thousand others faced the “ giants” of their day and reduced them to unremembered and micro scopic specks on history’s pages. The element of true greatness common to each was an irresistible and unmove able faith in a living, miracle-working God. But the Bible is not just a compila tion of conquests for God. It also pre sents a penetrating dissection of the true nature of mankind and therefore offers many a sad account of failure and defeat. Cain fell before the onslaught of the “ giant of jealousy.” Esau bowed the knee to temporal blessings. Sam son was slain by the “Goliath of sensual passion.” Saul was fatally wounded by the “ giant of pride and disobedience.” Ananias and Sapphira died in the cruel grips of covetousness. These are but a few of the tragic de feats pictured in the Word of God. These warnings are given for our edi fication. So we are not alone in our struggle. A great host of witnesses has preceded us. Around the world today there are countless millions of people who are facing the same problems and tempta tions they are engaged in the same determined battle that we are. Col lectively we receive assurance in the immutable promise: “Surely no temp tation has taken you, but such as is common to man, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.” The Giant Unmasked We concede then that there is in the battlefield of every soul a Goliath. He is strong, proud and defiant. Not one atom of true love, humility, or goodness is found in him. He does, however, have the ability to feign and simulate these characteristics. This he does when we are not cowed by his size and strength. The Bible refers to this “Goliath within us” as the “ old man” or the “ carnal nature.” His description is
given in detail that we might the more readily recognize him. The more we know about his strength, the more helpless and hopeless we feel. The more we know about his character, the more we realize that we dare not become his servant. Isaiah, the prophet, describes for us in one verse the all-consuming defile ment of this “ evil one.” He says, “from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises, and putrefy ing sores. These have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” From the sole of his big feet to the crown of his enormous head he is at enmity with God. In him dwells no good thing. This is No Apparition This evil enemy is real — dread fully real. In the lives of some of us he may appear in the form of passion, lust or inordinate affection. In the lives of others he appears in the form of envy, greed and covetousness. In the lives of yet others, his attire is that of pride, self-righteousness, and pious hypocrisy. He may in fact defy our right to a victorious life in any one or all of these forms in the course of a single day. It is little wonder that none less than the Apostle Paul cried out, “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this all- consuming enemy?” David’s conflict with Goliath will shed much light on this question and we will find the answer as we look to David’s greater Son. What then are we to do with this strong one within us who refuses to be subject to the law of God? There is certainly no escape mechanism where by we can avoid him. Furthermore, frustration and despair will follow hard on the heels of the man who hides his head in the sand and pre tends to deny his existence. To be continued (This is one of a series of four articles which may be obtained in an attractive booklet under the title of "The Giant in Your Life/' Fifty cents per copy, from Don W. Hillis, P.O. Box 45, Los Angeles 53, California.)
Talks With Teenagers Dear Aunt Betty: l read in my mother’s “King’s Business” about this column and it sure sounded good for teenagers are getting a lot of bad things said about them in the papers. Christian teenagers aren’t like that but nobody hears about them. W e don’t smoke and drink and wreck buildings and go on wild parties, but they don’t write about that. What l want to know is how to wit ness for Christ. I am a Junior and I play football and sometimes when we are sit ting on the bench, 1 try to talk to the fellows. Generally they say something like this: “ Get a load of Bill! He’s the re ligious type!” Then I get up and pretend I am going to choke the guy that said that and it all turns into a joke. But l didn’t want it to end that way. Can you give me some suggestions? Bill Manhattan Beach M y Dear Bill: If you will get hold of Christian maga zines in your home, your church library, and even in the public library, you will find a good deal written in them about Christian teenagers and the projects for Christ in which they are engaged. But it is true that the worth-while things do not make the headlines as do the spectacularly bad deeds of men, women and young peo ple. Believe me, Bill, you are not alone. There are thousands of teenagers who love Christ and have made Him the Lord of their lives. As to your witnessing: Do not think your witness, even in the incident you mentioned, is without effect. The fellows may have been touched in their hearts and consciences by what you said and cov ered it up with flippant remarks. Your reaction was all right too. However, as a rule, you can witness best to a person when he is not surrounded by a gang. Of course, speak up in a crowd when a word for Christ counts; but real soul winning is most often accomplished when you talk quietly to a person in privacy and show,him the way of salvation from your Bible or New Testament. Pray for your frier Is each day, and have some good Christian literature to give to interested ones. Send letters to this column in care of THE KING'S BUSINESS, 558 So. Hope St., L.A. 17. RULES 1. You must be 13 to 19. 2. You must give name, address and age, but only first name and city will be used. 3. Letters will be regarded as confidential. 4. Letters should deal with problems of Chris tian teenagers.
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