DEALING WITH THOSE WHO ARE ANXIOUS TO BE SAVED AND KNOW HOW,
BUT WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES
A very large number of persons whom we try to lead to Christ, we will
find are really anxious to be saved and know how, but are confronted
with difficulties which they deem insurmountable.
1. One of the difficulties is, “_I am too great a sinner_.” 1 Tim. i. 15
meets this fully. One Sunday morning a man who had led a wild and
wandering life and who had recently lost $35,000 and been separated from
his wife, said to me in response to my question, why he was not
Christian, “I am too great a sinner to be saved.” I turned at once to
1 Tim. i. 15. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief.” He quickly replied, “well, I am the chief of sinners.” “Well,” I
said, “that verse means you then.” He replied, “It is a precious
promise.” I said, “Will you accept it now?” and he said, “I will.” Then
I said, “Let us kneel down and tell God so,” and we knelt down and he
confessed to God his sins, and asked God for Christ’s sake to forgive
him his sins. I asked him if he had really accepted Christ and he said
he had. I asked him if he really believed that he was saved and he said
he did. He took an early opportunity of confessing Christ. He left the
city in a short time but I was able to follow him. He became a most
active Christian, working at his business day times but engaged in some
form of Christian work every night in the week. He was reunited to his
wife and adopted a little child out of an orphan asylum and had a happy
Christian home. Luke xix. 10 is also a very useful passage to use in
dealing with this class of men; especially useful when a man says, “I am
lost.” You can say, “I have a passage intended expressly for you. If you
really mean what you say, you are just the man Jesus is seeking. ‘For
the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.’” Romans v.
6‒8 is a very effective passage. I stopped a man one night as he was
hurrying out of a meeting. Laying my hand on his shoulder I said “Did
you not hold your hand up to–night for prayers?” He said “yes.” I said,
“Why then are you hurrying away? Do you know God loves you?” He replied,
“You do not know who you are talking to.” “I do not care who I am
talking to but I know God loves you.” He said: “I am the meanest thief
in Minneapolis.” I said “If you are the meanest thief in Minneapolis,
then I know God loves you,” and I opened my Bible to Romans v. 8. “But
God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us.” “Now,” I said, “If you are the meanest thief in
Minneapolis, you are a sinner, and this verse tells that God loves
sinners.” The man broke down and going into another room with me told me
his story. He was just out of confinement for crime; had started out
that very night to commit what he said would have been one of the most
daring burglaries ever committed in the city of Minneapolis; with his
two companions in crime he was passing a corner where he happened to
hear an open–air meeting going on and stopped a few minutes to hear and
in spite of the protests and oaths of his companions stayed through the
meeting and went with us to the Mission. After telling me his story we
kneeled in prayer. Through tears he cried to God for mercy, having been
led by God’s precious promise to believe that God loved a sinner even as
vile as he. Matt. ix. 12, 13; Romans x. 13 (Emphasize “whosoever”); John
iii. 16 (Emphasize the “whosoever”); Isaiah i. 18; 1 John iv. 14; John
ii. 1‒2; Isaiah xliv. 22; Isaiah xliii. 25 are also useful passages in
dealing with this class of men. Isaiah i. 18 and Ps. li. 14 are
especially useful in dealing with men who have committed murder. Never
tell any one that his sins are not great. It is well sometimes to say to
these men, “Yes, your sins are great, greater than you think, but they
have all been settled” and show them Isaiah liii. 6; 1 Peter ii. 24. A
woman once came to me in great agitation. After many ineffectual
attempts she was at last able to unburden her heart. Fourteen years
before she had killed a man and had borne the memory of the act upon her
conscience until it had almost driven her crazy. When she told the story
to another Christian and myself, we turned to Isaiah liii. 6. After
reading the verse very carefully to her, I asked her what the Lord had
done with her sin. After a few moments’ deep and anxious thought she
said, “He has laid it on Christ,” I took a book in my hand. “Now,” I
said “let my right hand represent you, and my left hand Christ, and this
book your sin.” I laid the book upon my right hand and I said: “Where is
your sin now?” She said “On me.” “Now,” I said, “what has God done with
it?” She said “Laid it on Christ,” and I laid the book over on the other
hand. “Where is your sin now?” I asked. It was long before she could
summon courage to answer, and then with a desperate effort she said, “On
Christ.” I said, “then is it on you any longer?” Slowly the light came
into her face and she burst out with a cry, “No, it is on Him, it is on
Christ.” John i. 29; Acts x. 43; Heb. vii. 25, are also helpful texts in
dealing with this class of men.
2. Another difficulty we frequently meet with, is “_I can’t hold out_,”
or “_I am afraid of failure_.” 1 Peter i. 5 is useful in showing that we
are not to keep ourselves but are “kept by the power of God.” John x.
28, 29 shows that the safety of the one who accepts Christ does not
depend upon his “holding out” but upon the keeping power of the Father
and the Son. 2 Tim. i. 12 shows that it is Christ’s business and not
ours to keep that which is entrusted to him and that he is able to do
it. Isaiah xli. 10, 13 are also helpful. Jude 24 shows that whether we
can keep from falling or not, Christ is able to keep us from falling.
2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8; Romans xiv. 4; 2 Thes. iii. 3, are also good texts
to use. 1 Cor. x. 13 is especially useful when one is afraid that some
great temptation will overtake him and he will fall.
3. Another difficulty very similar to the preceding one, is “_I am too
weak_.” With such a person, use 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. Ask him “where is it
that Christ’s strength is made perfect?” When he answers “in weakness,”
tell him “then the weaker you are in your own strength the better.”
Philippians iv. 13 shows that however weak we may be, we can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth us. 1 Cor. x. 13 will show
that God knows all about our weakness and will not permit us to be
tempted above our strength.
4. “_I cannot give up my evil ways or bad habits._” Gal. vi. 7, 8, will
show them that they must give them up or perish. Philippians iv. 13 will
show them that they can give them up in Christ’s strength. It is an
excellent plan to point the one who fears that he cannot give up his bad
habits, to Christ, as a risen Saviour, 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4. A man once came
to me and said: “I come to you to know if there is any way I can get
power to overcome my evil habits.” He told me his story; he had been
converted in childhood but had come to Chicago, fallen in with evil
companions and gone down, and now could not break away from his sins. I
said to him: “You know only half the gospel, the gospel of a crucified
Saviour. Through trusting in the crucified Saviour you found pardon. But
Jesus Christ is also a risen Saviour, 1 Cor. xv. 4, ‘All power is given
unto Him,’ Matt. xxviii. 18. He has power to give you victory over your
evil habits. Do you believe that?” He said, “yes.” “You trusted,” I
continued, “in the crucified Christ and found pardon, did you not?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Now,” I said, “will you trust the risen Christ to
save you from the power of your sins?” “Yes, I will.” “Let us kneel down
then, and tell him so.” We knelt and talked it all over with the
Saviour. When he arose his very countenance was changed. “I am so glad I
came,” he said. Some time after I received a letter from him telling me
how he found constant victory through trusting in the _risen_ Christ.
5. “_I will be persecuted if I become a Christian._” Never tell any one
that he will not be persecuted, but show him from such passages as
2 Tim. ii. 12; 2 Tim. iii. 12; Matt. v. 10, 11, 12; Mark viii. 35; Acts
xiv. 22, that persecution is the only path to Glory. Show them from
Romans viii. 18 that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us. Show them
from Acts v. 41; 1 Peter ii. 20, 21, that it is a privilege to be
persecuted for Christ’s sake. Heb. xii. 2, 3 is useful in showing them
where to look for victory in persecution.
6. “_It will hurt my business_,” or “_I can’t be a Christian in my
present business_.” Point such an one to Mark viii. 36. This will show
him that it is better to lose his business than to lose his soul. After
this thought has been sufficiently impressed upon his mind, show him
Matt. vi. 32, 33 which contains God’s promise that if we put God and His
kingdom first, that He will provide for all our real temporal needs.
Matt. xvi. 24‒27; Luke xii. 16‒21; xvi. 24‒26 are also very effective
passages to use with this class.
7. “_Too much to give up._” Mark viii. 36 will show them that they had
better give up everything than to lose their soul. Philippians iii. 7,
8; Ps. xvi. 11 will show them that what they give up is nothing compared
with what they get. Ps. lxxxiv. 11; Romans viii. 32 will show them that
God will not ask them to give up any good thing; in other words, that
the only things God asks them to give up are the things that are hurting
them. A young woman once refused to come to the Saviour saying, “There
is too much to give up.” “Do you think God loves you?” I answered.
“Certainly.” “How much do you think he loves you?” She thought a moment
and answered, “Enough to give his son to die for me.” “Do you think, if
God loved you enough to give his son to die for you, he will ask you to
give up anything it is for your good to keep?” “No.” “Do you wish to
keep anything that it is not for your good to keep?” “No.” “Then you had
better come to Christ at once.” And she did. 1 John ii. 17; Luke xii.
16‒21 will show them how worthless are the things which they are trying
to keep.
8. “_The Christian life is too hard._” Say to the inquirer, “Let me show
you from God’s word that you are mistaken about the Christian life being
hard.” Then turn him to Matt. xi. 30; Prov. iii. 17; Ps. xvi. 11; 1 John
v. 3, and show him that a Christian life is not hard but exceedingly
pleasant. Then turn him to Prov. xiii. 15, and show him that it is the
sinner’s life that is hard.
9. “_I am afraid of my ungodly companions_;” or “_I will lose my friends
if I take Christ_.” Prov. xxix. 25 will show them the consequence of
yielding to the fear of man and the security of the one who trusts in
the Lord. Prov. xiii. 20 will show them the result of holding on to
their companions, and Ps. i. 1 will show the blessedness of giving up
evil companions. 1 John i. 3 shows how much better companionship one
gets than he loses by coming to Christ.
10. “_My heart is too hard._” Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, will show them that
though their hearts are hard as stone, that will make no difference
because God will give them a new heart.
11. “_I have no feeling._” Ask the inquirer what kind of feeling he
thinks he must have before he comes to Christ. If it is the peace of
which Christians speak, show him from Gal. v. 22; Eph. i. 13; Acts v.
32; 1 Peter i. 8; Matt. x. 32, that this feeling is the result of
accepting Christ and confessing Him, and that he cannot expect it until
he accepts and confesses Christ. If the feeling which he thinks he must
have is the feeling that he is a sinner, then show him by Is. lv. 7 that
it is _not the feeling_ that we are sinners that God demands, _but a
turning away_ from sin. Or, from Acts xvi. 31; John i. 12; that God does
not ask us to feel that we are sinners but to confess that we are
sinners and trust in Christ as a Saviour. Is. lv. 1; Rev. xxii. 17, will
show the inquirer that all the feeling he needs is a desire for
salvation.
It is often times well, however, with this class of inquirers to show
them the passages for “The Indifferent” until they do feel that they are
sinners.
12. “_I am seeking Christ, but cannot find Him._”
Jer. xxix. 13, shows that when we seek him with the whole heart we shall
find him. Speaking with a woman one evening in an after–meeting she said
to me, “I have been seeking Christ two years and cannot find Him.” I
replied, “I can tell you when you will find him.” She looked at me in
surprise and I turned to Jer. xxix. 13, and read “And ye shall seek me,
and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” “There,”
I said, “that shows you when you will find Christ. You will find him
when you search for him with all your heart. Have you done that?” After
a little thought she answered “No.” “Well, then,” I said, “let us kneel
right down here now.” She did this and in a few moments she was
rejoicing in Christ. You can point one who has this difficulty to Luke
xv. 1‒10; xix. 10. These passages show that Jesus is seeking the sinner
and you can say, “if you are really seeking Christ it will not take a
seeking Saviour and a seeking sinner very long to find each other.”
13. “_I cannot believe._”
In most cases where one says this the real difficulty which lies back of
their inability to believe is unwillingness to forsake sin. John v. 44,
is a good passage to use with such a one, or Is. lv. 7. In the use of
the latter passage, hold the man’s attention to the fact that all God
asks of him is that he turn away from sin and turn to Him.
14. “_God won’t receive me_,” or “_I have sinned away the day of
grace_,” or “_I am afraid I have committed the unpardonable sin_.”
The people who honestly say this, are as a rule about the most difficult
class to deal with of any that you will meet. John vi. 37, is the great
text to use with them for it shows that Jesus will receive any one who
will come to him. Hold him continually to that point, “Him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out” and if they keep saying “He won’t
receive me” repeat the text, looking to the Spirit of God to carry the
truth home. Many an utterly despondent soul has found light and peace
through this verse in God’s word. Rev. xxii. 17, is also useful as it
shows that any one who will can have the water of life freely. Is. lv.
1, shows that any one who desires salvation can have it. Is. i. 18,
shows that no matter how great a man’s sins may be still here is pardon.
Acts x. 43, and John iii. 16, that “_whosoever_” will believe upon
Christ will find pardon and eternal life. Romans x. 13, shows that any
one, no matter who or what he is, who will “call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved.” It is well sometimes to turn to Heb. vi. 4‒6, and
Matt. xii. 31‒32, and show the inquirer just what the unpardonable sin
is and what its results are. Matt. xii. 31, 32, shows that it is
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and put it squarely to him, “have you
ever blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?” Heb. vi. 4‒6, shows that the
difficulty is not in God’s unwillingness to forgive, but in the man’s
unwillingness to repent and that any one who is concerned about his
salvation evidently has not committed the unpardonable sin nor sinned
away his day of grace. A little instruction along this line is often
times all that is needed.
15. “_It is too late._”
When an inquirer says this, it is often times well to use 2 Cor. vi. 2,
and tell him that God says, it is just the time. Luke xxiii. 39‒43, is
useful as showing that even at the last hour Jesus will hearken to the
sinner’s cry. 2 Peter iii. 9, will show that His will is that none
should perish, but that He is delaying the judgment that He may save as
many as will come. Deut. iv. 30, 31, is an especially helpful passage as
it says “Even in the latter days” if thou turn to the Lord he will be
merciful. Is. i. 18, and Rev. xxii. 17, can alone be used here.