Power for witnessing

Front matter

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Chap

Shelf.

Preface

If the reader is, like the Athenians of Paul's day, searching for "some new thing" in the form of a "new doctrine," this little book will doubtless disappoint him, for it is put forth more as a teacher of diligent doing than as a discussion of doubtful doctrine.

He will have no difficulty in knowing the doctrine, who is willing to do the doctrine. "If any man willeth to do His will he shall know of the teaching." John 7:17, R. V.

Since the book is more an exhortation to doing than an exposition of doctrine, no apology is offered for the style adopted of personally addressing the reader. The writer but describes two phases of his experience in saying that he who is ashamed of his hope will find personal work embarrassing, and will find it more to his liking to deal in "glittering generalities;" while he whose "hope maketh not ashamed" will be constrained to urge it upon others by personal appeals.

The message of the book is the Spirit's answer to the writer's heart-cries for power for Christian living and labor. And from direct contact with people in evangelistic work in nearly every state and territory in the United States, he has learned that his heart's cry was but one in a chorus of cries which will be heard from honest hearts in every land by Him whose life and lips proclaim the answer.

PREFACE

The only excuse for devoting so much space to "first principles'' is that there is so much space for them in the experience of the people. It makes no difference how tall or how talented men and women are, or how long they have preached or professed, if they "have need of milk and not of strong meat," milk they must take until they are stronger; and neither the one who ministers the milk nor the one to whom it is measured, should attempt to avoid the necessity of nursing.

It is the plan of God that ministers as well as others shall "grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth." And as one grows it is difficult to hold back that last deep soul-stirring truth, and continue to minister bottles of milk to babes in Christ. But it must be done. If it is not done the minister with the stronger meat may find himself marveling at the multitude which follows the man who ministers the milk.

This book is for the common people. When it falls into the hands of one whose experience is broader than the book, let it be handed to some more needy soul.

Contents

PAGE

I. The Preparation 7

II. Something to Tei^t 9

II Something To Tell

"What shall we do?" said the multitude on the day of Pentecost. "Repent," said Peter. If Peter had not himself repented, he could not have witnessed to the necessity of repentance. He who would be a witness that God gives forgiveness of sins, and the Holy Ghost,

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must first be a witness that God gives repentance. If he is weak in his repentance he will be weak in all his witnessing. For tfiis cause many are weak and sickly among us. It is humbling to repent, and many try to escape this humbling as much as possible, not knowing that in so doing they are refusing the necessary qualifications for witnessing in power.

That the reader may be impressed with the fact that an experience necessary to witnessing to repentance, must precede witnessing to both forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let the following scripture be noted carefully: —

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand ... to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things"

Thus the apostles declare that they are witnesses that God gives repentance. Reader, are you a witness that God gives repentance? This experience lies at the foundation of all witnessing. Are you prepared to tell in your own home, and in your neighbors' homes, and before the assembled congregation, that God gives repentance? If you are not, then the first thing to do is to repent. If you will but receive repentance and forgiveness of sins, you may receive the Holy Ghost to enable you to witness in power to what you have received. For the Holy Ghost is given to bear witness that your witness is true.

Notice the way the Scripture reads: "Him hath God exalted with His right hand ... to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost,

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whom God hath given to them that obey Him/' The Lord, therefore, gives the Holy Ghost to them that obey Him, that He may unite His witness with theirs that God gives repentance and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.

Of what shall we repent? — Repent of sin. What is sin? — "Sin is the transgression of the law." Your repentance will be measured according to the measure of your sin, and your sin will appear exceeding sinful only as the Holy Spirit shall flash the light of the spiritual law upon your life.

"That sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Rom. 7:13. "I had not known sin, but by the law T ; for I had not known coveting [R. V.] except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. " Rom. 7:7. "The law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Rom. 5:20.

There will be no exceeding, abundant receiving of repentance and forgiveness of sins and of the gift of the Holy Ghost where there is not a magnifying of the law whereby sin is made to "abound" in the life and to "appear exceeding sinful."

But all this the Lord has pledged Himself to do. The work of the Holy Ghost is to "convince the world of sin," and He can be depended on to do His work. The Lord through His Spirit is giving repentance. But have you received it and repented? "Only acknowledge thy transgressions," — those sins which you know to be sins, — the Lord will see to it that your repentance is complete. It is useless for the Lord to reveal additional sins while ycu are refusing to acknowledge and turn from those already revealed.

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Some persons complain of a lack of conviction, but if they would respond to what conviction the Lord has already given, they would receive conviction of sin as fast as they were able to bear it. The Lord "lighteth every man that cometh into the world." "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you." Walk in the light, and ye shall have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.

Ill

"FORGIVENESS OF SINS"

Forgiveness of sins, like repentance, is something which the Lord gives, and which we must receive. "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

Before any one can receive the witnessing power from on high, he must be able to witness to the gospel truth that God forgives sins. But no one can witness to this truth unless this truth is truth in his life at the time of witnessing. The Holy Spirit will not furnish power to make a man's witness convincing when the fruit of the man's life gives the lie to the fruit of his lips. If the witness is not living in the knowledge and enjoyment of sins forgiven when he is trying to tell others to receive forgiveness, the Holy Ghost will not bear witness to his testimony, because the witness is not himself qualified to bear witness. And this is the reason why so many who occupy the witness stand, in the pulpit and in the pews, are so weak in their witnessing. They do not speak as those having authority, but as the scribes.

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If they actually witnessed to the truth, they would have to tell that they were still living under the condemnation of sin.

But why will men live under continual condemnation when the Lord is so anxious to give them forgiveness of sins?

Substantially the following conversation took place in the home of a middle-aged woman, where the writer had been invited to help her find the Lord: —

Woman — I want to know that my sins are forgiven.

Minister — Have you confessed your sins?

W. — Yes, hundreds of times.

M. — Are you a professing Christian?

W. — Yes, I have been a member of the church for forty years.

M. — And never knew that your sins were forgiven? W. — Never.

M. — Let us kneel down here and ask God once more to forgive, and let us pray in faith.

We knelt and prayed. Her prayer was earnest, her confession heartfelt. When we arose the conversation was continued thus : —

Minister — I am glad that the Lord has forgiven your sins.

Woman — I hope He has.

M. — But do you not know that He has? Have you not confessed your sins?

W.— Yes.

M. — And does not the Lord promise that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness?

W.— Yes.

M. — And you have confessed your sins?

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W.—Yes.

M. — Then, according to the word of the Lord, you are forgiven, are you not?

W . — That is just what I have been wanting to say for forty years.

M. — Don't you believe the Bible?

W. — Yes, certainly.

M. — Well, does not the Bible say that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins? W.—Yes.

M. — Do you believe that Scripture?

W.— Yes.

M. — Have you confessed your sins?

W. — Yes, over and over again.

M. — Then, according to the word of the Lord, you are forgiven, aren't you?

W. — That is just what I am afraid to say.

M. — But does not the Lord say that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins?

W. — That is what He says.

M. — What do you say? Dare you say that what He says is not so? Dare you say that you are not forgiven? W. — No, I dare not say that.

M. — And you are afraid to say that you are forgiven? And you have lived in that state of mind for forty years? W.— Yes.

M. — Are you sure you have confessed all your sins? W. — I have confessed all I know.

M. — Would you confess another sin if it was shown you?

W. — Most certainly.

M. — But do you not know that your refusal to believe God is sin? The Word says, "He that believeth not

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God hath made Him a liar" (i John 5:10). Now stop calling God a liar, and believe that He forgives your sins. Let me help you over this Rubicon before which you have been standing in doubt for forty years. Say with me, "The Lord has forgiven my sins."

W. — The Lord has — I am afraid.

M. — Let us start again. The Lord has for-

W. — I am afraid.

M . — But you must believe God or perish. Let us back up and start in again. The Lord has forgiven —

W. — I can't go any farther, let us pray.

And again we prayed, and prayed earnestly for deliverance from sin and unbelief, for the case was a desperate one. Again we arose from prayer. And again I repeated the words in concert with her, and this time she followed me through, and then broke out in tears of joy over sins forgiven, a joy that she might have experienced forty years before, but for unbelief.

One has put it thus plainly and simply: —

"You can not atone for your past sins, you can not change your heart, and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins, and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfil His word to you. If you believe the promise, — believe that you are forgiven and cleansed, — God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe.

"Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, T believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised/ "

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IV Ye Are My Witnesses

After the devil had been cast out of the dweller among the tombs, he wanted to get into the boat and accompany his great Deliverer, but the Master said to him, "Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received Him; for they were all waiting for Him. Christ was leaving the neighborhood because the people asked Him to leave. However, He left behind Him a living witness of His power and compassion. He knew the people would hear this man, because they had known him before he was delivered, and could see how great things the Lord had done for him. He would prepare the way for the people to receive the Lord when He returned.

God has planned to save sinful men by the testimony of their fellow-men. He has planned it this way because it is the best way. One reason for this is stated by another, thus: —

"Many are perplexed with doubt, burdened with infirmities, weak in faith, and unable to grasp the unseen; but a friend whom they can see, coming to them in Christ's stead, can be a connecting link to fasten their trembling faith upon God."

The reason why the class or testimony meeting is often so poorly attended is that there are so few who have an experience worth telling. This is also the reason

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why so many complain of their embarrassment when called upon to witness for Christ.

"How many potatoes did you raise this year?" asks one farmer of another. "None to speak of," is the reply. He does not speak of his potato crop because he has none to speak of. And this is the reason why many do not speak of their experience; they have no experience to speak of.

Reader, if you do not have an experience to speak of, get one. If you already have an experience worth speaking of, then speak of it. "Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord." Speak of it first in "thine own house" and then to your neighbors. God wants to use your testimony to save them. Your testimony will reach sinners when the Bible will not. "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the Word, they also may without the Word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." i Peter 3:1, 2.

"Ye are the light of the world," says Christ. It is not the written Word that is the light of the world, because the world does not accept it. It is the Word made flesh that is the light of the world. Of Christ, who was the Word made flesh, it is written, "The life was the light of men." The written Word is a light to the Christian, but the Word made flesh is the light of the unbelieving world. It is the testimony of one in whom the Word is made flesh, that the Spirit confirms with power for the conversion of sinners. One has stated this truth thus forcibly :—

"After healing the woman, Jesus desired her to acknowledge the blessing she had received. The gifts which the gospel offers are not to be secured by stealth

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or enjoyed in secret. So the Lord calls upon us for confession of His goodness. 'Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.'

"If we have been following Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell concerning the way which He has led us. We can tell how we have tested His promises, and found the promises true. We can bear witness to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, for w T ant of which the world is perishing.

"Our confession of His goodness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old, but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. . . . These precious acknowledgments to the praise and glory of His grace, when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power for the salvation of souls. "

The reason, dear reader, why your testimony will be "more effectual" than the written testimony of the holy men of old, is because these holy men are dead and you are cfe<? ; and God's plan for reaching an unbelieving world is through the testimony of living witnesses. The holy men of God lived and witnessed in their day, and the record of their lives is a light to the believer, but the unbeliever must have the life-light of a living witness- — the witness of the Word made flesh.

Reader, can you not see the value and importance of witnessing for Christ? It is your testimony which the Lord wishes to use to save your family and friends. Then tell your experience just as fast as God gives it to you.

Your experience is given you to tell. Tell it in your

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home and in your neighbors' homes. Tell it in the congregation. But be sure that it is backed up by a consistent life. Don't hide that comforting experience in your heart and rob the world of its comfort.

"I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy loving-kindness and Thy truth from the great congregation." Ps. 40:10.

He who believes God, he whose heart holds a comforting experience, will declare it. If one refuses to confess with his mouth, he gives evidence that he does not believe with his heart. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 10:9, 10.

It is blessed to have a good experience, but it is more blessed to give that experience to others. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." This I have found to be true in my experience. My greatest joy is found in giving to a sinning world the experiences which the Lord is giving me.

If there is anything that the devil fears it is the testimony of a truly converted, Spirit-filled man. It is this that overcomes the enemy of truth. "And they overcame him with the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." Rev. 12:11.

Among those who stood and listened in the rear of a congregation of three thousand people was a minister who was not victorious in his. life. At first, as he afterwards related, he questioned the speaker's confident

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boasting in the Lord and His power to save, but as the witnessing continued, he believed, and said to himself: "Brother Ballenger is a man subject to like passions as I am. If God can save him, He can save me." At the close of the service he sought a secluded spot in the grove, and there gave himself to God, and sought and found the victory for which his soul hungered. This is but one of a multitude of cases where the writer's humble witness has been used by the Spirit to lead the listener to believe in and receive God's power to save to the uttermost. And this personal experience is related here to encourage the reader to bear faithful testimony to every experience gained through faith. As you read this little work and receive help from the Lord, tell it. Tell it in your home; tell it in your neighbor's home; tell it at prayer-meeting; and if you have time, write it to the author, in care of the publishers. The chief joy of the Christian worker, who has turned his back on the joys of the world, is to hear of some one whom his words have helped to a better life. "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." This joy of heaven is shared by the earth-accredited ambassador of heaven.

"Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how 7 great things Jesus had done unto him. And it came to pass, that, when jesus was returned, the people gladly received Him; for they were all waiting for Him."

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V

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN RECEIVING REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS

At this point the writer asks of the reader the blessed privilege, and it is a blessed privilege, of bearing personal witness to the scriptural truth taught in the preceding pages.

I was a backslidden young minister. Through a failure to walk in the light I had lost the liberty that there is in Christ. I had forgotten that I was purged from my old sins. I was a sinner, in need of salvation as much as any sinner that ever lived. But still I tried to preach.

Some poor sinning soul may think that this experience will not help him, because it begins with the experience of a minister, when he is only just a common sinner. I was speaking in a mission at one time, and made the remark that it was far more difficult for God to save a backslidden preacher than to save a drunkard or a harlot.

"I don't want so much talk, I want proof/' cried out a man on the front seat, who was slightly intoxicated. "Here it is," I replied. "Here is what the Saviour said to the preachers of Jerusalem: 'Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him/ Matt. 21:31, 32."

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Yes, it is harder to reach a backslidden preacher than a harlot or a publican. Because when a man has donned a preacher's coat and cravat, and is engaged in the work of calling men to repentance, it is difficult for him to humble his heart in repentance. But there is only one path out of sin for preachers and publicans, and that is the path of repentance.

Not knowing my spiritual condition, some of my brethren in the ministry requested me to go to the help of a most needy congregation in a southern state, and aid in conducting a series of revival services. I protested against going, giving every plausible reason, save the real one, which was my spiritual condition. After much urging, I consented.

As the train bore me on to my destination, the startling position in which I was placed was revealed to me. I w r as going to preach repentance to others while I myself was an unrepentant sinner. In my distress of mind I found temporary relief in the promise I made, that I would never preach another discourse until I knew my sins were pardoned.

Early in the morning after my arrival, I excused myself from partaking of breakfast, and with Bible in hand sought a retired spot in an adjacent grove. And there I knelt and confessed my sins to God, and read His promises. The morning wore away and the hour for service — eleven o'clock — was drawing near. Over and over again I confessed my sins and asked for pardon in the name of Jesus, but saw no sign that I was heard.

I had come in contact with some who had laid great stress on a physical demonstration in conversion, and I, too, looked for some such sign. I had heard of some who had seen a light, when they were converted, and I

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looked up to the sun to see if there were not some peculiar appearance there, that I could regard as a sign that I was heard and forgiven, but there was none. Some had said that they had heard a voice saying, "Thy sins are forgiven/' I listened for such a voice, but heard none. I had also heard some say that they had felt a great internal change when they were converted, so I waited for this sign, but waited in vain.

It was nearing the hour of service, and I had declared that I would never preach again until I was forgiven. What should I do? Again I prayed and again I confessed my sins, but saw no sign of forgiveness. Then I turned and read this scripture : "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." i John 1 19. In my despair I said, "I have a mind to just believe that promise — just believe I am forgiven — for I have confessed my sins, and the Lord promises that if I will do this, He is faithful to forgive."

Then the devil grew frightened and suggested doubts and fears to my mind in this form: "Look out; if you say you are forgiven when you are not, it will be a lie, and you have sins enough without adding the sin of lying." "But what is a poor man to do?" I thought. "What more can I do? I have confessed my sins." "But suppose you have forgotten one," suggested the tempter; "if you say you are forgiven when you have omitted to confess a single sin, it will not be so, and you will add the sin of presumption to all the rest of your sins." "That is so," I said. "Suppose I have forgotten one sin, and have not confessed it, and then claim for* giveness, it will be false."

I was about to despair, when the Lord by His Spirit

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came to my rescue with this scripture; "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:31. And then I saw that the Lord had given me my repentance and it was my place to take the repentance and repent; that it was the Lord's work to give repentance, and when I had repented of all the sin revealed to me, that I was to have confidence that God had attended to His work well, and not charge Him with neglect or failure. It was the Lord's business to give me repentance, and it was my business to take repentance and repent. And it was the Lord's business to give me forgiveness of sins, and it was my business to take forgiveness of sins and be forgiven. I was willing to repent of any other sin that the Lord would reveal, and the Lord knew it. I was, therefore, to believe that He had been faithful and given me pardon for my sins. At this point I said, "Praise the Lord! He has forgiven my sins."

The tempter suggested this doubt, "Well, how do you feel? Do you feel any different?" "It is not a question of feeling, but a question of fact," I replied. "The Lord says if I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive my sins, and I believe that He tells the truth; and what is more, I am going up to the congregation and tell them what He has done." Again the enemy was frightened. "Look out, now," he suggested, "don't be a fanatic. Don't act foolish. If the Lord has forgiven you, the people will find it out without your telling them. And besides, what a disgrace on the ministry and the church, for the people to learn that you had come to preach to them, and was yourself a sinner." "Get thee behind me, Satan," was my reply "It is so,

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and I am going to give the Lord the glory by telling it to the people."