HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." "What does God here promise to give?" "A new heart." "Are you willing that He should give you a new heart in place of that hard and wicked heart that you have?" Another passage which is helpful in much the same way is 2_Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." "Yes," you can say to the one in trouble, "your heart is too hard and wicked. What you need is to be made all over new; there is a way to be made all over, to get a new heart and to be a new man. Let me show you what that way is." Then let him read the passage. When he has read it, ask him, "What does the one who accepts Christ become?" "A new creature." "What becomes of the old things?" "They are passed away." "Do you want to be a new creature, and have old things pass away?" "Yes." "What then is all that you have to do?" "Accept Christ." "Will you do it?" III. "I MUST BECOME BETTER BEFORE I BECOME A CHRISTIAN." This is a very real difficulty with many people. They sincerely believe that they cannot come to Christ just as they are in their sins, that they must do something to make themselves better before they can come to Him. You can show them that they are utterly mistaken in this by having them read Matthew 9:12-13: "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." When they have read it, if they do not see the point for themselves, you can ask, "To what does Jesus compare Himself in this verse?" "To a physician." "Who is it needs a physician, well people {61} or sick people?" "Sick people." "Ought a person who is sick to wait until he gets well before he gets the doctor?" "No, of course not." "Ought a person who is spiritually sick to wait until he is better before he comes to Jesus?" "No." "Who is it Jesus invites to come to Himself, good people or bad people?" "Bad people." "Is then the fact that you are not good a reason for waiting or a reason for coming to Jesus at once?" Luke 15:18-24 also fits the case exactly. Show the inquirer that we have in this story a picture of God's relation to the sinner, that God wishes us to understand that He would have the sinner come in all his rags, and that He will give him a hearty welcome, a robe, a ring and a feast if he comes just as he is. Luke 18:10-14 also applies. You can say, "Here are two men who came to God. One came on the ground that he was a sinner, the other came on the ground that he was righteous. Which of the two did God accept?" "The one who came on the ground that he was a sinner." "Well, God would have you come just the same way." IV. "I CANNOT HOLD OUT," OR "I AM AFRAID I SHALL FAIL IF I TRY"). 1. GENERAL TREATMENT. First see if the inquirer is in dead earnest, and if there is not some other difficulty lying back of this. Many a man gives this as a difficulty, when perhaps it is not the real one. There is perhaps no better verse in the Bible for this difficulty than Jude 24: "Now unto him that is ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." Its application is so plain as to need no comment. Another useful passage is 1_Peter 1:5: "Who are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." When the inquirer has read it, ask him by whose power it is that we are kept. Then you can say, "It is not then a question of our strength at all, but of God's strength. Do you think that God is able to keep you?" {62} Other passages which are helpful along the same line are: "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that HE IS ABLE TO KEEP that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2_Timothy 1:12. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10. "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." Isaiah 41:13. A passage which will help by showing the absolute security of Christ's sheep, is John 10:28-29: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." In many cases a good passage to use is Hebrews 7:25: "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." 2. SPECIAL CASES. (1) THOSE AFRAID OF SOME TEMPTATION THAT WILL PROVE TOO STRONG. The best passage to use in such a case is 1_Corinthians 10;13: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (2) THOSE WHO DWELL UPON THEIR OWN WEAKNESS. "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2_Corinthians 12:9-10. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:29-31. One evening a lady called me to a man whom she was trying to lead to Christ and asked me if I could help him. I said to him, "What is your difficulty?" He replied, "I have no strength." "Ah," I said, "I have a message that exactly fits your case," and read Isaiah {63} 40:29, "He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." "You say you have no strength, that is, no might; now this verse tells us that to those who have no might, that is to people just like you, God increaseth strength." The Holy Spirit took the word of comfort home to his heart at once, and he put his trust in Jesus Christ then and there. V. "I CANNOT GIVE UP MY EVIL WAYS." 1. YOU MUST OR PERISH. In order to prove this statement, use: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 21:8. Drive this thought home. Show the inquirer no quarter, but keep ringing the changes on the thought, "You must give up your evil ways or perish." Emphasize it by Scripture. When the inquirer sees and realizes this, then you can pass on to the next thought. 2. YOU CAN IN THE STRENGTH OF JESUS CHRIST. To prove this, have the inquirer read Philippians 4:13 and John 8:36: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." 3. SHOW THE RISEN CHRIST WITH ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH. It is in the power of the risen Christ, and through union with Him, that we are enabled to give up our evil ways, so the one who has this difficulty should have the fact that Christ is risen made clear to him. The following passages will serve well for this purpose. "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I {64} also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1_Corinthians 15:1-4. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Matthew 28:18. "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25. 4. SHOW HOW TO GET VICTORY OVER SIN. There is perhaps nothing in the Bible that makes the way of victory over sin more plain and simple than Romans 6:12-14: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO GOD, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." You can say to the inquirer, "In this verse we are told how to get victory over sin: we are told what not to do, and what to do. What is it we are told not to do?" "Not to let sin reign in our mortal body; not to yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin." "What are we told to do?" "To yield ourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead; and to yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God." "Now do you believe that through union with the risen Christ your Savior, you are alive from the dead? Will you yield or present yourself unto God as one alive from the dead? Will you now and here present your members as instruments of righteousness unto God?" After the inquirer has been led to do this, show him that whatever we yield to God, God accepts, and that he can now TRUST God for victory over sin, and have deliverance from his evil ways. VI. "I HAVE TRIED BEFORE AND FAILED." Those who have tried to be Christians and have failed in the attempt, very naturally hesitate about trying again, and such a case needs to be dealt with, with great care, wisdom and thoroughness. 1. The first thing to do is to say to such a one, "I CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO TRY AND NOT FAIL." Then point him to 2_Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." {65} When the person has read the verse, to be sure that he gets its meaning you can say, "This verse tells us that God is able to make all grace abound toward us, that we, 'always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.' It is clear then, that there is a way to try and not fail." 2. FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. In finding out the cause of failure, there are seven points to be looked into: (1) DID YOU PUT ALL YOUR TRUST FOR PARDON IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST? This is a very frequent cause of failure in the attempt to be a Christian, the person has never been led to see clearly the ground of his salvation, and to trust wholly in the finished work of Christ for pardon. Isaiah 53:6 is a useful passage at this point: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (2) DID YOU SURRENDER ABSOLUTELY TO GOD? Many are led to make a profession of faith in Christ without having been led to absolute surrender and the Christian life thus begun, is very likely to prove a failure. The passage to use at this point is Acts 5:32: "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." (3) DID YOU CONFESS CHRIST OPENLY BEFORE MEN? This is one of the most frequent causes of failure. I have talked with very many who have said that they have tried to be Christians and failed, and a very large proportion of them I have found failed at this very point, the lack of a constant, open confession of Christ. Good passages to use at this point are Matthew 10;32-33 and 10" class="scriptRef">Romans 10;10: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." {66} (4) DID YOU STUDY THE WORD OF GOD DAILY? Here is another frequent cause of failure, neglect of the Bible. Very few of those who have really begun the Christian life, and who have made a practice of daily study of the Word, fail in their attempt to be Christians. Good passages to use at this point are 1_Peter 2:2 and Psalms 119:11: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." "Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (5) DID YOU LOOK EACH DAY TO GOD ALONE, AND NOT TO SELF AT ALL, FOR STRENGTH AND VICTORY? To emphasize this question, use: "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." Isaiah 40:29. "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2_.

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HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES

R.A. Torrey

R.A. Torrey (1856 - 1928)

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