The Trinity and the Gospel
The voice of holy Scripture bears the clearest testimony to the fact of the interest of the Trinity in the work of the gospel. Who first preached the gospel? Who first announced the good news of the bruised seed of the woman? The Lord God Himself in the garden of Eden. Further, who was the most earnest, laborious, and faithful preacher who ever trod this earth? The Son of God. And who has been preaching the gospel for the last 18 1/2 [now 20] centuries? The Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. Thus then we have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all actually engaged in the work of evangelization; and if this be so, who are we to dare to speak slightingly of such a work? Rather may our whole moral being be stirred by the power of the Spirit of God so that we may be able to add our fervent and deep “Amen” to those precious words of inspiration, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15).
The Earnest Seeker
“A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us” (Acts 16:14,15).
Here we have a picture of one who, having through grace gotten a measure of light, was living up to it and earnestly seeking for more. Lydia, the seller of purple, had something in common with the eunuch of Ethiopia and the centurion of Caesarea. All three appear on the page of inspiration as souls who have been drawn to the Lord but lacking the teaching that would give their souls rest and satisfaction.
The eunuch had gone from Ethiopia to Jerusalem in search of something on which to rest his anxious soul. He had left that city still unsatisfied and was devoutly and earnestly studying the Scriptures. The eye of God was upon him and He sent His servant Philip with the very message that was needed to answer his questions and set his soul at rest (Acts 8:27-39).
Cornelius was a man of the same stamp. He lived up to the light that he had. He fasted, prayed, and gave alms, the three branches of practical righteousness set forth by our Lord in Matthew 6. His righteousness exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. He earnestly followed the light as it streamed in upon his soul and he was led by the apostle Peter into the full blaze of the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 10).
Lydia belonged to the same school. She was a worshiper of God and could be found meeting with other pious Jewish women for prayer. She was found at the place of expressed need and expected blessing. There God met her as He is sure to meet all who frequent such scenes in Lydia’s spirit. “God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). He sent a Philip to the eunuch in the desert of Gaza; He sent a Peter to the centurion in the town of Caesarea; He sent a Paul to the seller of purple in the suburbs of Philippi; and He will send a message to the reader of these lines if he or she is a really earnest seeker after God’s salvation.
The False Professor
“It came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18). Here was a case eminently calculated to test the spirituality and integrity of the evangelist. Most people would have hailed such words from the lips of this damsel as an encouraging testimony to the work. Why then was Paul grieved? Why did he not allow her to continue to bear witness to the object of his mission? Was she not saying the truth? Were they not the servants of the most high God? And were they not showing the way of salvation? Why silence such a witness? Because it was of Satan, and most assuredly the apostle was not going to receive testimony from him. He could not allow Satan to help him in his work.
It is deeply important for the Lord’s workman to weigh this matter. We may rest assured that this narrative of the damsel has been written for our instruction. It is not only a statement of what has occurred, but a sample of what may occur and indeed what does occur every day. Christendom is full of false profession of Christ. We are surrounded by those who give a merely nominal assent to the truths of the Christian religion. It is our firm persuasion that the forms of professing Christianity are doing more to ruin precious souls than all the forms of moral depravity put together. How few, comparatively, are clear and settled as to the question of forgiveness of sins. Though your sins rise like a dreadful mountain and threaten to sink you into eternal perdition, yet do these words shine with divine and heavenly luster on the page of inspiration:”The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
The Hardened Sinner
It was very unlikely that the Philippian jailor would ever have found his way to the prayer meeting at the river side. He was neither an earnest seeker nor a false professor. Very likely he was a hardened sinner, pursuing a very hardening occupation. Jailors, from the occupation of their office, are, generally speaking, hard and stern men. No doubt there are exceptions. There are some tender-hearted men to be found in such situations; but as a rule jailors are not tender. It would hardly suit them to be so. They have to do with the very worst class of society. Much of the crime of the whole country comes under their notice; and many of the criminals come under their charge. Accustomed to the rough and the coarse, they are apt to become rough and coarse themselves. The Philippian jailor does not seem to have shown much tenderness to Paul and Silas. “He thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks” (Acts 16:24). He seems to have gone to the utmost extreme in making them uncomfortable. But God had rich mercy in store for that poor, hardened, cruel jailor; and, as it was not at all likely that he would go to hear the gospel, the Lord sent the gospel to him. As to Paul and Silas, it is very evident that they were in their right place in the prison. They were there for the truth”s sake and the Lord was with them. Hence they were perfectly happy. Nothing can hinder the joy of one who has the Lord with him. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them” (16:25). We may safely say that no such sounds had ever issued thence before.
The Lord had His eye upon the jailor. He had written his name in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world, and He was now about to lead him into the full joy of His salvation. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (16:26). If Paul had not been in full communion with the mind and heart of Christ, he would assuredly have turned to Silas and said, “Now is the moment for us to make our escape.” But Paul knew better. The claims of truth had brought him into prison; the activities of grace kept him there. “The keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled” (16:27). This proves that the earthquake, with all its attendant circumstances, had not touched the heart of the jailor. He could not imagine a number of prisoners sitting quietly in jail when their chains were loosed and the doors lay open. Then what was to become of him if the prisoners were gone? How could he face the authorities? He was about to take his life when a voice of love fell upon his ear, “Do yourself no harm.” This was irresistible. A hardened sinner could meet an earthquake; he could meet death itself; but he could not withstand the mighty melting power of love. He “came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas … and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Love can break the hardest heart. We hear not one reproving word about the harsh treatment, the thrusting into the inner prison, the stocks. Rather, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.” Such is the rich and precious grace of God. It delights in taking up hardened sinners, melting and subduing their hard hearts, and leading them into the sunlight of a full salvation.
Individual Gospel Work
I have been impressed with the simplicity with which the work of evangelizing was carried on in early days. We are apt to think that in order to evangelize there must be a special gift, and even where there is this special gift, there must be a great deal of machinery and human arrangement such as great public halls and large audiences. But I find in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles that a quantity of most blessed evangelistic work was done by persons who were not specially gifted at all, but who had an earnest love for souls and a deep sense of the preciousness of Christ and His salvation. What is more, I find in those who were specially gifted, called, and appointed by Christ to preach the gospel, a simplicity, freedom, and naturalness in their mode of working, which I greatly covet for myself and for all my brethren.
Let us look a little into Scripture. Take that lovely scene in John 1:36-43 where John the Baptist pours out his heart in testimony to Jesus:”Behold the Lamb of God!” His soul was absorbed with the glorious object, and what was the result? “Two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” What then? “One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter”s brother.” What did he do? “He first found his own brother Simon, and said unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.” Again, “The day following Jesus … found Philip and said unto him, Follow Me…. Philip found Nathanael and said unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph…. Come and see.” Here is the style of thing for which I earnestly long:this individual work, this laying hold of the first man that comes in our way, this finding one”s own brother and bringing him to Jesus. I do feel we are deficient in this. It is all right enough to gather congregations and address them as God gives ability and opportunity. But do we not also want more of the individual work? more of the private, earnest, personal dealing with souls?
Do you not think that if we had more “Philips” we should have more “Nathanaels” and if we had more “Andrews” we should have more “Simons”? I cannot but believe it. There is amazing power in an earnest personal appeal. Do you not often find that it is after the more formal public preaching is finished, and the close personal work begins, that souls are reached? How is it then that there is so little of this latter? I speak not now of the preacher who cannot possibly reach every case, but of the scores of Christians who have been listening to him. They have seen strangers enter the room and they have sat beside them; they have, it may be, noticed their interest, seen the tear stealing down the cheek; and yet they have let them pass away without a single loving effort to reach them or to follow up the good work. To be sure, it needs tact and judgment and direct spiritual guidance to be able to deal with souls, to know whom to speak to, and what to say. But, allowing all this, is there not a lack of that deep, personal, loving interest in souls that will express itself in a thousand ways that act powerfully on the heart?
Let us all be on the look out for souls; then we may rest assured we should see soul-stirring results.
Sobriety and Quietness in Gospel Work
We need to remember at all times that we can do nothing, and that God the Holy Spirit can do all. It holds good in the great work of evangelization. It is “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). The abiding sense of this would keep us humble, and yet full of joyful confidence. Humble because we can do nothing, full of joyful confidence because God can do all. Moreover, it would have the effect of keeping us very sober and quiet in our work”not cold and indifferent, but calm and serious, which is a great matter just now. I was much struck with a remark lately made by an aged workman in a letter to one who had just entered the field. He wrote, “Excitement is not power, but weakness. Earnestness and energy are of God.” There are many, I fear, who would regard as “excitement” what you and I might really consider to be “earnestness and energy.” I love a deep-toned earnestness in the work. I do not see how a man can be otherwise than deeply and thoroughly in earnest, who realizes in any measure the awfulness of eternity, and the state of all those who die in their sins. How is it possible for any one to think of an immortal soul standing on the very brink of hell, and in danger at any moment of being dashed over, and not be serious and earnest? But this is not excitement. What I understand by excitement is the working up of mere nature and the putting forth of such efforts of nature as are designed to work on the natural feelings”all high pressure”all that is merely sensational. This is all worthless. We never find any of this in the ministry of our blessed Lord or His apostles:and yet what earnestness! what untiring energy! what tenderness! We see an earnestness that wore the appearance of being beside oneself; an energy that hardly afforded a moment for rest or refreshment; and a tenderness that could weep over impenitent sinners. All this we see, but no excitement. In a word, all was the fruit of the Eternal Spirit, and all was to the glory of God.
The Necessity of the Word of God in Evangelism
The Word of God is the grand instrument to be used in the work of evangelization. Many passages of holy Scripture establish this point with such clearness and decision as to leave no room whatever for dispute. In James 1:18 we read, “Of His own will begat He us with the Word of truth.” In 1 Peter 1:23 we read, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever.” The evangelist is to preach the Word, and he is to preach it in simple dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the true secret of success in preaching. It matters not what agency may be used to make the furrow, or in what form the Word may clothe itself, or by what vehicle it may be conveyed; it is only by “the Word of truth” that souls are begotten.
Sometimes persons who undertake to preach the gospel are apt to leave the domain of the evangelist and travel into that of the teacher and lecturer. I know I have erred in this way myself, and I mourn over the error. The Lord has of late deepened immensely in my soul the sense of the vast importance of earnest gospel preaching. I do not think the less of the work of a teacher or pastor. I believe that wherever there is a heart that loves Christ, it will delight to feed and tend the precious lambs and sheep of the flock of Christ that He purchased with His own blood. But the sheep must be gathered before they can be fed, and how are they to be gathered but by the earnest preaching of the gospel? It is the grand business of the evangelist to go forth upon the dark mountains of sin and error, to sound the gospel trumpet and gather the sheep. Using the Word of God he gives the warning voice, the solemn appeal, the faithful reasoning of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, the awakening presentation of death and judgment, the dread realities of eternity, the lake of fire, and the worm that never dies. In short, beloved, we want preachers who have both a keen appreciation of the Word of God and an intense love for souls.
Prayer and Evangelism
I deeply feel our lack of a prayerful spirit in carrying on the work of evangelization. I have referred to the subject of the Spirit”s work, and to the place that God”s Word ought ever to get; but it strikes me we are very deficient in reference to the matter of earnest, persevering, believing prayer. This is the true secret of power. The apostle says, “We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4). Prayer brings in the power of God and this is what we want. It is not the power of eloquence, but the power of God; and this can only be had by waiting upon Him. “He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall:but those who 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” (Isa. 40:29-31).
There is too much of what I may call going through a service. I greatly fear that some of us are more on our legs than on our knees; more in the railway carriage than in the closet; more on the road than in the sanctuary; more before men than before God. This will never do. It is impossible that our preaching can be marked by power and crowned with results if we fail in waiting upon God. Look at the blessed Master Himself. See how often He was found in prayer. Again and again we find that blessed One in the attitude of prayer. At one time He rises up a great while before day, in order to give Himself to prayer. At another time He spends the entire night in prayer, because the day was given up to work. What an example for us! May we follow it! May we know a little better what it is to agonize in prayer! We cannot convert souls. God alone can do this; and if we go on without waiting on Him, if we allow public preaching to displace private prayer, we may rest assured our preaching will prove barren and worthless. We really must “give ourselves to prayer” if we would succeed in the “ministry of the Word.”
(From “Papers on Evangelism” in Miscellaneous Writings, Vol. 3).