CHAPTER XI.

DEALING WITH THE WILLFUL AND THE DELUDED

1. THE WILLFUL

There are several varieties of the Willful. There are those for example who say “_I do not wish you to talk to me_.” In such a case it is usually best to give some pointed passage of scripture and let it talk for itself and then leave the person alone to reflect upon it. Romans vi. 23; Heb. x. 28, 29; Heb. xii. 25; Mark xvi. 16; Prov. xxix. 1, and Prov. i. 24‒33, are passages which are good for this purpose.

Then there are those who say “_I cannot forgive_.” Matt. vi. 15 and xviii. 23‒35, are good to use as showing that they must forgive or be lost. Phil. iv. 13, and Ezek. xxxvi. 26, will show them how they can forgive. There are a great many people who are kept from Christ by an _unforgiving_ spirit. Some times this difficulty can be removed by getting the person to kneel in prayer and ask God to take away their unforgiving spirit. I once reasoned a long time with an inquirer who was under deep conviction, but was held back from accepting Christ by a hatred in her heart toward some one who had wronged her. She kept insisting that she could not forgive. Finally I said, “let us get down and tell God about this matter.” To this she consented and scarcely had we knelt when she burst into a flood of tears, and the difficulty was removed and she accepted Christ immediately.

There are those again who say “_I love the world too much_.” Mark viii. 36, is the great text to use with this class. Luke xiv. 33, will show the absolute necessity that the world be given up. Luke xii. 16‒20; 1 Jno. ii. 15, 16, 17, will show the folly of holding on to the world and Ps. lxxxiv. 11, Romans viii. 32, will show that the Lord will hold back no good thing from them.

There are those who say “_I cannot acknowledge a wrong that I have done_.” Prov. xxviii. 13, will show the wretchedness and woe that is sure to follow unless the wrong is acknowledged. Others will say “_I do not want to make a public confession_.” Romans x. 10; Matt. x. 32, 33, will show that God will accept nothing else. Mark viii. 38; Jno. xii. 42, 43, and Prov. xxix. 25, will show the peril of not making it. There are those who say “_I want to have my own way_.” Is. lv. 8‒9, will show how much better God’s way is, and Prov. xiv. 12, shows the consequences of having our own way. Finally there are those who say “_I neither accept Christ nor reject Him_.” Matt. xii. 30, will show that they must do one or the other. This verse has been used to the conviction of a great many.

2. THE DELUDED

_a._ Under this head come the _Roman Catholics_. A good way to deal with a Roman Catholic is to show him the necessity of the new birth and what the new birth is. Jno. iii. 3, 5, 7, shows the necessity of the new birth. What the new birth is, is shown in Ezek. xxxvi. 25‒27; 2 Cor. v. 17; 2 Peter i. 4. Many Roman Catholics understand the new birth to mean baptism, but it can be easily shown them that the language used does not fit baptism. Further than this, in 1 Cor. iv. 15, Paul says to the Corinthian Christians he had begotten them again through the gospel. If the new birth meant baptism he must have baptized them, but in 1 Cor. i. 14, he declares he had not baptized them. Acts viii. 13, 21, 23, shows that a man may be baptized, and yet his heart not be “right in the sight of God” so he has “neither part nor lot in this matter.” It is well to take a step further and show the inquirer what the evidences of the new birth are. 1 Jno. ii. 29; iii. 9, 14‒17; v. 1, 4, give the Biblical evidences of the new birth. The next question that will arise is “How to be born again.” This question is answered in Jno. i. 12; 1 Peter i. 23; Jas. i. 18.

Acts iii. 19, is a good text to use with Roman Catholics as it shows the necessity of repentance and conversion. What repentance is, will be shown by Is. lv. 7; Jonah iii. 10. Still another way of dealing with Roman Catholics is by showing them that it is the believer’s privilege to know that he has eternal life. Roman Catholics almost always lack assurance. They do not know that they are forgiven, but hope to be forgiven some day. If you can show them that we may _know_ that we are forgiven and that we have eternal life, it will awaken in a great many of them a desire for this assurance. 1 John v. 13, shows that it is the believer’s privilege to know. Acts xiii. 38, 39; x. 43, John iii. 36, are very useful in leading them into this assurance. Still another way of dealing with them (but it is not best to use it until you have already made some progress with them) is to show them the advantage of Bible study. Good texts for this purpose are John v. 39; 1 Peter ii. 1, 2; 2 Tim. iii. 13‒17; Jas i. 21, 22; Ps. i. 1, 2; Josh. i. 8; Mark vii. 7, 8, 13; Matt. xxii. 29. These texts, excepting the one in 1 Peter ii. 1, 2, are all practically the same in the “Douay” or Roman Catholic Bible as they are in the Protestant Bible and it is well oftentimes in dealing with a Catholic to use the Catholic Bible.

Still another way of dealing with a Roman Catholic is to use the same method that you would in dealing with an impenitent sinner—that is to awaken a sense that he is a sinner and needs Christ. For this purpose use Matt. xxii. 37, 38; Gal. iii. 10, 13; Is. liii. 6.

Many people think that there is no use of talking with Roman Catholics, that they cannot be brought to Christ. This is a great mistake. Many of them are longing for something they do not find in the Roman Catholic church, and, if you can show them from the word of God how to find it, they come along very easily and they make very earnest Christians. Do not attack the Roman Catholic church. Give them the truth, and the errors in time will take care of themselves. Often times our attacks only expose our ignorance.

There is one point at which we always have the advantage in dealing with a Roman Catholic; that is that there is peace and power in Christianity as we know it that there is not in Christianity as they know it, and they appreciate the difference.

_b._ _Jews._ The best way to deal with a Jew is to show him that his own Bible points to Christ. The most helpful passages to use are Is. liii.; Dan. ix. 26; Zech. xii. 10. There are also useful passages in the New Testament; the whole book of Hebrews, especially the ninth and tenth chapters and the seventh chapter, 25th to 28th verses, and the whole Gospel of Matthew. A great many Jews to–day are inquiring into the claims of Jesus of Nazareth, and are open to approach upon this subject. The great difficulty in the way of the Jew coming out as a Christian is the terrific persecution which he must endure if he does. This difficulty can be met by the passages already given under the head of “Those Who are Afraid of Persecution.”

(Note. There are a number of good tracts for Jews which can be had from the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, 79 Mildmay Road, London.)

_c._ _Spiritualists._ Lev. xix. 31; xx. 6; Deut. xviii. 10‒12; 2 Kings xxi. 1, 2, 6; 1 Chron. x. 13; Is. viii. 19, 20; 1 John iv. 1‒3; 2 Thes. ii. 9‒12, are passages to be used with this class.

In dealing with all classes of deluded people it is well to begin by using Jno. vii. 17, and bring them to a place where they heartily desire to know the truth. There is no hope of bringing a man out of his delusion, unless he desires to know the truth.