The Wise and Winsome Walk
The early Christian church was born ina, prayer-meeting, and baptized by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; it then set about its heaven-appointed mission of converting men to Christ. Peter’s pungent sermon to the Jerusalem sinners pierced their hearts with conviction, and three thousand were converted in a single day. The book of the Acts of the Apostles is largely a record of personal labors for winning L souls; the Epistles are not addressed to the heathen or to impenitent sinners, but to the newlyborn churches, teaching them how to live. In- — struction in the Christian life is the main topic of Paul and Peter, John and James. And one idea runs through them all, and that is that Christ’s people are to live in such a way as not only to honor their Master, but in such a way as to attract the outside world to him.
= ‘‘“Walk in wisdom towards them that ave without,’’ was one of Paul’s pithy and pungent injunctions. Christ came into this world to seek and to save those who were lost. His commission to his disciples was to go after the ‘‘outsiders’’ and to bring them in. “That commission is as binding on Christians to-day as it was eighteen hundred years ago. Every one now who enters the church of Jesus Christ enters not only into peculiar relations with Christ, but into peculiar duties towards the unconverted. ‘‘ Ye are my witnesses;’’ ‘‘ Ye are the light of the world, so let your lights shine that ye may be seen of men.’? ‘The outside world watches us sharply, and our Master intended that we should be watched. It is a stereotyped truth that the professed Christian is the world’s Bible. He is the only Bible that the majority of outsiders ever look at. They form their impressions of Christianity, not as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures, but as it is revealed in us. They do not study God’s Bible, but they do study church members. Now, if we are the world’s Bible, we ought to live in such a way as not to require any commentary to explain us. If we are doorkeepers to the way of life and the fold of Christ, we are put there to attract the outsiders and draw them in — not to block the door and drive them off. Every inconsistent church member is guilty of a triple sin — first towards Christ, secondly towards his own soul, and then towards the impenitent whom he repels when he ought to be winning them.
1. What is a ‘‘ wise walk towards them that are without’’? In the first place it is such a walk as does not give the lie to our professions. We tell the unconverted that the religion of Jesus Christ will make them cheerful under trials, and then, perhaps, fall to fretting at Providence and put on a distressing gloom as soon as trials smite us in the face. We talk about patience, and lose temper under the first provocation. In the prayer-meeting we pray as if religion was the ‘‘one thing needful,’’ but elsewhere live as if money-grabbing or social ambition were the chief end of our lives. What is all this but be-ESO. NEWLY ENLISTED.
lying our Christianity and disgusting other people with it? If in walking through an orchard we pick up a fair-looking apple, but on putting our teeth in it find it setting our teeth on edge, we fling it down and try no more from that tree. So the world tastes of Christians, and if they find them sour or bitter in temper or worm-eaten, they turn away in disgust and disappointment. “‘“By your fruits shall men know you,’’ says our Master. We must make our religion taste sweet if we want to recommend it to outsiders. When a man of the world says scoffingly, ‘One of your church members cheated me in trade,”’ I feel that the wickedest part of the fraud was that he robbed the man of his respect for the religion of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, a noble, honest, godly life is the most convincing sermon that can be delivered. Christ’s people have got to Zéve the world to him, or the world is lost.
2. We never can win outsiders by compromising with them. ‘‘Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you’’ — i. e., when the lovers of sin shall applaud you. A minister of Christ may purchase his popularity at the dear price of losing all his influence over men’s consciences. Human favor gained by connivance with wrong — in business, in politics, in social fashions — is treason to our Master. The people of the world do not expect Christians to do as they do. When we surrender our principles they are secretly shocked and disgusted. If we would draw men out of a pit we must have a firm, strong foothold or they will draw us in. He who walks closest to Christ will have the most power to convert sinners to Him. When Jesus lives in us, it is not we who move others; it is the Christ incarnated in our conduct. ‘‘I tried to be a skeptic when I was a young man,”’ said Cecil; ‘‘but my mother’s life was too much for me.’’ It was Jesus Christ in his good mother
- that converted him.
3. This subject has a vital bearing on all direct efforts for the conversion of the impenitent. ‘‘He that is wise winneth souls;’’ that is the correct reading of the often perverted text. It is astonishing to observe how little common sense some good people exhibit in their well-meant efforts to bring their children or their scholars or their friends to the Saviour. A father will ask for prayers for an unconverted son, and then treat the boy so harshly or talk to him so tauntingly as only to harden him. Nothing requires more tact and gentleness and loving kindness than to converse with persons on the most vital of all questions. If we want to water a flower we don’t dash a whole pailful on it and wash it out of the ground; we sprinkle it. God does not send his Spirit as a water-spout, but as a rain. Let us pray for wisdom when we are trying to win souls. Paul was consumed with zeal, and yet showed wonderful sagacity in adaptation to every case he took hold of.
We must watch for opportunities. ‘‘ Walk in wisdom towards them that are without,’’ says the apostle, ‘‘redeeming the time.’’ ‘he literal meaning of the phrase is ‘‘ buying the opportunity.’’ Chances must be sought for to put in the right word; and when God gives us the chance we must make the most of it. Here was the secret of Harlan Page’s wonderful success in winning souls. He watched for opportunities and then spoke a very plain, close-fitting truth in a very loving way. There was no cant about him. The Spirit of God helped him, as he will always help us if we aim to please our Master.
We must go on the principle ow or never. This will make us eager to embrace opportunities; and in turn we must urge the impenitent to accept Christ at once. Every act of kindness we can do to the unconverted may help to give usa key to their hearts. Then let us use it to introduce our Master there. They that are wise in their walk and wise in their work may turn many to righteousness.
KEEPING THE EYE ON JESUS.