HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
We have studied general conditions for success that concern the worker himself. Now we are going to study some hints and suggestions that will prove very useful and helpful to successful personal work.
SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING THE APPROACH TO
AN UNSAVED PERSON
One thing that every personal worker should understand is that he should never approach someone who is being led to Christ by another. It may seem to you that the other personal worker is not presenting Christ in the most successful manner, but do not interrupt. Your interruption may detract and confuse the one who is being led to the point of decision in accepting Christ by an unskilled worker. You should also not stand by, listening to the conversation. The presence of a third party may embarrass the unsaved person so that he will not open his heart freely.
If the other personal worker has failed, you pray that God will give you an opportunity to speak with him later.
On the other hand, do not let another person interrupt you when you are dealing with an unsaved person. If it is at all possible, speak a plain but kind word to prevent the interruption.
Another factor in approaching the unsaved is dependence upon the Holy Spirit for guidance. Seek His guidance to direct you to hearts that are hungry for Christ. In this, there is a general rule to be followed, although there are exceptions. It is usually considered wisest for a person to deal with another who is of the same sex and age. This is not true in every case. If the Holy Spirit leads you differently, follow His guidance. Christian teachers who have had a great deal of experience in this field have found that men usually are more successful in dealing with men, and women with women.
If it is at all possible, get the person with whom you are dealing alone. This taking Christ as Savior and confessing Him as Lord is one of the most personal and sacred of all subjects. No one likes to open his heart in the presence of others on a subject that is very personal and sacred.
Many, from pride and embarrassment, will defend themselves and take a false stand when there are a number present. It is better for one worker to deal with an unsaved person than for several workers. It is also better for one worker to deal with a single person at a time than to deal with a number of them.
If you have several to deal with, work with them one at a time. Many times, a person who could not be led to Christ in the presence of other seekers will open his heart freely when he is alone, and will be brought to a definite, positive decision for Christ.
SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING YOUR ACTUAL DEALING WITH THE UNSAVED PERSON
In this, let your reliance be wholly upon the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The Holy Spirit has come into the world for this purpose—to convict men and women of unbelief in Christ. (See John 16:8.) Trust Him to give you the words to say to each individual.
The instrument that the Holy Spirit uses is the Word of God. It is His sword. (See Ephesians 6:17.) Therefore, we must be equipped with a working knowledge of the Bible, or we will hinder the working of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that you must wait until you have mastered the Bible. You study until you possess one or two Scriptures that you can use. Let these Scriptures take hold of your heart. It is better to use one Scripture that has mastered you than several Scriptures that you have not mastered. It is usually well to use just one.
Do not only quote or read the Scripture yourself, but ask the person with whom you are dealing to read it aloud. Here is a good Scripture to use:
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. (Romans 10:9–10)
Build this Scripture into the heart of the unsaved person. Show him that if he will believe in his heart that God raised Christ from the dead, and confess with his mouth that he will take Him as Savior and Lord, he has become God’s child.
Show him that his salvation is not dependent upon his feelings, but on what God says about it. When he has met these conditions, God declares that he is saved, and no one can question or doubt it.
Make accepting Christ as simple as possible. Show him that when he takes Christ as Savior, God absolutely takes him as His child. Have him confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord.
In your conversation with an unsaved person, always hold him to the main point of accepting Christ. At times, he will wish to discuss the different denominations, different theories concerning creation, or questions that are irrelevant to the point of accepting Christ. Show him that the real issue is his accepting Christ as Savior and Lord. Show him that these questions may be studied and answered satisfactorily after he has become God’s child. Do not be afraid to say, “I do not know” when you are asked a hard, irrelevant, or difficult question. Do not ever become involved in one of these discussions that would cause you to lose your leading him to a definite decision with Christ.
In bringing a person to a definite decision for Christ, do not be in a hurry. Many times, when we are too anxious for immediate results, our work is only superficial. One man with whom slow but thorough work has been done, who has taken Christ as Savior and confessed Him publicly as Lord, is better than a dozen with whom hasty work has been done and who have not actually been born again. It is often well to plant within a man’s heart his need and privilege of becoming God’s child and leaving this truth to bear fruit in his life. Always leave a man with a Scripture, and after you have left him, pray that the Word will work in his life.
If you have failed in any certain place, after you have left the individual, study it out thoroughly to see why you have failed. If you were at a loss to meet his need with a Scripture, study that portion of Scripture until you can handle it successfully. Then, go back and try again. Success in personal work comes out of many apparent defeats.
Always be very courteous and gentle in your speech with an unsaved person. The subject that you are handling is a very delicate one. You are pointing out to the unsaved person the fact that he is a child of Satan. You must be perfectly frank in revealing his condition from the Word of God, yet at the same time, you must be very courteous and winning in your manner.
Show him that it is not his fault that he is spiritually dead and a child of Satan. Show him that he could not help it, that it came through his identification with Adam. Then show him how adequately God has provided a perfect redemption from that condition. Very kindly show him that although it is not his fault that he is in this condition, it does become his fault if he remains in it after he has been shown the way whereby he can become a child of God. Many Christians who have been well-meaning and sincere have repelled those whom they could have won to Christ because they were not careful in presenting these truths to the individual.
QUESTIONS
- Why should you never interrupt a person who is endeavoring to lead another to Christ?
- Upon what should you rely in dealing with an unsaved person?
- Why is it wrong to be hasty in your dealing with an unsaved person?
- Give five suggestions for personal work.
- In the case of failure, what should you do?