Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-02-05

uoou you. lllo NOiu 10 titS oHAv
standard"
Open your Bible and ask him to
read aloud Romans $40. There Is
none righteous, no, not one. After he
has read it, ask him a few questions:
Whose words are these which you
have read?"
Gods Words"
Does he know the real condition
of a mans hearth"
yes"
Does he know a mans heart bet
ter than the man himself?"
Probably"
"Who does he say is ~righteous?'
"He says that there is none right
eous."
What, not one?"
mo, not one"
Are you an exception to this ruler
Il suppose not"
Then you admit that you are not
really r~ighteous?"
81 suppose l must"
Ask him to read Romans 1923. Then
say to him, who does God say have
sinned?"
"All have sinned."
Are you an exception"
NO"
Then you admit that you have
sinned and come short of the glory OF
God"
BY this time the man is becoming
uneasy. He is beginning to realize
that whatever he may be in his W
estimation, in Gods sight he Ia a
sinner. You have withdrawn his at
tention from the inconsistent church
members with whom he has formerly
compared himself, and you have fixed
his mind upon the great God to whom
he must give an account, and by
whose holy law he must be judged.
Another good verse to use with this
class is Isaiah 1915. After the man
has read 1t, ask him, who does GOO
say has gone astray?"
"All of u.s."
Does that include YOU"
81 suppose 1t does"
what does he say we have done?'
I'VE have turned every one to his
own way"
Then, according to Gods Word"
having ones own way is SIM"
$50 it seems"
1t is well to emphasize this point
strongly, for, to the average person
the word sin" mean some form OF
vice or crime. According to this verse
however the real essence Of sin con-
sists In having ones own way. in
stead Of walking In Gods way. 1t
may not be an immoral way, or a dis
honest way, or an untruthful way. but
1t is his way and not Gods way. in
which he ought to walk.
Returning to the verse you a ask.
What do you say of a sheep which
has gone astray?"
1T is lost"
'Then If you have had your own
way through life instead Of doing
Gods will. you too are lost, are you
not?"
$50 1t appears"
Admitting then that you are a lost
sinner, what does God say that he
has done with your sins?"
"And the LORD hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all"
Then your sins have made 1t neces.
sary for Jesus to die on the CROSSE"
"Yes."
when Jesus took your place on the
cross and died for your sins, you re-
fused to acknowledge him as your
Saviour, did you not?"
"Yes."
"And you have never once thanked
him for what he has done for you,
have you?"
mo"
And yet you say you are not very
bad. II this is not bad. will you tell
me what is? There is only n thing
worse, and that Is to continue reject.
ing such a Saviour"
In dealing with self-rlghteous people
1t is wellnigk useless to argue. Mel
Their would 1t be a very gracious thing
to tell them that you thought they
were great sinners. They would not
believe 1t If you did, and quite likely
they might rotor. And you are an
other"
The only effective way Of dealing
with them is to bring them face to
face with God, and make them realize
that they are dealing with Hin rather
than with you. If you have sufficient
time. 1t is a good plan to ask a person
to read the fifty-third chapter of
Isaiah, using the first personal pro-
noun wherever the third occurs, H
is despised, and rejected Of men: a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief. He Was despised, and ] es-
teemed him not. He was wounded for
my transgressions, he was bruised
for my iniquities: the chastisement of
my peace was upon him, and with his
stripes | am healed. / like a sheep
have gone astray; I have turned to
my own way; and the Lord hath laid
on him mine iniquity."
Another way is to ask a person IL
he knows that he has committed the
greatest sin a man can commit. He
will probably answer. mo, l have
not" Ask him to read Matthew