The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1952-01-05

yet there is some "a
thing in common $500 ~
among all of them. A. &&A
Each Of them in Dr.. Foreman
s ome way has
found Christ. 1t is a mistake to
think that all Christians must be
cast In the same mold, or that each
Of us must plant his feet exactly in
the footprints (for example) of st.
Paul.
Sensational Conversions
RT the beginning Of Johns COS
Apel we find the story Of one per-
son after another who followed
Christ. There Is only one of these
who believed in Jesus on the basis
of what could be called a super
natural experience. This was John
the Baptist. He testified that he had
'seen the Spirit Chat is, Gods
Spirit coming upon Jesus.
Now you cannot "see" the Spirit
In the same way you can see
fence-post. Even If you take the
story In the most literal way. and
take 1t to mean that the Spirit had
taken the visible form of dove,
the question still is there: How
would John know that this particular
dove was not dove, but the Holy
Spirit?
Whatever you make Of IL,
John was an exception. All the
others In the story became fol-
lowers of Jesus through some
ones word, suggestion, invita-
ton; some one introduced them
to Christ. That stiIl is true.
Very few people who are Chris
tians today started out with some
vision in the sky, some vision of a
dove or an angel or of Christ him.
self Qike Paul. later on).
Simpler Cases
TUST as likely, 1t was not spec
, tacular at all. (Most of the con-
versions recorded in the New Testa-
ment were not In the least spec
tacular)
1t was some one saying, Lets
go to church," or it was a Sunday
school teacher saying, "Bill, isn't
it time you accepted Christ for your
self" or girl sayi- g, "How can
l marry fellow that isn't even a
Christian?" 1t may be reading a
tract or it may be listening to some
ones testimony in q prayer meet
ing, it might be reading that book
about how some in our time have
found the way",-or it might even
be reading this column.
However It comes about, two
things are always true. First,
some one introduces you to
Jesus. Then, you make the de-
cision for yourself. You are not
likely to come to Christ unless
some one else suggests It and
helps you; but no other person
however good, and no church
however great and true, can Go
for you what you alone can do
for yourself: make up your own
mind to say eyes" to Jesus
Christ.
Nowadays much is said about
Fellowship Evangelism. There is
nothing mysterious about it. For
instance, q man who has never
thought about becoming a Christian
and perhaps no intention of being
one, joins (say) mems club a,
some church and one thing
leads to another, and he gets ac-
quainted in this way with the min
lister or with some one else VINO has
had real and happy experience
with Christ and presently his
heart is stirred and he too becomes
Christian--because he has made
Christian friends.
Saying a Good Word
NET it is strange thing: many
people will talk about anything
else they believe in, before they will
talk about Jesus Christ.
Suppose that from the begin
Ming every one had been as
close~inouthed about Him as
most church members are? ST.
mon Peter, for one, would never
have become Christian. II IL
had not been for his brother An
drew, who knows what would
nave become Of Simon Peter?
In commercial lingo, Jesus sells"
himself. First-rate things, ideas or
persons always sell themselves. But
even the finest articles in the world
need to have their story told, they
have to be introduced, people have
to know about them. Every church.
every Christian, ought to be Tin the
best sense) advertising Christ. Is
yours? Are your
Copyright 1851 by the Division Of
Christian Education, National Council
o. the Churches OF Christ Of the United
states OF Americs. Released by WNU
Features.I