Dear John Calvin,

How to Preach the Gospel

One—About the Saviour

The Lord Jesus is indeed the Saviour of sinners, but He is also their Friend.

(1) The Lord Jesus, the Saviour of Sinners. The Lord Jesus took up a body while on earth so that He could die on the cross for sinners, bearing their sins in His body; thus giving all who believe in Him forgiveness of sin. This was His prime motive on earth. His name, therefore, was called Jesus (Jehovah Saviour). He today stands in the position of Saviour to save us, the lost. He has provided full salvation for us. And as a result there is but one simple requirement made of us, which is to believe and be saved: repent and receive forgiveness: come and get rest: confess and be forgiven: "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: . . . for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10. 8a, 10)—"He that will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22. 17d). In spite of its simple requirement, there are sinners who nonetheless feel they cannot believe. They will not repent, but rather love their sins. They will not come to the Saviour. Even though it is right to present Jesus as Saviour in the preaching of the gospel, a number of sinners who have problems are still being shut out. For the presentation of the Lord Jesus as the Saviour of sinners is aimed at the need of those who will gladly accept Him.

(2) The Lord Jesus, the Friend of Sinners. The term "friend" conveys the idea of affection and love. It is the most unusual relationship among humankind. The relation between father and son is most intimate, but such a relationship is regular. Husband and wife love each other, but their position to each other is likewise normal. The relationship between servant and master, or between employee and employer is also something conventional. Only the relationship between friends is something informal and conducted on the basis of the same or equal position. A good father is not only that to his son but he is also his son’s friend. A judge usually stands opposite to a criminal, yet some judges may even become criminals’ friends. As friends, people may be able to pour out their hearts and openly reveal the real situation. They stand on the same footing towards each other. Now the relationship between God and men or between the Saviour and sinners is formal. Although the Saviour is good, what can a sinner such as I do if I cannot fulfill the requirement? This is why the Lord comes to be the sinner’s Friend as well. He comes to help the sinners. He stands with them in order to help them come to the Saviour. He causes those who are not able to believe to believe indeed in the Saviour.

God was Abraham’s Friend. Friendship transcends position. When the father of the child with a dumb spirit cried out, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9. 24b), this time the Lord served as the sinner’s Friend. He gave the father faith to believe. Wherein did the young ruler do wrong in not being able to enter the kingdom of God? He did not ask the Lord for help. For "with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19. 26b). The Lord Jesus is the sinner’s Friend, therefore no one should fail to accept Him.

In the nineteenth century there was in London, England, a socialite. Her parents were titled persons, and hence she came from a family of nobility. She lived in a big mansion, and was young and beautiful. She was sought after by many gentlemen. Once at a big dancing party, she wore a specially tailored dress. That night she was the hit of the party. Towards dawn she returned home. She felt most unhappy. She threw her dress onto the chair and said, "If a Christian should meet me today, he would no doubt try to persuade me to believe in the Lord; but I will not believe." Yet later on, she knelt and prayed, "O God, if there is a God, I do not want You, nor will I believe in You. I do not believe You can give me joy. I do not have joy, but can You give me what I do not want?" As she got up, she was saved. Thus she found a Friend in Jesus who knew and supplied her need. She consecrated her life to the Lord at that very moment. Later, she was greatly used by the Lord.

In order to preach the Lord Jesus as the sinner’s Friend, we must have power and revelation. The Lord Jesus is the sinner’s Friend, yet, though some can feel it, others may not feel it that way.

It is the Lord as the sinner’s Friend that moves people to repent and to believe. No sinner is without hope, for the Holy Spirit works upon every human heart. The Lord Jesus is truly the sinner’s Friend as well as the sinner’s Saviour.

Two—The Condition of Salvation

Strictly speaking, salvation is without condition, for it is based on the grace of God in saving sinners. And since this is grace, there is neither work nor condition. But when we read the Bible, it would appear as though there were certain things the sinner must do. Let us presumably call them conditions—such things as repentence, confession and belief. One who preaches the gospel will naturally look for such conditions to be fulfilled, without which no one can be saved. So, he will encourage people to fulfill these presumed conditions.

It is very dangerous, however, to overly-emphasize these so-called conditions. For though the Bible does lay down these requirements quite clearly in certain passages, in some other passages they are not so clear but rather confusing. Ordinarily, repentance is the condition and forgiveness is the result; faith is the condition and eternal life the result. Yet in many places in the New Testament we find the condition and result are confused. Such confusion really serves God’s purpose.

(1) "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins" (Acts 2. 38a). Here, repentance is the condition for salvation. Yet in Acts 5. 31—"Him [Jesus Christ] did God exalt with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins"—both the condition of repentance and the resultant remission of sins are given by God. The Lord Jesus has accomplished the work of redemption on the cross so that God can apply salvation to the sinners.

(2) "Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction" (Rom. 3. 22). Faith is a condition. In the New Testament, faith is mentioned 150 times. In 2 Peter 1. lb ("To them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and the Saviour Jesus Christ"), however, faith is something obtained and it becomes the salvation. It is not what man gives to God; rather, it is what God gives to man. It is considered as part of the grace of God. How God is willing to do more for us!

(3) "A certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother. And he said, All these things have I observed from my youth up. And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich. And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved? But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18. 18-27). "Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, Today is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham" (Luke 19. 8-9). To sell all is a condition set forth in Luke 18 for gaining eternal life. In Luke 19, however, selling or giving away all is itself salvation.

(4) "Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10. 25-28). Here our Lord answered the lawyer’s first question by saying that to love one’s neighbor is a condition for having eternal life. But in answering his second question, "And who is my neighbor?" (v. 29b), our Lord made loving the neighbor the consequence, instead of the condition, of salvation. The lawyer thought of himself as the good Samaritan, but the Lord said that the lawyer was the one who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of the robbers (Jerusalem means "peace" whereas Jericho means "curse"). When the Lord said to the lawyer, "Go, and do thou likewise" (v. 37b), He was telling him to love the Saviour who was the good Samaritan.

(5) "One of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. . . . When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? [v. 42] ... And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? ... Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little [v. 47]. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven [v. 48]. . . . And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (Luke 7. 36-39, 42, 44, 47-48, 50). Here the consequence of salvation becomes the condition of salvation. It is quite different from the foregoing two conditions. In verse 42, it is being forgiven first and then loving the lender. But in verses 47 and 48, we find that her being forgiven is due to her loving much. Forgiveness follows love, and yet he who is forgiven little loves little. Hence the content of salvation is also the condition of salvation. As a matter of fact, the condition of salvation is living and flexible rather than rigid and fixed.

(6) "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11. 28); for "the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19. 10). If you cannot come to Him, He will come to you: The Lord came into the house of Zacchaeus.

(7) "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life" (John 5. 40). People will not come to the Lord to receive life. But "he that will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22. 17d). "As many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1.12-13). Come just as you are.

(8) "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. . . . But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep" (John 10. 11, 26). The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. First, be His sheep, then believe in Him. To be a sheep is salvation, to believe is the condition. First salvation, and then the condition.

(9) "And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8. 15). The good ground is the honest and good heart. Yet we are told that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? (Jer. 17. 9) It is the Holy Spirit who creates in such a heart honesty and goodness, making it good ground. This is therefore the contents of salvation as well as the condition of salvation. In the Epistles, we find that goodness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Never try to look for the conditions of salvation in a sinner. For the weakness of a sinner is the very strength whereby to receive salvation. The Lord became primarily the Friend of the sinner, and He never is bound by any condition.

Three—The Two Sides of the Gospel

On the one side, how does a sinner receive the gospel; on the other side, how does God provide the gospel? One pertains to the experience of the sinner, while the other presents the truth of the gospel. In the four Gospels and Acts we see how the gospel is preached and received by sinners, but in the Epistles we are given understanding as to what the gospel is. On the one hand we are shown how people experience the gospel—that is to say, how salvation comes upon men. On the other hand we are shown how God satisfies His own demand. When God comes to save, His forgiveness is lawful and righteous. For the redemption of the Lord Jesus has already satisfied all the demands of God. The Lord Jesus "was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification" (Rom. 4. 25). The Holy Spirit then comes to apply the finished work of Christ to us, so as to become our subjective experience. The work of the Holy Spirit is to translate the objective to be subjective, to turn doctrine into experience.

There are two different approaches in the preaching of the gospel: (1) tell the sinners how the work of the Lord Jesus has satisfied God’s demand. The purpose of such preaching of the gospel is to make known to sinners the nature of the gospel. And (2) lead the sinners to the place where the Holy Spirit is able to apply the work of Christ upon them. Such preaching of the gospel is for acceptance, not for understanding.

Read the Epistles in order to understand what the gospel is, for they commence with God and reveal the contents of the gospel. Study the four Gospels and Acts to learn the way of preaching the gospel, because they begin with sinners and show the consequence of the gospel.

How does the Holy Spirit work? And how did our Lord and the apostles save souls?

(1) "He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. . . . And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (Luke 7. 48, 50). How were her sins for given? Her faith saved her. She did not understand much about doctrines, but her heart was attracted to the Lord. She loved Him. She just wept, and she felt the loveliness of the Lord. And hence, her salvation was due to her heart being drawn to the Lord.

(2) "He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (Luke 8. 48). The woman with an issue of blood was not only healed but also saved. The Lord said to her, "Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." This word refers also to inward salvation. The same is true with the word which our Lord spoke to one of the ten lepers who were cured, "Thy faith hath made thee whole" (Luke 17. 19b), which word implies spiritual healing in addition to physical healing. The gratitude of the one cured touched the heart of the Lord.

(3) "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15. 24a). The prodigal son was saved because of a change in his mind. His heart turned back to his father. Though he entertained the thought of being a hired servant, the father (representing God) granted him forgiveness liberally and abundantly.

(4) "I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18. 14). This publican was justified (in the Gospels, he is the only one recorded as being justified). He stood afar off and dared not so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven. He had no knowledge of the contents of the gospel. He only had a desire. He asked with timidity, and yet he was justified.

(5) "He made haste, and came down, and received him [Jesus] joyfully. . . . And Jesus said unto him, Today is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham" (Luke 19. 6, 9). Zacchaeus wished to see the Lord. Was it mere curiosity or was it an unexplainable longing? He was ignorant of three things—he had no feeling of guilt, he had no knowledge of the contents of the gospel, and he did not know who the Lord was. He just had a desire to see the Lord. But as soon as he made contact with the Lord, he said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold" (v. 8b). He confessed the Lord as well as confessed his sins by promising to make restitution. He came into the good of salvation for Jesus declared that he was also a son of Abraham. All the works of salvation are indeed for the satisfaction of all the demands of God.

(6) "He said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23. 42-43). At the beginning of the crucifixion, both robbers mocked the Lord. But one of them listened to the Lord’s prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (v. 34a). He began to change. First, he believed in God; next, he had a sense of sinfulness; and finally, he had a little understanding of the Lord. He recognized that the Lord was righteous. He did not even know how to cry out, "Lord"; but his heart had touched the Lord. Though the wording of his prayer was inaccurate, he was nonetheless to be in Paradise with all those saved souls.

(7) "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (John 4. 10). In order to lead this woman to faith, our Lord asked her instead for water to drink. He only made the woman see her need, without even telling her how He would die for her. As soon as a person comes into contact with Christ, that person is saved.

(8) "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from henceforth sin no more" (John 8. 11). She got saved in a special way. All those who would condemn her had slipped away. The woman had committed sin and was waiting for judgment. Our Lord was without sin, therefore He did not, like the others, slink away. In hearing the Lord say, "Woman, where are they? did no man condemn thee?" (v. 10b), she was brought to her sense of guilt. And hence she said, ". . . Lord." How beautiful is this word, "Lord."

(9) "He answered and said, And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him? Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and he it is that speaketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him" (John 9. 36-38). The blind man had his eyes opened. All he knew about the Lord was revealed in verses 31 and 33: "We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. . . . If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." He had revelation in his spirit, so he addressed Jesus as "Lord." But his mind was unfruitful. Therefore he asked who the Son of God was. And with just a little enlightening from the Lord, he got saved.

(10) "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts 2. 36). How were the three thousand souls saved on the day of Pentecost? In Peter’s message, the first section explains the experience of Pentecost, and the second section narrates how the Lord, after having been crucified by the people, was raised from among the dead. The climax in the release of Peter’s spirit comes in his declaration to the house of Israel that God has made Jesus, whom they crucified, both Lord and Christ. When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart.

(11) "Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons . . . To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10. 34, 43). Peter merely related the fact of salvation; he had not yet spoken on the doctrine of salvation. But the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.

To sum up, salvation is based on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Its coming to men does not depend on men’s understanding. On the one hand, it is essential for God to know and thus to accept the work of Christ. For men, on the other hand, so long as they contact Christ, they are saved. The Epistles reveal to us the contents of the gospel, but the four Gospels and Acts show us how people touch the Lord and get saved. Therefore, in preaching the gospel, we must learn the way, as demonstrated in the Gospels and Acts, as to how to lead people to be in touch with the Lord.

Four—How Sinners Receive the Gospel

People are saved through many and varied experiences. By analyzing these experiences, we find that four factors must not be missing; otherwise, people will not be saved. These four factors are: (1) Need—such as a sense of sin, or a sense of discontent. (2) Desire—a desire from the heart. (3) Knowledge of God—a knowledge of at least something about the Lord’s work or His salvation. (4) Action—such as to believe, to confess sins, repent, or receive. All who are truly saved will have experienced these four factors—nothing less, but perhaps even more. So that whoever is preaching the gospel must pay attention to these four factors.

Creating a sense of need in people (1), as well as stirring up a desire from their heart (2), and, also, causing them to know something about the Lord (3)—these three factors belong to the time of casting the gospel net. Helping people to take action (4) pertains to drawing the net. Let us look at each of these four factors more closely.

Five—The Sense of Need

The sense of need includes (1) a sense of discontent, and (2) a sense of sin. It is appropriate to take the road to a sense of sin in relation to nominal Christians; but in relation to ordinary nonbelievers, it is more effective to take the road to vanity.

There is a basic difference between the Jews and the Chinese: the first group have a natural sense of sinning against God, but the second do not possess such a sense. Idol-worship to the Chinese is purely a matter of looking for blessing. It is fundamentally a "bless me" premise. Even the thieves and the prostitutes in our Chinese society have their idols to worship, but they do not have a sense of sin. Among the Chinese, only an elite class of rationalists have experienced some sort of inability in overcoming sin, similar to the experience described in Romans 7; and yet even they do not have the overwhelming sense of sins that is discussed in Romans 1-3.

A. Concerning the sense of discontent, five points should be emphasized:

(1) A sense of toil, pain and unrest. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11. 28). This approach is most effective towards the middle-aged and the old-aged people. According to church statistics kept over several hundred years of experience, the number of people who have been saved under the preaching of Matthew 11. 28 is equal to that of people saved under the preaching of John 3. 16.

(2) The vanities of the world. As in John 4, all who drink the water of this world will never be satisfied. The joy which our Lord gives alone satisfies, for it shall become in men a well of water springing up to eternal life. Those who drink of this water shall never be thirsty again. Christians are not a people who try to attain happiness through contentment; rather, the joy of the Lord within them causes them to be fully satisfied.

(3) What the meaning of life is. Men are not only created by God, they are also created for God, because God is actually the center of mankind. Those who are unsaved find life to be tasteless. Only those who have found God find joy and rest. Just as all the created things on earth are held together by the power of gravity in the physical sense, even so are all created things being kept by the power of God in the moral sense. If the gravitational force were to disappear, all things would lose their meaning and coordination, and all things would be thrown into chaos. Similarly, without having God as the center, mankind would be reduced to utter confusion too.

(4) Death. How transient and temporary human life is! One third of man’s life is spent in sleep; one sixth, in eating; and one third in working. What time there is left for enjoyment is but little. Yet paradoxically, it is equally hard to die. For a Christian, he has no fear of death. He dies peacefully and joyfully for he longs to meet his Lord, which is very far better. A nonbeliever, however, is afraid of death for he is terrified by the darkness ahead of him. The Lord Jesus came that He "might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2. 15).

(5) The Coming Judgment. The Chinese have some idea of the coming judgment. They have the concept of hell. It is therefore possible to use this approach in preaching the gospel. What about the coming judgment? What about hades after death, and even hell, the second death? Some people cannot be touched by love, but they will be moved by fear. Some take action out of faith; some out of love; while some, out of fear.

B. Concerning the sense of sin, five points need also to be stressed:

(1) The power of sin. Romans 7 may be used to demonstrate how human resolution and suppresion of the old man cannot overcome the power of sin.

(2) Seeing our sins through the mirror of the sins of other people. A person may sin without feeling sinful, but he can easily sense sins committed by other people. Hence, it is possible to lead a person to realize his own sins by showing him the sins of others. Paul himself did this: "Reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" (Rom. 2. 3)

(3) The penalty of sin. "He that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption" (Gal. 6. 8a). The one who sins shall eat the fruit of his sin. "The way of the transgressor is hard" (Prov. 13. 15b). "He that sinneth against me [i.e., against Wisdom, a personification of God] wrongeth his own soul: all that hate me love death" (Prov. 8. 36).

(4) Sinning against man is sinning against God. David sinned against Uriah the Hittite by having him murdered, but he realized that he had in the same act sinned against God: "I know my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against thee [God], thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight" (Ps. 51. 3-4). David was unrighteous and unlovely towards man, but in so doing he was also being rebellious and unfaithful towards God. God is high above all, for all authorities belong to Him. All who sin against man sin at the same time against God. God had given David authority and power, but David abused that which God had given him.

The greatest sin is that done against God. For example, the story was told about a widow who brought up her son by washing people’s clothing. She had much earlier rescued her son when their house had caught fire. As a consequence, she had been badly burned, and her face had become marred and repulsive in appearance. One day she encountered her son as he was walking on the street with some of his classmates. She beckoned to her son, but her son was too ashamed to own her as his mother, she being so shabbily dressed and ugly-looking. In passing, she heard her son telling his friends that this was his maid in the house. The mother’s heart was broken. How much more sinful it is for men to disown God!

(5) Unbelief is sin. "He [the Holy Spirit], when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin . . . of sin, because they believe not on me [Christ Jesus]" (John 16. 8a, 9). In the story of the prodigal son told of in Luke 15, the prodigal had left home and hurt his father’s heart of love; nevertheless, his father still loved him and cared about him, and received him with abundant grace upon his return home. All this indicates that God loves to show grace in saving souls. He will not hold anything against us. Hence, unbelief is a serious sin against God. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3. 16). To misunderstand, even reject, God’s love is a greater sin than to kill.

Six—Some Knowledge of God

Concerning the knowledge of God, there are, minimally, four things sinners ought to know:

(1) Know that God is a Father who especially loves to answer prayers. Setting aside the matter of creation, insofar as redemption is concerned, we know there is a difference between Father in the truth and Father in the gospel. According to the truth, God is Father only to those who have believed in the Lord Jesus and have received eternal life. People of the world are not God’s children, rather they are children of the devil. "As many as received him [Jesus Christ], to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1. 12-13). These verses show us most clearly that, redemptively speaking, only those who are born of God are the children of God.

Nevertheless, in preaching the gospel, it is altogether proper to tell the sinner that God is his Father. This is the Father as in the gospel, not as in the matter of truth and fact. For God does indeed treat a sinner as a father treats his own child. Such a figurative saying also anticipates the future. The story of the prodigal son presupposes his returning home to his father. This is the first proposition.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matt. 7. 7-12). God is therefore the God who hears prayers. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Heb. 11. 6b). This, then, is the second proposition.

In the parable of Luke 15, the father was found anxiously waiting for the prodigal son to come home. Our heavenly Father is much more concerned about our future than even our own self. In the history of the church evangel, Luke 15 has been greatly used in saving souls.

(2) Know that God has a gift to give. "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knowest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (John 4. 10). If you had known the gift of God, you would have asked of Him. Unfortunately, many know of God but they do not know the gift of God. People need to know the gift of God. For God’s gift is not only that which will satisfy all their needs, it is also that which is eternal and unchanging. The basic thought in John 4 is concerned with the gift which is given freely to men.

Now when the special need of God’s gift in a sinner is found out, it is essential to give him a Scripture verse. For example, for a person who has no rest, share with him Matthew 11. 28: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Or if he has no peace, give him Philippians 4. 7: "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." Or if he is afraid of judgment, present him with John 5. 24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life." Show him that his name is now written in the book of life. Or if he is fearful of death, quote him 1 Corinthians 15. 57 ("Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ") or Hebrews 2. 14 ("Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil").

(3) Know the Lord Jesus. It is absolutely necessary to know who Jesus is. Simply put, Jesus is the Son of God as well as the Christ of God (this knowledge includes the fact that Jesus is the Saviour). The woman taken in adultery called Jesus, "Lord" (John 8. 11). Zacchaeus called Jesus, "Lord" (Luke 19. 8) When Saul (later named Paul) was enlightened on the road to Damascus, he also called Jesus, "Lord" (Acts 9. 5). "No man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12. 3b). The Holy Spirit alone enables people to call Jesus, "Lord."

(4) Know Redemption. The woman told of in Luke 7 who wept had the inward sense of being forgiven much. The prayer of the publican was: "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18. 13b), which could legitimately be translated as: "God, allow me to have my sins atoned for." The robber on the cross knew that Christ suffered for the sake of others. For "apart from shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb. 9. 22b); "Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3. 18a); "who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness" (1 Peter 2. 24); and, "being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness" (Rom. 3. 24-25a).

It is also appropriate to mention something about resurrection: "who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification" (Rom. 4.25). Resurrection is the proof that our sins have been atoned for. Hence it serves as the evidence of our justification. The resurrection of the Saviour indicates that God’s demands upon us for having sinned against Him have all been satisfied. Thus we are able to come before God, asking for forgiveness and gift.

To sum up, the minimum requirements in the knowledge of God in the gospel are (1) to know God, (2) to know God as the Giver of gift, (3) to know the Lord Jesus, and (4) to know the redemption of Christ.

Seven—How to Cause People to Desire

"And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8. 15). The seed is the word of the gospel, and the good ground is the heart of man. It is with the heart that we receive the word. Such a heart needs to have the two basic qualities of being honest and good. The apostle Paul said the same thing: "Believe in thy heart ... for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom. 10. 9b, 10a). Unbelief is due to "an evil heart of unbelief" (Heb. 3. 12).

As in our physical body there is the heart (Gk. kardia), so in our spiritual and moral being there is also the heart. The heart is the seat of personality. It is the rendezvous of the spirit and soul and body: "out of it [the heart] are the issues of life" (Prov. 4. 23b). In the heart is the inner man; and conscience is the conscience of the heart.

What are the conditions of a sinner’s heart? A person gets saved not initially through the body nor even through the spirit (for his spirit is dead due to sins and transgressions). It is his heart that must receive the word. Yet "the heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?" (Jer. 17. 9) A man’s heart is bound up with sin, and its functions—such as understanding (or discernment), desire and decision—are very corrupt. (1) As to the understanding of the heart of an unsaved person, it is described in Romans 1: "because that knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened" (v.21). (2) As to the desire of a sinner’s heart, we are told that "there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" (Rom. 3. 11). "None that understandeth" is due to the darkened mind. "None that seeketh" means there is no desire after God. Sinful man has no feeling towards God. Hence our Lord once said (quoting from the Psalms): "They hated me without a cause" (John 15. 25b). (3) And as to the decision of the unsaved one’s heart, this we learn from the Scriptures: "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life," said Jesus (John 5. 40). A man’s will makes the final decision, but he will not come to God. Jesus cried out and lamented as follows: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matt. 23. 37)

The words in Matthew 13. 15 support the above observations: "this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them."

Of the three problems of a sinner’s heart, the greatest one is in the region of desire (the second point above). Hence the greatest work in preaching the gospel is to reach and stir up the desire of a sinner. And the final work is to touch his will in making the decision. Let us look closely as to how this latter work is to be done.

(1) Enlighten the mind. The understanding, desire and decision of a sinner are all exceedingly corrupt. The whole world is under darkness. But as the word of God enters man’s mind, it gains a foothold there. His heart undergoes a split. On the one hand, it rejects the word; on the other hand, it is nonetheless willing to accept the word. So that the hearing of the gospel is the starting point of salvation. To shed some light (the word of God) in man’s mind is therefore the first step of the work. Words of enlightenment such as the sinner’s judgment, the penalty of sin, and so forth, could be used as the Holy Spirit leads.

(2) Create the desire of the heart. When the mind is darkened, there is absolutely no desire for God in the heart. Use the word of God as well as the testimonies of the saved to stir up the sinner’s heart desire for the gospel. God’s love, the vanity of the world, the loss of the soul in spite of the gain of the world, and so on, can all be used by the Holy Spirit to create a heart desire in a sinner.

(3) Help the will to decide. After a person’s desire is stirred up, the next step is to encourage him to make a decision for the gospel. "He that is wise winneth souls" (Prov. 11. 30b). It takes wisdom to save souls.

From the mind to the emotion and then to the will—this is the mechanism for causing a sinner to desire and to decide for salvation. And in this subjective process, our Lord Jesus becomes the Friend of sinners. He influences people to desire after salvation.

"An honest and good heart" (Luke 8. 15). Some hearts may be honest but not good. It is true that God does not want people to pretend. He would rather have people acknowledge that they love sins. This is being honest. But He wants people to be good, that is to say, He wants them to desire after Him. He will hear those who pray, "O Lord, cause me not to love sins but to believe in You. Make me to desire after You." This is being good, this is having a good heart.

Eight—Lead to Action

We shall look at this final factor by means of four steps:

(1) Lead to confess sins before God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1. 9).

(a) Confession here does not have reference to people standing before an assembly and confessing their sins. Confession is directed towards God. It is to con fess before Him. A sinner must be brought to the Lord. He is not saved until he meets his Saviour. The gospel needs to be preached with clarity, yet even clarity in gospel preaching is no substitute for contact between the sinner and the Saviour. To be in touch with the Lord is the first order of salvation, while to preach the gospel clearly is but the second order. A sinner is not only to be led to the gospel feast, he must also be brought face to face with the Host of the feast.

(b) Confession is to confess sins before God. All the works of a sinner are sinful in the sight of God. He is to confess "all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful" (Rom. 1. 29-31). As he confesses, he asks for God’s forgiveness, since forgiveness is based on confession. Condemning sin as sin at the beginning results in being delivered from the sin he has confessed.

To confess sin is to condemn sin as sin. It is to stand on God’s side against the adversary, Satan.

(c) The principle of confession is that the sinner presents himself with his sins before God. Do not have the false idea that a person sends his sins to God first and then he comes afterwards. No, the sinner himself comes with his sins. The first time a person meets God, he brings his sins with him; otherwise, he cannot see God.

(d) Confess two kinds of sins. Confess the kind one has forsaken and the kind that still remains unforsaken. F B. Meyer once prayed: "O Lord, what I am unwilling, make me willing to be willing."

(2) Give a special word of God. Always have a number of suitable Bible verses in store. Learn to use these words of God skillfully. After prayerful consideration, read an appropriate verse or verses to the sinner. For people are saved not just because of their confession of sins, but also because they receive the word of God: "They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls" (Acts 2. 41). Without God’s word, there is no basis for forgiveness: "Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1. 21b). For there to be the salvation of the soul, there must be the implanted word: "he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust" (2 Peter 1.4). It is through God’s precious and exceeding great promises (found in His written word) that we may become partakers of the divine nature: "These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5.13). How can we know we have eternal life if we do not have the word?

With God’s word there is also His work. Whoever accepts the word of God accepts the work of God as well. Accordingly, in talking with a sinner, it is wise to read the word of God slowly. Read till light breaks forth. Having a word is like having a pillow upon which one may lay one’s head and go to sleep. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1. 9). Here is the word for both the forgiving and the cleansing.

(3) Cause to believe in God’s word. When a person believes, he believes not only in the gospel, he believes also in the word of God. With God’s word, he is able to approach God as well as deal with the devil. Faith is the believing in God’s word, while confession is a personal act. I do my part, and God does His part. According to 1 John 1. 9, what a person must do is to confess his sins, and what God will do is to forgive and to cleanse. Faith is like the signing of a contract between two parties. I must fulfill my obligation in order for God to fulfill His. Since God is more righteous and faithful than I am, He will not fail to perform His promise. Faith thus sees the Unseen by trusting in God’s word. Our Lord said to the woman who had an issue of blood: "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (Mark 5. 34). This word not only healed her but also saved her. She could use this word to overcome temptation and trials throughout her life thereafter.

(4) Test the faith. The ways of testing include open confession of the Lord as well as baptism: (a) "with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10. 10b). Many people before they openly confess the Lord are rather hazy about their salvation, but once they stand up and confess, they become clear. Likewise, (b) before their baptism they are not so sure, but after baptism they are firmly grounded. As water solidifies the cement, so baptism seals their faith.

Nine—Some Questions and Answers

(1) Should the preaching of "vanities" be directed to the aged?

True, this arrow is most effective with the older people, yet we should not be too conscious of age lest it produce self-love.
(2) Are "hell" and "the lake of fire" the same?

Hell is the same as the lake of fire, but with the Chinese, the concept of hell is more easily understood.

(3) How many approaches can we use in preaching the gospel?

There are six approaches we may employ: (a) sin, (b) hell or judgment, (c) the vanities of the world, (d) the love of God, (e) the righteousness of God (God saves us according to His righteousness; before the cross it is all love, but after the cross it is righteousness; God cannot but save us because He is righteous), and (f) the way of living faith (help people to come before God in prayer).

(4) How do we present the gospel?

The contents of the gospel presented must be rich. Use twenty minutes to speak clearly with words of understanding. At the appropriate time, let the spirit be released. When the spirit comes forth, sometimes you shout, but sometimes you cry. As we have mentioned before, James M’Kendrick was Scottish. The Scottish temperament is rather cold and aloof. But when he saw sinners he wept, because the spirit of the gospel was in him. George Whitfield said, "I am a dying man preaching to a dying world." And M’Kendrick himself declared:

I have done a good deal of trout fishing in my day, and the fly that caught the most was the one I used the most. The same with my sermons—those I find that God blesses most, these I use frequently. We all have to answer to our own Master, and each servant must be fully persuaded in his own mind as to his mode of procedure.∗
∗Ibid., 182.

Without the release of the spirit it is impossible to send a word into the sinner’s heart. It is a fundamental error for us to think that we must beg people to receive Christ if it appears the Holy Spirit is neither working nor blessing. The fact of the matter is that the Holy Spirit will work and He is willing to bless if He can find a useful vessel. Evan Roberts once said, "Do not ask the Holy Spirit to work. For I have found a law that if I fulfill God’s requirement, His blessing will come." And thus was Roberts used in the breaking out of the great Welsh revival of 1903-04.

For the church to preach the gospel, she must have the Sword of the Spirit. Prepare a number of Bible verses and get the brothers and sisters to memorize them. As we have previously mentioned, there are four steps in helping people towards accepting the gospel; namely, (1) sense or feeling, (2) knowledge, (3) desire, and (4) action. All those who assist in the preaching of the gospel must discern what step the sinners are at and help them accordingly. The greatest problem lies in the third step, that is to say, the creation of a heart desire for the gospel. Unless there is the spirit of the gospel in the preacher, it is impossible to incline a human heart towards such desire.

(5) Since the approach used in preaching the gospel varies, is it better to develop one’s own approach instead of imitating that of others?

Beware of human manufacturing. He who has the fire within cannot help but let it burn. It is unnatural for one to weep when he is not weeping inwardly; nor is it natural for one to shout if he is not shouting within. To imitate the manner of others is equal to a lie in the area of action. If things are real, there will not be self-consciousness. If false, it is like theatrical acting which for this purpose is most ugly. In order to determine which to adopt of the six approaches earlier listed, just keep on preaching till it is evident through the blessing that comes to the sinners as well as through sensing your own inner feeling.

(6) Can the sixth approach mentioned in (3) above—namely, living faith—be used independently?

This sixth approach may be used together with all the other five approaches. Yet it can also be used independently as the result of seeing Jesus as the Friend of sinners.

(7) In helping those who preach the gospel by pointing out their weaknesses in the preaching, would this not increase their self-consciousness?

That is very true. Hence in helping them, be very careful not to increase their self-consiousness, or else they shall become inhibited.
(8) How about gospel resources?

The preaching of our Lord as recorded in the New Testament Gospels aims at moving people towards believing. The teachings or doctrines in the Epistles are to help people to know what they believe. As recorded in Luke 8. 4-8, our Lord spoke by means of a parable and closed with: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." These are words for drawing the gospel net, in that they cause people to incline towards what He has said. Whenever the word of our Lord was given, His Spirit was released. There seems to have been a law or principle to His speaking that was constantly in operation, for He always used words that struck at the heart.

Let us note the following examples of this: "Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he thinketh he hath" (Luke 8. 18); "Look therefore whether the light that is in thee be not darkness" (11. 35); "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (12. 21); "Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh" (12. 40); "And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more" (12. 48b); "I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the very last mite" (12. 59); "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (13. 5). Whoever is preaching the gospel needs to use these gospel words which can touch the heart. Even those who sing must sing with the spirit of the gospel.

For the church to preach the gospel, there is need of oneness of spirit as a certain measure of prearrangement. The church must train the brothers and sisters in the preaching of the gospel. The responsible brothers should be faithful in supervising and encouraging brothers and sisters to bring in friends to hear the gospel. They themselves must set the example.

(9) How can we help those brethren who attend the gospel meeting?

First of all, any brother should be reminded that he should not measure the spirit of the meeting with his own spirit. Sometimes his own spirit is at a low ebb. The meeting may be good, but he is as an outsider. If he touches defilement in the meeting, then something is wrong in the meeting.

Secondly, in order to touch the spirit of other brethren, one has to deal strictly with himself first. Be very careful in learning how to touch others’ spirit.

(10) How are we to prepare for the gospel beforehand and what about spontaneous inspiration?

There should be preparation beforehand. The introductory words need to be strong and impressive. In drawing the gospel net, the spirit should be free and spontaneous. One brother in England frequently used the sentence: "No one load can be placed on two backs." Brother M’Kendrick himself often declared: "You and hell are not far apart, just a breath’s length."

(11) Sometimes when the word is uttered it draws out tears; but at other times, when the same word is spoken, there are no tears. Why is this?

The same word must be spoken with the same spirit in order to achieve the same result. Otherwise, you will have different responses.

(12) Does the "fire" in Matthew 3. 11c—"He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire"—refer to the fire of the gospel?

No, the "fire" here refers to the fire of hell. As the "Holy Spirit" is to be taken literally, so must the "fire" be taken literally. This is an important principle of interpretation. The Lord uses the Holy Spirit to baptize the believers, whereas He uses fire to season the unbelievers.

(13) How many people should speak in an open-air meeting?

This is not a question of how many people should speak but rather a matter of how much time there is. If the time is long, several can speak. The messages must be concise and the prayers must be short.

(14) If a sinner prolongs his weeping, will he be exposed to demon possession?

The cry of repentance does not usually open the door to demon possession, unless that person has already been possessed by a demon.

(15) May we take those who weep naturally or supernaturally outside of the meeting to help them?

You may, but remember to never forbid normal weeping. Sheep usually go astray as a group and will also return as a group.

(16) How about this matter of hearing confession?

Never try to hear people’s confession of sins. For confession is like a water ditch, and hearing confession is like a water reservoir. The knowledge of the sinning perpetrated by many Catholic priests has come about from their continual hearing of confession. Many revivalists have themselves fallen into sins because they have listened to confessions. Do not ever hear others’ confession. The most one should do is to hear but the mentioning of sin, never to hear the story itself of the sin(s). How pure is our Lord who alone can hear the confession of all the repentant sinners and believers in the world and not be defiled. He knows no sin; He is the blessed Lord.

(17) How about the matter of demon possession?

One basic principle of demon possession is the breakdown of the walls of personality. Open confession of a believer tends to break down the walls of his personality. God alone examines our hearts and tries our reins (see Ps. 26. 2). We need to keep the fence of our personality intact. Failure to do so leads to fulfilling the condition for demon possession.

(18) How much time should be spent in drawing the net?

It is very difficult to calculate the time. Some people have to be pressed while others are averse to pressure. But if the church is under the mercy of the Lord, she will be blessed either way.