When the subject is once opened the first thing to find out is where the person with whom you are dealing stands; then you will know how to wisely treat his case. In the chapters immediately following this all the classes of men one is likely to meet will be given, and the first point to be ascertained is to which class any given individual belongs. But how can we find out to which class any person belongs? First. By asking him questions. Such questions as “Are you a Christian?” “Are you saved?” “Do you know that your sins are forgiven?” “Have you eternal life?” “Are you confessing Christ openly before the world?” “Are you a friend of Jesus?” “Have you been born again?” One may answer these questions untruthfully, either through ignorance or a desire to mislead you. Nevertheless, their answers and the manner of them will show you a great deal about their real state. Second. By watching his face. A man’s face will often reveal that which his words try to conceal. Any one who cultivates the study of the faces of those with whom he deals will soon be able to tell in many instances the exact state of those with whom they are dealing irrespective of anything they may say. Third. By the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit if we only look to Him to do it will often flash into our minds a view of the man’s position, and just the scripture he needs.
When we have learned where the person with whom we are dealing stands, the next thing to do is to lead him as directly as we can to accept Jesus Christ, as his personal Savior and Master. We must always bear in mind that the primary purpose of our work, is not to get persons to join the church or to give up their bad habits or to do anything else than this, to accept Jesus Christ, as their Saviour—the one who bore their sins in his own body on the tree and through whom they can have immediate and entire forgiveness,—and as their Master to whom they surrender absolutely the guidance of their thoughts, feelings, purposes and actions. Having led any one to thus accept Christ the next step will be to show him from God’s word that he has forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Acts x. 43; xiii. 39; Jno. iii. 36; v. 24, will answer for this purpose. The next step will be to show him how to make a success of the Christian life upon which he has entered. How to do this will be told later. Each person is to be led to accept Christ through a use of the word of God. In the chapters that immediately follow this we will try to show what specific portions of the word to use in given cases and how to use them.