To Christian Workers - Chapter 23a

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"Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ" by Madame Jeanne Guyon

As we draw near to the close of this little book, I would like to address a word of exhortation to those Christian workers who are in charge of new converts.

Let us consider the present situation. All around us, Christians are seeking to convert the lost to Jesus Christ. What is the best way to do this? And once men have been converted, what is the best way to aid them in attaining full perfection in Christ?

The way to reach the lost is to reach them by the heart. If the new convert were introduced to real prayer and to true inward experience of Christ as soon as he became converted, you would see countless numbers of convert go on to become true disciples.

On the other hand, you can see that the present way of dealing only with the external matters of life of the new convert brings little fruit. Burdening the new Christian with countless rules and all sorts of standards does not help him grow in Christ. Here is what should be done: The new Christian should be led to God.

How?

By learning to turn within to Jesus Christ and by giving the Lord his whole heart.

If you are one of those in charge of new believers, lead them to a real inner knowledge of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a difference there would be in the lives of those new Christians!

Consider the results!

We would see the simple farmer as he plowed his field, spend his days in the blessing of the presence of God. The shepherd, while watching his flocks, would have the same abandoned love for the Lord, which marked the early Christians. The factory worker, while laboring with his outward man, would be renewed with strength in his inner man.

You would see each of these people put away every kind of sin from his life; all would become spiritual men and women with hearts set on knowing and experiencing Jesus Christ.

For a new Christian—for all of us in fact—the heart is all important if we are to go forward in Christ. Once the the heart has been gained by God, everything else will eventually take care of itself. This is why He requires the heart above all else.

Dear reader, it is by the Lord gaining your heart, and no other way, that all your sins can be put away. If the heart could be gained, Jesus Christ would reign in peace, and the whole church would be renewed.

In fact, we are discussing the very thing that caused the early church to lose its life and beauty. It was the loss of a deep, inner, spiritual relationship to Christ. Counterwise, the church could be restored if this inner relationship were recovered!

That is not all. Right now Christian leaders are quite preoccupied with the fear that the Lord’s people will fall in to some doctrinal error.Oh but when Christians are believing in Jesus Christ and drawing near to Him, there is little danger of such a thing happening!

You can be sure that if a Christian turns away from the Lord, he can discuss doctrine and engage in arguments all day long, but none of it will help him! Endless discussion only brings more confusion. What that believer needs is for someone to direct him to simply believe in Jesus Christ and to turn within to him. Were any believer to do so, he would very soon be led back to God.

What inexpressible damage new Christians—for that matter most Christians—have suffered because of the loss of an inner, spiritual relationship to Jesus Christ.

You who are in authority over young believers must yourself one day give an account to God for those who have been entrusted to you by the Lord. You will have to give an account for not having discovered for yourself this hidden treasure—this inner relationship to Christ—and you will also be held accountable for not having given that treasure to those in your charge.

Nor will you, in that day, be able to excuse yourself by saying that this walk with the Lord was too dangerous or that simple uneducated people are unable to understand spiritual things. The scripture simply does not validate these conjectures.

What about the dangers of walking in this way? Are there any?

What danger can there be in walking in the only true way: in Jesus Christ?
What danger is there in giving yourself up completely to the Lord Jesus and fixing all your attention continually on Him? Can any harm come from placing all your confidence in His grace and in loving Him purely with all the love and passion your heart is capable of pouring out?

As for the simple and unlearned, it is not true that they are incapable of this inner relationship to Christ. The reverse is true. They are actually more suited to it.

The Lord loves who walk simply. (Proverbs 12:22)

Their humility, their simple trust in God, make it easier for them to turn within and follow the Lord’s Spirit. They are more qualified than most. You see, these simple believers are not accustomed to analyzing; they do not have the habit of discussing the issues of everything; and they are quick to let go of their own opinions.

Yes, they do lack a great deal of education and religious training; therefore they are freer and quicker to follow the leading of the Spirit. Other people—more gifted, better educated, trained in theology—are often cramped and even blinded by their spiritual wealth! Such a person very often offers greater resistance to the inner anointing and to the leading of the Lord’s Spirit.

Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ
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