Conversation 13

Mr. Wright—Well, I am glad to see you, Neighbor Synsum. I have been wanting to tell you that we are going to have Brother Goodman preach for us the first Sunday of next month.

Mr. Synsum—In the morning?

Mr. Wright—Yes, at 10:30. Will you bring your family?

Mr. Synsum—Oh, I suppose we might as well come. We might learn something more about this problem of holy living.

Mr. Wright—There are many people, Neighbor Synsum, that do not understand the meaning of holy living. They seem to think that sin so prevails and permeates everything that one can scarcely breathe or open his mouth to speak a word without committing sin. “Sin is a transgression of the law.”* (1 John 3:4) To live a holy life is to live in humble, loving obedience to all God’s Word.

Mr. Synsum—I do not think we can live to all God’s Word.

Mr. Wright—Why, Mr. Synsum! You will agree with me that God is love and that He is just?

Mr. Synsum—Certainly I agree to that.

(Mr. Truman arrives.)

Mr. Truman—Good morning, gentlemen; here you are talking again.

Mr. Synsum—Yes, I got here ahead of you. We have just gotten started.

Mr. Wright—To continue our thought: you believe that God is just. Would a just and loving parent demand things of his children that he knew they could not do? Now, God does demand things of us that we cannot do of ourselves, but He will help us to do all He has commanded us to do. A man might say to his son, “Johnny, I want you to lift that stone, and then I will give you an orange.” The boy is convinced that he cannot lift it, but the father commands him to obey. He takes hold of the stone and begins to lift; the father then, unseen by the boy, places his hand under the stone and helps him do what he could not do alone. And then the father gives him an orange. It appears to you that God has commanded you to do things you cannot do; but whenever He demands anything of us, if we set out in loving obedience to obey, He will always help us.

Mr. Synsum—He tells us in His Word to put away anger. Now, I get angry; I cannot help it. Then, when I get angry, I say some things I ought not to say, and I do not think there is a man living who does not.

Mr. Wright—Because I might get a tumble in every attempt to fly an aircraft, would it be just to conclude that no man could fly one?

Mr. Synsum—Of course not, but I tell you, I have never seen that man yet who could keep mild-tempered and sweet amid the provocations that are certain to arise in home life. Just the other day while I was reading the war news, wife, who was doing some work in front of me, stepped back a step and stepped square on a corn on my toe. I know that is not the most handsome thing to tell; but such things happen, and it happened to me—and don’t tell me I could keep from getting angry; why, before I had time to think, I told her something.

Mr. Wright—And the poor woman had to take abuse for a thing unintentionally done. Your wife is a good woman.

Mr. Synsum—I know she is, God bless her; but I do get provoked with her sometimes and say some things I ought not say. I do not believe that any man is able to avoid getting a little angry or impatient in his home and saying some things he ought not say. Do you?

Mr. Wright—Oh, yes; I am very well acquainted with a man and his wife who have not spoken the least unkind word to each other for years. My dear man, do you not think that Christ can help us to live in our homes as we ought to live? Love should reign supreme in the home. No harsh word should ever be uttered, no unkind feeling should ever be entertained. A home filled with love and kindness is a little emblem of heaven. Shall heaven have no emblem on earth? Alas! They are too few; but thank God, there are a few.

Mr. Synsum—If I could be persuaded that such a thing is possible, I would make it so in my case regardless of the cost.

But I want to speak to you now about some testimonies I heard last night. Some of your young people were down to our meeting last night. They are nice young people, as nice as I ever saw, but one of the young ladies said that God had saved her so completely that she could not sin. Now, that is going too far. One of our neighbors claims that he cannot sin or cannot fall from grace, and I am sorry to say he is the only disagreeable man in all the community. None of us care to have any dealings with him.

Mr. Wright—I suppose you have reference to Mr. Cicure. I have had a few talks with him, and I do not care to have any more, for, as you say, he is not a pleasant man to talk with. But is it not possible that you misunderstood the young sister? I have not heard any of the young people make such claims.

Mr. Truman—I was at the meeting and heard all the testimonies and I did not hear anyone use those words. I know sometimes we misunderstand others. Let me tell you a story I heard last week. Three ladies on their way to a Thursday afternoon meeting passed a man and his wife on the street. When those ladies met with the other ladies at their place of meeting, a general talk began upon the various events of the day. One of the three ladies said, “Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been to the zoo because as we passed them on our way here, I heard them say something about the ‘trained deer.’ ” A second one of the three ladies smiled saying, “You are much mistaken; they are going away somewhere; for the wife said to her husband (I heard it distinctly), ‘Find out about the train, dear.’ ” At this, the third woman laughed heartily and exclaimed, “How dull of hearing you both were! I was next to them as we passed, and I remember I thought at the time they were going to study music, because she said something about getting a man with a ‘trained ear.” Then those ladies began their dispute about which was right. But Mrs. Brown herself came in. They took the matter to her at once. She said, “How stupid you all were! I had just been out in the country over night, and I was asking my husband if it ‘rained here’ last night.”

So you see, Mr. Synsum, that it is easy to get a wrong understanding. I remember that one young lady said that God kept her each day free from sin, but I did not hear anyone say she could not sin.

Mr. Synsum—Well, I might have misunderstood her, so before I become positive, I shall ask some others who were there.

Mr. Wright—Did you read the little booklet I gave you?

Mr. Synsum—I read every word of it to my wife, and we thought it was the most interesting book we have read in a long time. I must confess that it puts some texts of Scripture in a different light than I ever saw before. I saw my own picture in the little book. I am just like that husband was. When the pigs get in the garden and are very contrary about going out, I get mad. I do not see how in the world anyone can help it. I am going to ask you, Mr. Wright, don’t you ever get angry?

Mr. Wright—I am very happy to tell you that the blood of Christ has cleansed my heart from all carnal anger, malice, hatred, and every other sin, so that I live day after day as the Bible says man should live. There is not one wrong thing I am obliged to do—not one commandment I am obliged to transgress. No; by the grace of God, I am enabled to live each day free from sin.

Mr. Synsum—My neighbors, Mr. Works, Mr. Waters, and Mr. Sumday, have been talking about you. We think probably that it is excitement with you, so we have concluded to watch you for awhile. The life, you know, speaks louder than the testimony of words.

Mr. Wright—I am perfectly willing for you to watch my life. Should I, however, make a misstep (as some I know have done) and fall into sin, the Word of God and the power of His grace stand just the same. I am expecting, however, for God to enable me to live a holy Bible life.

Mr. Synsum—I hope you may. I will now bid you goodbye. I am thankful for the talks I have had with you, and I say that I have been made no worse, at least. If there is anything better for me, I should like to have it. Goodbye.

Mr. Wright—Goodbye, Neighbor; God bless you and be with you in His mercy till we meet again.

(Mr. Synsum leaves.)

Mr. Truman—He is a good man in his way. Poor fellow, he has been taught, as many of us have, that we must of necessity sin more or less each day.

Mr. Wright—Well, how are you getting along?

Mr. Truman—I am glad to tell you, Brother Wright, that I am saved. God forgave me last night. I am happy in His love today. I could scarcely keep from telling you and Mr. Synsum as soon as I came, but I want to get all those men together and tell them my experience. I hope it will do them some good.

Mr. Wright—I am glad you are saved, and I pray that your testimony will do those men much good. I think one or two of them are almost convinced that there is such a thing as having a present experience of salvation from sin by grace. Much depends upon our living. May God help us to live pure lives.

When you see those men, I wish you would tell them that Brother Goodman is going to preach in our schoolhouse on the first Sunday in next month, at 10:30 a.m., and that I send them a special invitation to come.

Mr. Truman—I shall be glad to tell them and insist on their coming. I shall go in my automobile after them and fetch them if they will come. Goodbye. I will be over often to see you. You and Sister Wright come over to visit us.