LAWRENCE B. HICKS
(Nazarene)

 

LAWRENCE B. HICKS
(Nazarene)

I well remember that after God saved me, about six months later, there came a historic

picture to the Franklin theater. I was approached to drive the automobile for friends to see that
historic picture. They were all aware that I had distinct scruples against the theater. I walked the
floor that afternoon and fought one of the hardest battles of my life. Satan informed me of my love
for English history. The arguments arose that this picture was different. The enemy said, “You’ve
read a lot of English history, and this is a story of an English king, you can go sit through the show
and commit no sin whatever!” After some hours I was almost convinced to give in and go. Even at
that early date in my experience in the way of Christ, the enemy did not fail to suggest that I was
becoming too narrow. I decided that I would not go, then changed my mind and decided I would
go, then was soon back on the negative side of the question and so on. Satan wants nothing better
than to confuse the young child of God. But, somehow, thank God, that will within me sat on the
bench of the tribune and rapped its gavel and said, “You have been born of God, you may ruin your
influence if you yield and go to this show.” About an hour or so before time to leave I made a final
decision, an emphatic “No!” O that awful battle of those long hours!

Now, may I show you what will and can take place if you are still having such battles as

my “historic picture show battle.” I was not sanctified when I fought that hard inner battle with
temptation and by the help of God, won. The exterior temptation, a very real temptation to
compromise the convictions the Lord had implanted in me when He had justified me six months
prior, was present. That temptation was to see that historic English picture. Within my justified
heart was a strong longing to see it. That longing would either overcome my conviction, subject my
will and force me to yield and go to the theater or my convictions would stand, my will stand
remain sovereign and I would not go. Will won, and I refused to yield. “Whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin.” I now clearly see it though I was much perplexed then. A converted soul, yet
unsanctified, battles on two fronts in its warfare not to commit sin. The outward front of
temptation, the inner front of motive and desire.

 

Now it seems to me that if there is another work of grace after conversion, called

sanctification, when the Holy Spirit comes in all His fullness, it ought to do something with that
inward warfare. That brings us to the plane where sanctification works, from the exterior to the
interior. It brings it out of the action life to the motive life of the Christian. Brings it out of the
outside down into the heart. Then we can say, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” If the heart
be clean, if the fountainhead be pure, every little rivulet that boils over the rim of the fountain will
be clean and pure, like that that comes out of the fountain itself. There will not be that battle and
that contention and warfare going on in the inside!

I remember after He sanctified me wholly at a quarter to eleven o’clock the 27th day of

July, 1937, about six months after my “historic picture battle,” He cleansed my desire life, my
motive life, my “drive” life. From that day until this very moment anything may be spread on the
marquee of any theater, they can bring any historical show out they wish, Satan can say “Don’t you
want to see this, that or the other?” On the inside of my heart there has been and is something
making my desire as dead as a coffin nail, there is no response, there is no want to! There has been
cleansed out something down on the inside until I can say, “I am sanctified!” Blessed be God,
forever.

Source: “Holiness, The Pride of God” by Laurence B. Hicks

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THE END

 

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HOW THEY ENTERED CANAAN
(A Collection of Holiness Experience Accounts)
Compiled by Duane V. Maxey

Vol. I — Named Accounts