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thing to him, because he is enabled to say, "To me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1: 21 ); The early Christians in the Cata combs employed divers symbols, which they engraved on the walls, to encour age them in their faith, such as the dove, the anchor, the good shepherd, etc., most of them easily interpreted, but there was one not so easily understood — the fish. Having to avoid the use of the Sacred Name, they took the Greek word for “ fish.” and made each of its five letters the initial of a great and sacred word: 'Jesus— Christ— Son of— God— Saviour.” This symbol thus re minded them of their Divine Lord, and helped them for “ His Name’s sake” to - endure all the persecutions and hard ships to which they were exposed. In Gospel addresses one so frequently hears the call, “ Believe .on Jesus,” ‘ Be lieve on Jesus,” frequently repeated. This was not St. Paul’s answer to the Jailor at. Philippi to his question, “ Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16: 30, 31). His answer was, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house.” To invite the unconverted simply to “ believe on. Jesus” is to lead many to deceive themselves, and to think they are Christians when they do not doubt the historic record of the birth, life and death of our Lord, but believe intellec tually only, just as we believe the ac count of any other leading character, such as King Henry VIII.; but this ds not believing “ with the heart unto righteousness.” Others may go a step further, and really believe on Jesus as their Saviour from sin, but stop there, so that they live their daily lives very much like unbelievers around them; they do not witness for Christ, and are ever falling into sin. No, the faith unto salvation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, on the Person of the Living Christ in all His attributes.
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The Supreme Name B$ Col. Douglas Jones '■j^iiiiiiMiuiiiiiiHiiiiinihiiiiiuitiuiiOTij|^uiij]^^Mi|iMniiiniiiiiiiiW^.t:
N these days many Christian people use the word “ Jesus” without prefix or affix, and though*they dc not mean any
irreverence, yet this habit is to be great ly deplored, especially in these days when So many, even in high positions in our churches, call in question the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. It be hooves, then, for all who hold ‘‘that worthy Name” in honor ever to ac knowledge that Christ is God. Un fortunately, many of our most popular hymns err in this matter. St. Paul, in his Epistles, does occa sionally use the word “ Jesus” 'alone, yet he does so but seldom. The following are the terms he uses:. “ Jesus Christ” occurs 61 times; “ Christ Jesus,” 46; “ The Lord Jesus,” 18; “ Jesus our Lord,” 8; “ Lord Jesus Christ,” 68; “ The Lord,” 133.; and “ Christ,” 227 times or 570 references in all. In only 21 instances does he use the name “ Jesus” alone,' without any title of honor. Is not the inference plain? Surely in these days we should never mention that Blessed Name without some title recognizing H's Godhead. While saying this we cannot think too much or constantly of Him as Jesus, our Saviour, Who bore our sins in His own body on the tree, ‘ ‘Who made there” (by His one oblation of Himself once offered) “ a full, perfect, and suf ficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfac tion for the sins of the whole world.” But, in alluding to Him before others, let us ever bear witness to His Deity. St. Paul in his Epistles glories in the Name of “ Christ”— the Messiah, the Eternal Son of God; he uses it constant ly. The Name of “ Christ” is every
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