what causes men to sin, Let me illus trate: some men, who desperately need money, may steal from their em ployers when they find themselves in a tempting situation. Other men, how ever, could face the same circum stances without stealing. You see, there is a variable here. But the fact remains, stealing is sinful even though the circumstances that cause men to steal may vary. In our confusion to day we often think of sin itself as OUR M ISSIO NARIES' NEEDS Do you hear them pleading, pleading Not for money, comfort, power, But that you, O Christian worker, Will but set aside an hour Wherein they will be remembered Daily at the Throne of Grace, That the work which they are doing In your life may have a place? Do you know that they are longing For the sympathetic touch That is theirs when friends are pray ing In the. homeland very much, That our God will bless the efforts They are making in His Name, And that souls for whom they're work ing, With His love may be aflame? Do you see them seeking, seeking For the gift of priceless worth That they count of more importance Than all other gifts on earth? Not the gold from rich men's coffers, Nor the relief from any care— 'Tis a gift that you can give them— 'Tis the Christian's daily prayer. being relative, instead of merely that which may cause us to sin. With this false notion, one might readily expect the New Testament to use such a standard Greek word for sin as the one meaning we have failed to live up to the standards expected of men by society. When we say that adultery was wrong in Christ’s day but per missible today we are making sin rel ative. The New Testament, however, used a word with a more rigid con notation s ig n ify in g “to miss the mark.” “The mark” can be nothing less than “the glory of God” (Romans
3:23). Although the elements that tempt men to “miss the mark” may vary from person to person, we be lieve the standard is clear and the conclusion is obvious — all have in deed sinned. The epistles are filled with exhortations to holy living that are of the highest and strictest na ture. The message of the New Testa ment is not one of tolerance for sin; it is the message of provision for cleansing and forgiveness when we fail to hit the mark. Biblical morality and the best of Western culture’ have long gone hand in hand. Although the contributions of moral philosophy hardly compare with either the quality or quantity to those of the Word of God, they are still of importance to us today. We need to realize that when we turn our back on Biblical morality, we also turn our back upon the moral founda tions of Western civilization. Men can not depreciate Christianity and dis regard Biblical morality without also under-cutting the moral fibre, actually the very foundation of our country. God help us to see that we will be a nation of value to God only if we recognize sin for what it is. And only if we humble ourselves before His Son for cleansing.
At Biola College, students have the opportunity of developing the talents which the Lordhas given fyem. At the piano is Sharon Weathers accompany ing Kathy Underwood, soloist, in a special sacred music recital.
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