had a tremendous interest in doing things for others. Some preachers sought to get their congregations involved by seeking to alleviate the hardships others faced. Many had found themselves in deep trouble as a result of the industrial revol ution which was causing serious problems in adjustment in the labor force. Many Christians had overlooked the needs all around them. Unfortunately the involve ment in helping often took the place of preaching the true mes sage of salvation in Jesus Christ. This was, and is, wrong. The mis sion of the church is not just meet ing physical needs but primarily stressing the proper spiritual objec tives. We are called by Christ to be witnesses not simply of a work ethic but rather to His saving power. At the same time we are not excused from being practical and useful. The basic word poorly translated gentleness in Galatians 5:22 chal lenges us. We are to become in volved doing what we can to meet the needs of mankind. It was tragic that the "social gospel" lost the im pact of salvation. But it is likewise tragic that many today have the tendency to overlook, whether in tentional or not, the need for a ded icated program of outreach. One of the vital aspects of the Christian's fruit-bearing is to do something for others. We are to be useful in pro claiming the message, while also bearing the loads others have to carry. Remember, a dead branch bears no fruit; it is unproductive. May this not be true in our lives. Let us make certain, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are exer cising this quality of character, "kindness," which the Apostle Paul urges upon our hearts. Page 13
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