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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Do you recall those wonderful sentences, scattered here and there about the apos tle’s writings, and beginning with the words “but now” ? Each sentence pro claims the end of the dominion of night, and unveils some glimpse of the new created day. “But now, apart from the law the righteousness of God hath been manifest ed.” “But now, being made free from sin and become servants to God.” “But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.” “But now are ye light in the Lord.” “Now, no condemnation tp them that are in Christ Jesus.” These represent no thin abstrac tions. To Paul the realities of which they speak were more real than the firm and solid earth. And is it any wonder that a man with such a magnificent sehse of the reality of the redemptive works of Christ, who felt the eternal purpose throbbing in the dark background and abyss of time, who conceived it operating upon our race in floods of grace and glory, and who real ized in his own immediate consciousness the varied wealth of the resultant emanci pation—is it any wonder that for this man a new day had dawned, and the birds had begun to sing and the flowers to bloom, and a sunny optimism had taken posses sion of his heart, which found, expression in an assured and rejoicing hope? PAUL’S DYNAMICS I lo'ok abroad again over the record of this man’s life and teachings, if perchance I may discover the secrets of his abiding optimism, and I am profoundly impressed by his living sense of the reality and great ness of his present resources. “By Christ redeemed!” That is not a grand finale; it is only a glorious inauguration. “By Christ redeemed; in Christ restored” ; it is with these dynamics of restoration that his epis tles are so wondrously abounding. In almost. every other sentence he suggests a dynamic which he can count upon as his friend. Paul’s mental and spiritual out look comprehended a great army of posi tive forces laboring in the interests of the kingdom of God. His conception of life
was amazingly rich in friendly dynamics! I do not wonder that such a wealthy con sciousness was creative of a triumphant optimism. Just glance at some of the apos tle’s auxiliaries: “Christ liveth in me!” “Christ liveth in me! He breathes through all my aspirations. He thinks through all my thinking. He wills through all my will ing. He loves through all my loving. He travails in all my labors. He works within me ‘to will and to do of his good pleas ure.’ ” That is the primary faith of the hopeful life. But see what follows in swift and immediate succession. “If Christ is in you, the spirit is life.” “The spirit is life!” And therefore you find that in the apos tle’s thought dispositions are powers. They are not passive entities. They are posi tive forces vitalizing and energizing the common life of men. A PERILOUS LEAKAGE My brethren, I am persuaded there is a perilous leakage in this department of our thought. We are not bold enough in our thinking concerning spiritual realities. We do not associate with every mode of the consecrated spirit the mighty energy of God. We too often oust from our practical calculations some of the strongest and most aggressive allies of the saintly life. Meek ness is more than the absence of self-asser tion; it is the manifestation of the mighty power of God. To the Apostle Paul love expressed more than a relationship. It was an energy productive of abundant labors. Faith was more than an attitude. It was an energy creative of mighty endeavor. Hope was more than a posture. It was an energy generative of a most enduring patience. All these are dynamics, to be counted as active allies, co-operating in the ministry of the kingdom. And so the epistles abound in the recital of mystic ministries at work. The Holy Spirit work- e th ! Grace worketh! Faith worketh! Love worketh! Hope worketh! Prayer worketh! And there are other allies robed in less attractive garb. “Tribulation work eth” “This light; affliction worketh.” “Godly sorrow worketh!” On every side of
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