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THE KING’S BUSINESS h elp from on H igh. T h is sp irit o f accom plishing ev e ry th in g b y o u r own re sources a n d in o u r own stren g th has e n te red a n d largely p e rv a d e d th e church. Pu sh ! Pu sh ! Pu sh ! O rgan ize! O rgan ize! O rgan ize! is th e tem p e r a n d m e th o d o f th e p re se n t hour. T h is accoun ts m o re th a n an y th ing else fo r failure in th e life o f th e in d iv idu a l b eliever. e d o n o t sp en d enough tim e a lo n e w ith O od . T h is accoun ts fo r th e w eakness o f o u r pub lic m in istry a n d o f ou r m o re qu iet efforts to b rin g m en to Christ. P e te r a n d his com p an ion s h a d le a rn ed th e se c re t o f success w hen th e y sa id : “W e w ill give ourselves con tinually to p ra y e r a n d to th e m in istry o f th e W o rd .” If w e w o u ld p ra y m o re w e w o u ld b e m o re h o ly ; if w e w ou ld p ra y m o re we w ou ld know m ore, ou r m ind s w ou ld b e m o re o p en to th e tru th o f G o d , we w ou ld h av e a c le a re r vision o f th e m e an ing o f th e W o r d ; if w e w ou ld p ra y m o re th e re w ou ld b e m o re p ow e r in o u r efforts, m o re souls w on to C hrist a n d m o re ra p id ad v a n c e in th e w o rk o f th e church h e re o n earth . ^ T h e essential th ing is n o t th e p e rso n o f Christ, n o r ev en th e d e a th o f Christ, b u t th e teach ing s o f C hrist in w o rd a n d act.** H e says, "T h o se teach ing s w ou ld b e equally v a lu ab le if Jesu s h a d p e rfo rm e d no m iracle, o r h a d com e to e a rth as o th e rs come, o r h a d com e full grown. It is in th e se th a t H is D ivinity inheres. A n d these teachings a re D ivine, n o t b ecau se H e ta u g h t them , b u t b ecau se th e y a re tru e .” H ow d ifferen t th e w o rd th a t says, “ I am th e way, th e tru th , a n d th e life.” “C om e un to ME .” “My sheep h e a r MY vo ice a n d th e y follow ME .” “E x c ep t y e b e liev e th a t I am H E y e shall d ie m y o u r sins.” “H e th a t h a th th e Son h a th life.” “H e shall conv ict th e w o rld o f sin becau se th ey believe n o t on ME .” “H E is o u r p e a c e .” C h rjst o u r life.” “H e w as m a d e sin fo r us.” “F o r m e to live is C h rist.” C hrist in you th e h o p e o f g lo ry .” “W h o is an tich rist b u t h e th a t d en ie th th a t C hrist com eth in th e fle sh ? ” W h a t is th e sanction o f th e law 5 D id it n o t begin “ I AM JE H O V A H th y G o d ” ? W h e re is th e A b rah am ic jo y ? W here is th e call to service th a t h as n o t h e a rd , “ I AM T H A T I AM ,” a n d w h e re is its en cou rag em en t w ithout, “Lo, I AM w ith you alway, even to th e end o f th e w o rld ? If e v e r th e re w ere an tich ristian w o rd s th ey , tflose q u o te d abov e. C hrist H im self is th e essential Christianity, ? n , T h e h e a rt o f th e G o sp e l.” T h e re is d a n g e r th a t h isto ry m ay re p e a t itself a n d m en ag ain b ecom e “w ith o u t CHR IST , w ith o u t h o p e an d w ithou t G o d in th e w o rld .” G o d so lo v ed th e w o rld , th a t H e gave, n o t Christianity, b u t H is only b eg o tten Son. C hristian ity d id n o t die fo r u s ; rise fo r us, d o e s n o t a p p e a r m th e p resence o f G o d fo r u s; w ill n o t tak e us to itself; can n o t w ak e th e d e ad , o r ch ang e th e living. N o ; C hrist is Christianity. H is Person, no t H is p recep ts, distinguishes ou r faith. O u r sun becom es "sack c lo th of han- a t th e th o u g h t th a t ou r life is n o t hid in G o d w ith H im . C u t Christ ou t o f C h ristianity! cut its h e a rt out. Aye, a n d you cut th e h e a rt ou t of all w ho fo n d ly th o u g h t th a t th e y h a d found a F riend , n o t a ph ilo so p h y Christ and Christianity scholar, ed ito r, an d p re a c h e r o f “ lib e ra l” th eo lo g y says:
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