August, 1937
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
315
Can a superficial indorsement of the teachings of Jesus change our inmost char acter ? Impossible! Even the scribe in the story in Mark 12:28-34, the man who wholeheartedly approved the absolute stand ard of the “two great commandments,” was still outside the kingdom of God (v. 34). Admiration of Christ’s words is not enough. We must accept this Teacher as our Saviour before we can attempt to follow His teach ings. How wonderfully He provides the power for obedience when we accept the provision for forgiveness! A poor old blind woman in Liverpool, after her conversion, learned many hymns which she could repeat to visitors. One day she was talking to a titled visitor, who happened to be connected with her past years of service. The aged woman hap pened to say, “ The Lord in the day of His anger did lay your sins on the Lamb, and He bore them away.” The visitor corrected her gently, “ In the day of His mercy, you mean.” “ No,” said the old woman, “there was anger first, and mercy followed. How could you expect anything else from a just and righteous God?” It is the absence of the first, in much preaching today, which is preventing God’s mercy being received and enjoyed. —Sunday School Times. II. A T rue T extbook An atheist said: “There is one thing that mars all the pleasure o f my life. I am afraid the Bible is true. If I could know for a certainty that death is an eternal sleep, I should be happy. But here is what pierces my soul: if the Bible is true, I am lost forever.”—A. S ims . III. A ccepting the W hole M essage In a reaction against the liberalism that implies that the Sermon on the Mount can be obeyed in human strength and that ex ternal salvation results thereby, evangelical Christians sometimes have a tendency to be come prejudiced against this passage. But “every word of God is pure” (Prov. 30:5), and we must beware of limiting ourselves to “a shorter Bible.” Let us come often to these pages of God’s own Word and allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts as we read Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Let us ask that He shall reveal to us any lack of love, any revengeful spirit, or any self-exaltation that may be dishonoring to our King. — S elected . Helps for the Leader I. S ound T eaching
JUST WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FORI That’s what you will say whon you see THE CHRISTIAN READER'S DIGEST 1040 PARK AVENUE, OMAHA, NEBRASKA S«nd fora free sample copy or send 10c for current Issue, M A T E A harmless, non-habit-forming beverage, something like tea. South America's favorite drink. SEND $1 for 20 ozs. postpaid. AGENTS WANTED PAN AMERICAN TEA CO. 2704 S. Vermont LOS ANGELES little about the Teacher Himself. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord Jesus enun ciated a very lofty code of ethics which ex presses the basic principles of His king dom. However, these words were spoken to and designed for His disciples, those who believed in Him and followed His teachings. For discipleship there were very specific requirements which the Lord Jesus epitomized when He said: “And whoso ever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:27). What cross must His follower bear? The true disciple of the Lord Jesus must iden tify himself with the One whom the world rejected and nailed to a criminal’s cross; he must bear His reproach. Does this matriculation fee in the school of Christ’s discipleship sound as popular and easy as the acceptance of the teachings about which we so often hear? Let us be consistent in our thinking. Simmered down, there are but two courses in the curriculum of the Lord Jesus Christ. With these two tests passed, one’s entrance into the kingdom of heaven would be assured. But hear what these are: first, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mk. 12:30); second, “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (v. 31). Who has ever fulfilled these requirements? It is evi dent that it is humanly impossible to ap proximate the standards; a miracle is neces sary to provide power for meeting those di vine demands. That miracle is the regen eration of the soul through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His blood for the remission of sins. No amount of striv ing will ever accomplish that purpose. We cannot love the Lord our God until we have come to His Son by the way of the cross. The result of union with Christ in His death and resurrection is the spontaneous following of His precepts. With His Holy Spirit working in our hearts, we can love Him because the barrier of sin which sep arated us from Him is removed, and we love Him because we realize His great love for us. It is then consequent that we love our neighbors as ourselves, because we de sire that they know the Saviour, too. The love of Christ within gives fortitude for making Him known at all costs, even through persecution and worldly unpopu larity.
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