R e l e v a n c y o f t h e B i b l e for the day in which we live is clearly seen in such verses as I John 4:18 reminding us “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” What a paradox that the tech nology providing us with our first opportunity in history to really reach out and evangelize the entire world also has made it possible to annihilate civilization in a matter of seconds. With new television and communications developments, we stand on the verge of being able to telecast the Gospel by satellites to the uttermost recesses of primitive areas through inexpensive television sets. Man is positively confronted with the possibility and potential of preaching the Gospel literally to every creature. These are significant days. Did you know that 90% of all scientists who have ever lived are now living and developing our technology? Yet, with all of our vaunted knowledge, man still has not learned to control himself. At best, without Christ, he is a divided person. We use a mil lion pounds of aspirin annually here in America. In addition, people take pills to go to sleep, pills to pep them up for work in the morning, and pills to calm them down through out the day. Someone has suggested that if you shook the average man he would probably rattle. One out of every five persons walking about in our communities has some kind of mental or emotional illness needing treatment. See how all of these things have affected our young people. The great est number of suicides take place in
the 15- to 19-year-old bracket. Teen agers are looking for a banner un der which to march. They are search ing for a song they can sing and a cause they can espouse. F in d in g none, apart from Christ, they take the quick way out. Hedonism and pleasure-madness seem to be the vogue of our society. You see, man within himself is divided. It’s true, too, in the world. Two Chinas, two Berlins, two Germanys, two Koreas, two Vietnams and the newspapers repeat like a broken record about race clashing with race, nation with nation, culture with culture. Our era has been termed the age of anxiety or disillusionment. Even atheistic Bertrand Russell, speak ing to a Columbia University audi ence a few years ago, said, “For so ciety to survive it must have,” and then he apologized for the usage of the word, “Christian love as a mo tive for existence, as a guide in ac tion, a reason for courage, as an imperative for intellectual honesty.” A noted anthropologist declared, “ ‘To love thy neighbor as thyself’ is not simply a good text for Sunday morning, but also it is perfectly sound biology. Science shows us that the way to survival and happiness for all mankind is through love and co-operation.” Confusion, loss of meaning, a sense of inner despair, are the hallmarks of our age. In Ephesians we are told that God has allowed us to know the secret of His plan and it is this: He purposes, in His sovereign will, that all human history shall be consummated in Christ; that everything that exists in heaven or earth shall find its per fection and fulfillment in Him; that in all which will one day belong to 9
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