210
June, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
'D evotion
to Christa
B y FRED MELDAU* Denver, Colorado
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“ For the love o f Christ constraineth us’?' (2 Cor. 5 :14 ); iN, infidel once bore the following testimony: “ Did I firmly belieye, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, religion would be to me everything. I would cast aside earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Re ligion should be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the morrow of eternity alone. I-would esteem one Soul gained for heaven worth a life of . suffering. Earthly consequence should never stay my hand nor seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs/would occupy no moment o f my thoughts. I would strive to look on eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly miserable or everlast ingly' happy. I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of- season, and my text Would b e : “ For What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?” • When C. T. Studd, the great Cambridge cricketer, read the above words/they made such a tremendous impression upon him that he threw Up a legal career in England to go to the dark places of the earth as a missionary. Referring to the infidel’s words, Mr. Studd said,'“ They decided me at once to live only and utterly for .Christ,” He gave away his entire fortune of a half million dollars, and followed Christ in voluntary-poverty. 1Iis last term o f service was in the heart of Africa for nearly thirteen years without a furlough. i The Christian knows that what was to the infidel mere speculation is indeed fact. We know that there is a heaven and a hell, because the'inspired Word o f God tells of them. W e know that all mankind is destined to spend eternity in one o f the two places; those who accept Christ are saved, and those who reject Him a/e lost. Therefore the supreme duty o f every born-again person is to live and work for God, to be wholly devoted to Christ. Most o f us are painfully conscious o f the present spiritual dearth in the churches. With tragic indifference, the church is asleep while the enemy is sowing his tares. The appalling need o f the hour is a greater devotion to Christ on the part o f His followers. The sole and final secret o f spiritual power and useful ness in the service of God is this very thing: utter devotion to Christ. The Apostle Paul was thoroughly devoted to Christ, and God used him to stir the world. Paul said: *Editor of the Christian Victory Magazine. (See page 240.)
“ For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2 :2 );, D. L. Moody practiced-“ concentrated consecration” and urged all to join him in the ranks of the “ out and out” for Christ. A man who knew Spurgeon intimately for a number-of years said, “ The one secret o f his success as a Christian worker was his utter devotion to Christ.” The world knows how God used Moody and Spurgeon. George Muller, J. Hud son Taylor, David Brainerd, and all others whom God has used ‘mightily, have, without exception, been men deeply devoted to Christ. T he H eart A ttitude of F ull D evotion One of the finest Biblical illustrations o f devotion to Christ is in Luke 7 :37, 38 : “ And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, , . / . brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his [Jesus’ ] feet behind him weep ing, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs o f her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with thè "Òmtmeht?” Phis woman was a great sinner, but she turned to Christ and found His for giveness and saving grace, Because her many sins were freely forgiven, she loved much. Let us make a brief study o f this incident, observing her devotion. 1. She stood at JeSUs’ feet. This is the placé of faith. She acknowledged her need and came to Christ for His saving grace. And our Saviour gave her this blessed assur ance: “ Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (v. 50). Hers was a faith attitude. W e are saved “ by grace . . . through faith” and are called on to live the Christian life every day by faith— “ The just shall live by faith.” The woman took the place o f complete surrender to Christ— “ at his feet”— the place o f subjection. And this is the first step in the enjoyment o f salvation— to surrender the will entirely and eternally to Christ. It is not so much a question o f surrendering certain things to Christ, as it is o f surrendering self to Christ. The Scriptures distinguish between believers and dis ciples. All disciples are believers, but not all believers are disciples. The one condition o f salvation is to “ believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31). The one condition o f discipleship is to completely surrender self, devoting oneself entirely to Christ : “ Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:27). The cross was the instrument of death; hence to “ bear one’s cross” (not “ crosses” ) means to will to give up self and the world ( “ die,” as it were), and to be alive only unto Christ. Paul expressed this truth in Galatians 2 :20 : “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
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