centered. The Christian does n o t “walk” with a view of obtaining the maximum amount of satisfaction for himself, but in order to please his Lord. Paul does not specify any particular matter in which they should “please God;” he is concerned with the whole bent of the life. “To Walk” refers to one’s conduct of life. It is a Hebrew expression, used also in describing Enoch: “Enoch walked with God.” So these Christians had been instructed how to walk so as “to please God.” In deed, they had begun to live in that "THE BAR TO HEAVEN" Recently, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fang- er of Medford, Oregon, sent us a poem which they found in their eld est son's Bible. He was killed on the Anzio Beachhead in 1944. We know you will have a ready appreciation of it. A bar to heaven, a door to hell, Whoever named it, named it well, The bar to manliness and wealth A door to want and broken health. A bar to honor, pride, and fame, A door to sin, and grief, and shame, A bar to hope, a bar to prayer, A door to darkness and despair. A bar to honor and useful life, A door to sin, and grief and strife, A bar to all that’s true and brave, A door to every drunkard's grave. A bar to joy that home imparts, A door to tears and aching hearts. A bar to heaven, a door to hell, Whoever named it, named it well! The Bible says, "W oe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink and maketh him drunk also." way: “Even as ye do walk,” writes the apostle. However, he would have them make progress in their Christian living. He wants them to do better and better. “That ye abound more and more” is his exhortation. They are not urged to begin a Christian life, but to advance on the way that they have (continued on next page) 21
selves are in Christ. He speaks of the conduct that befits men in Christ. In these first two verses he is not concerned with specific problems of be havior, but with the whole of the Christian life. Accordingly he uses gen eral terms like “walk” and “abound.” The former is commonly employed, especially by Paul and John, as a way of referring to the whole of a man’s manner of living. So common is that that Grimm-Thayer can give as one of the meanings of the verb, “Hebrais- tically, to live.” This may connect with "THE MODEL CHURCH" Well, wife, I've found the model church, I worshipped there today. It made me think of good old times, Before my hair was gray. The meetinghouse was finer built, Than they were years ago. But then I found when I went in, It was not built for show. "Twas not a flowery sermon, wife, But simple Gospel truth; It fitted hpmble men like me; It suited hopeful youth, To win immortal souls to Christ, The earnest Preacher tried; He talked not of himself, or creed, But Jesus crucified. Dear wife, the toil will soon be o'et The victory soon be won. The shining land is just ahead, Our race is nearly run. We’re nearing Canaan's happy shore, Our home so bright and fair; Thank God, we'll never sin again; There'll be no sorrow there. In heaven above where all is love, There'll be no sorrow there, the fact that a favorite designation of Christianity in the earliest days was “the Way” (Acts 9:2, 19:23, 24:22). Or it may be that the metaphor sug gested itself from the idea of continual, if unspectacular, advance, w h i c h should, of course, characterize the Christian. Walking is connected with pleasing God. The whole Christian life is God-
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