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THE KING’S BUSINESS
all grace abound toward you (i: e., toward, cheerful givers) ; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” It is the “liberal soul” that is “made fat.” In Luke 6 :38 we read, “ Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over; shall men give into your bosom. For with the same meas ure thatxye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” The man who gives gen erously will grow greatly. The man’ who does not give, or who gives in a niggardly way, will shrink. Become at once a syste matic giver. ' CONCLUSION. God commands us to g row ; every consideration o f reason and self-interest and noble purpose, and o f the interests o f God’s kingdom urges us to grow. Will you grow? It remains with you to say whether you will or n ot,. All that is necessary for you to grow is that you follow the teaching o f the Word of God as we have studied it today. First, that you be sure that you are in grace, that you are born again; second, that you con stantly confess _Jesus Christ before the world; third, that you study the W ord of- God regularly; fourth, that you take plenty o f time for prayer, and cultivate Christian fellowship; fifth, that you take plenty of spiritual exercise by bringing others to Christ and by giving regularly, systematic ally, and generously as God has prospered you. Will you resolve today with all your heart that\you will do these things? If you do, then each year o f your Christian life will find you farther on in the attain ment o f the measure o f the stature o f the fullness o f Christ. v Every year ’o f your Christian life will be better than the year that went before.
too great and refused to take it, but I never missed a single meeting. O f course, I know it was due to God’s grace primarily that I kept in physical trim . through the five long, heavy months of work; but it was due also to my taking care of my body, by taking plenty o f regular, systematic exer cise, and if, we are to keep in trim spirit ually it is absolutely necessary to exercise. W e cannot be spiritual loafers and expect God’s grace to make up for our own neglect o f sense and o f duty. What is the best exercise? 1. Bringing others to Christ. The Lord Jesus said to His first disciples, “ Follow me, and I will make you fishers o f men.” (Matt. 4:19). The best way to keep from going back into the world is to keep bringing others out of it. The soul-winning Christian is the best growing Christian. Go to work to win souls. Speak to at least one person daily. Mr. Moody made it a rule in his Christian life to never let a day go by without speaking to at least one person about his soul, and oh how he grew. He came on by leaps and bounds in the Christian life, and from a most unpromising beginning became the most prominent man in Christian life and work in the whole country. 2. But there is another form of spiritual exercise which is necessary for growth, that is, generous giving. One cannot grow spiritually if he is stingy. God’s word is plain. W e read in 2 Cor, 9:6-8, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully (Paul is talking about giv ing) . Every man according as he pur- poseth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly,' or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make
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