May, 1934
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preached was social. His pronunciamiento in the synagogue in Nazareth (Lk. 4:16- 18) shows that He did not neglect the social aspect. And all down through the ages the gospel has been “social.” The church has always cared for the poor, the sick, and the needy. Indeed, to put the word “social” in front of the word “gospel” is to betray one’s ignorance of the true nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The work of the gospel as illustrated by the work done by our missionaries in the foreign field is incontrovertible proof that the gospel is in every sense of the word a “social” as well as a “spiritual” power.. C hrist ’ s E mphasis on the S piritual But Jesus knew well that education, good citizenship, fine morality, a spirit of mercy and philanthropy, politics, sanitation, hy giene, and feeding, clothing and housing the poor were not synonymous with Chris tianity; products of Christianity they may and should be, but they are not to be con sidered equivalent to it. What Jesus laid emphasis upon was the spiritual, the eternal, the abiding. He de pended upon the spiritual to bring about the temporal. Jesus sought first the human soul. Jesus well knew that it is not the sty that makes the pig, but the pig, the sty; that if you put an unregenerate man into regenerate surroundings, he will de base the surroundings—the surroundings will not elevate him. Jesus knew that “the soul of all improvement is the improvement of the soul.” In all her service and activity, the church must seek to emulate her Master, for the church is not an institution,; it is an in carnation ; it is Christ’s counterpart, His passion must be hers. The church is His body-—that through which He, the Head, works. It is the duty of the church to take the great truths Christ enunciated regard ing Christian service and incarnate them. Just as in Jesus all the purposes of God were incarnated, so in the church must all the purposes of Christ find embodiment. T he D uty of the C hurch The church is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). What is the purpose of a “pillar” ? There stands before you a pillar, and on its top the figure of some hero. It is the hero on the top of the pillar that makes the pillar interesting and that causes people to stop, look, and read. If there were no statue there, you would simply pass by the pillar. The pillar is to set off the hero. That pillar elevates the hero and lifts him up far above the crowd and separates him from the rest of men. That is what “the church” is for. It is the pillar to set off the Christ, to exalt Him, to draw attention to Him, to separate Him from others. The church is to emu late Christ in its service to the world. “As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.”. The church and the individual Christian miist go forth into the world with “a gos pel that will fit its needs; that will dispense with the rags of Lazarus by making him industrious; that will house the homeless by leading him to build a home for him self ; that will feed the hungry by making the hand diligent to create opportunities for labor; that will promote good govern ment by making better citizens; that will reform life by renewing the heart; that will transform society by regenerating the individual; that will elevate the masses by uplifting the cross; that will make the world safe for democracy by making a democracy that is safe for the world.” And all these tasks can only be done by making the soul of man and the spiritual the pri mary work and. service of the church. The rest will follow. [The End]
HELPS for‘Treachers and Teachers B y P a u l P r i c h a r d
Christianity T ranscends Human W isdom Lord Herbert of Cherbery, England, writing as a philosopher (1581-1648), said that all religions teach: 1. That there is a God. 2. That He ought to be worshiped. 3. That virtue and piety are the chief elements of worship. 4. That repentance is a duty. 5. That there is another life, with re wards and punishments. It is interesting to note this reckoning of a clear-minded man of the world. We acknowledge that Christianity teaches these truths. We hope that Lord Herbert is cor rect in suggesting that all religions teach these things. But we note that Christianity transcends all other faiths, in these re spects : 1. Christianity teaches these truths with authority, and not as mere guesses of a wavering faith, nor as mere dis coveries of the intuition. 2. Christianity teaches these truths in their very highest significance and meaning. 3. Christianity teaches far more than these truths. These principles are merely at the fringe and border of Christianity. Important as they are, they but serve as a starting point. Christianity goes far, far beyond them. For instance, Christianity teaches not merely that there is a God, but that He is the lofty Triune God revealed in the Scriptures. Again, Christianity teaches not merely the duty of repentance, but that God has made full atonement for the penitent sinner and has fully reconciled him to Himself by the way of Calvary. I. . The Unconverted Man. 1. Dead in sin (Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13). 2. Lost (John 3:18; 2 Cor. 4:3, 4). 3. Child of Satan (John 8:44; Matt. 13:38). 4. Far from God (Eph. 2:12, 13; Matt. 15:8). 5. Under God’s wrath (John 3 :36; Rom. 1:18). 6. Sure of hell (Rev. 21:8; Matt. 13: 49, 50). 7. Waiting for death and judgment (Heb. 9:27). II. The Christian. 1. Dead unto sin (Rom. 6:11; 1 Pet. 2:24). 2. Saved (Eph. 2 :8, 9; 2 Tim. 1 :9). 3. Child of God (John 1:12; Gal. 3 :26). 4. Nigh to God (Eph. 2:13; Heb. 10: 19). 5. Under God’s favor—His grace (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 1:2). 6. Sure of heaven (1 Pet. 1:4; 2 Tim. 4:18). 7. Waiting for Christ and glory (Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28). E—R alph H. D idier . A L esson in Contrasts
The Bible
Uprooter of sin. Begetter of life. Revealer of God. Light of intellect. Fashioner of law. Guide of history. Foe to superstition.
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Comfort in sorrow. Enemy of oppression. Strength in weakness. Star of death’s night. Promise of the future, Pathway in perplexity. Escape from temptation. Illuminator of darkness. Secret of national progress. Charter of all true liberty. Forerunner of civilization. Steadier in the day of power.
Ornament and mainspring of literature. Molder of institutions and governments. Regulator of all high and worthy stand ards. Answer to the deepest hungerings of the heart.— T he W esleyan M ethodist .
In Christ, a N ew Creature 2 C orinthians 5 :17
I. He Has a New Mind. 1. Enlightened by God’s law and an aroused conscience as to sin. 2. Possessed of an understanding of the gospel—the meaning of Calvary and the empty tomb. 3. Enabled to see clearly the vision of duty and one’s mission in life. II. He Has a New Heart. 1. Filled with love for righteousness. a. He has “put off the old man” with its affections and lusts. b. He has “put on the new man” in Christ. 2. Filled with love for men. a. The household of faith. b. The lost everywhere. c. Those who are enemies. III. He Has a New Will Power. Obedience is prompt, complete, coura geous. 1. An appeal to the will—“ye will not.” 2. The responsibility of the will—“come.” 3. The reward to the obedient will-—“that ye might have life.” —N orman S orensen . The A ct of a Thoughtful Man P salm 119:59 The psalmist has set a splendid example. I. He Engaged in Meditation. 1. The subject—“I.” 2. The process—“thought.” 3. The object—“my ways.” II. He Engaged in Action. L It was resultant from his meditation, not precipitant from despair. 2. It was drastic and heroic, not compro mising and cowardly. 3. It was godly and eternal, not worldly nor temporary. God’s Complaint to th e Sinner J ohn 5 :40
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