The Fundamentals - 1910: Vol.9

102 The Fundamentals Gospel; that the power and need of Christ's blood to save never goes out of date. This story of the cross wins its way among all peoples be­ cause it is the old, old story. I t is .older than Wesley, older- than Calvin, Augustine, Paul, Moses, or Abraham. I t is as old as God, this story of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Did you ever hear of a Unitarian mission? You may have. Then did you ever hear of a Unitarian mission having a revival in a heathen land ? I never did. And the reason is they have no cross, no atonement to preach. When you steal the cross, you take the crown of missions. When you despise the blood of Calvary, you will have strangled missions. Somehow I feel that Peter often went back, at least in thought, to that courtyard where he denied his Lord. And while there he renewed his vows, asking God to help him never again to deny or forsake his Saviour. And somehow I feel that we who have been denying the power of the cross in our preaching ought to go back to the places where we have thus put our Master’s sacrifice to an open shame, con­ fess our sin, and promise there to be faithful in lifting up “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” II. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND MISSIONS Every age has its own test of fidelity. In Old Testament times the test was the unity of God. After Christ came, the test was the Son of God as Divine Saviour and King. The test for the Church today is its readiness to accept the Holy Spirit as the Divine administrator of God’s kingdom in this world. Dr. Steele is right when he says: “The conservator of orthodoxy in every successive age is the Holy Spirit.” And if the Church is apostate today one place more than another, it is in not enthroning the Holy Spirit. I t is on mission fields and in mission work that this is most nearly done, and there God is honoring those that honor Him.

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