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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S In Christ s Stead By CHESTER PADGETT*
August, 1940
K HE purpose of this message is to emphasize four truths which are given in the passage of Scrip selected its motto: “In Christ’s Stead.” These four truths should be kept - con stantly in the mind of each member of this class, and 'in the mind of every Christian who would effectively repre sent the Lord Jesus Christ. May I enumerate them before I stress each one separately? In the first place, we are in Christ’s stead as living miracles;, second, we are in Christ’s stead with an impelling mo tive; third, we are in Christ’s stead with a gjorious message; and finally, we are in Christ’s stead with an unfailing Mas ter. It will not be necessary;, for us to dwell upon the evident fact that we are in Christ’s stead; the text chosen by the graduating class plainly declares that we are. Paul said, “Now then we
Christian service. At regeneration, the Holy Spirit moves in to take up His abode in the body of the believer. In John 16:7, the Lord Jesus said: “Nevertheless I will tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” If this prom ise of the Saviour had not been ful filled, His work on thg cross never would have become effective in your life and mine. There could have been no new creation. We would now be utterly helpless, without a spiritual teacher, without a guide, without a comforter, and more than that, without power. Thank God tonight for the truth of Acts 1:8 where the Son of God said: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Witnessing for Jesus Christ is the
essence of spiritual ambassadorship, and apart from the new birth and the pres ence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we may as well forget even attempting to serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The only serv ant this greatest of all kings will honor is one who is himself a living miracle, a new creation in Christ Jesus. An Impelling Motive In the second place,, we are in Christ’s stead with an impelling motive. This motive is given in 2 Corinthians 5:14: “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” . , Some time ago, a candidate for a mis sion field was being questioned by mem bers of the board to which he )iad ap plied. “Is your -impelling motive a love for the heathen?” he was asked. “Nor’’ came back the startling an swer. “Then why are you going to the mis sion field?” “Because I love
ture from which the senior class has
Living Miracles In the first place, we are in Christ’s stead as living mir acles. This truth is found in 2 Corinthi ans 5:17: “T h e r e fore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The believer’s new birth is the g r e a t dynamic of are ambassadors for Christ,^ as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). However, for our mutual help, and I trust for our mutual encouragement, we shall consider to gether t h e f o u r wonderful truths al ready mentioned.
the L o r d Jesus Christ,” w a s t h e candidate’s answer to the board. When the faithful Holy S p i r i t im presses upon our hearts and minds the meaning of Cal vary and the shed blood of the Lamb o f God, and when He implants within our hearts the im pelling love of Jesus Christ, we can do the impossible for Christ’s sake. It is a comparatively easy thing to sacrifice life’s dearest trea sures when we real ize that we do it in order to obey the voice of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
A Glorious Message
The third truth is t h a t we are in Christ’s stead with a glorious message
*Class Day representa tive of the Class of 1940, Bible Institute of Los Angeles,
„ • Futnam Studios Class of 1940 (Seated In Foreground), Bible Institute of Los Angeles
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