IN CHRIST IS LIFE — — — « 8 — —
pie answer was: “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The jailor and his fam ily were saved and baptized to show their new birth that very night. Nicodemus, the rich young ruler who came to Jesus by night, refused to receive the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. There was no change in the life of this young man. for he did not do what was necessary to be born again. Has your life been changed by the Lord Jesus? Have others noticed a dif ference in your speech, your habits, your places of amusement, your friends and your life since you became a child of every part of your life since you became a child of God?
God, Socrates and You W h e r e ’s something fascinating about an individual who from I an historical perspective stands head-and-shoulders above ■ * others of his time. Such a man is Socrates. After 2,300 years he is unchallenged as the most brilliant man in the most splen did period of Greek history. His was the time of that wonderful outburst of genius in art and literature and thought and statesmanship. His was the time of Plato and Pericles and Euripides and Pheidias and Thucydides. It is interesting to recall that Socrates never wrote a book, H never founded a school and received no pay for his great con tribution to philosophy. His end was that of a common crimi- || nal, condemned to death because of his teachings. The central idea of Socrates’ teaching was simply this: “ An unexamined life is not worth living.” These words are profound. Shortly after he spoke them he was condemned to death. Think those words over. An unexam ined life is not w orth living. The very center of the problem today of our relationship with God is that we have not honestly, openly, deliberately, examined life. W e have been content to let others think for us. W e have been afraid not to conform to the com mon herd. W e need to question, to seek, to examine. I believe if Socrates had been born 450 years later he would m have been a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Socrates was an honest seeker. Listen to this conversation from The Trial and Death o f Socrates by Plato. “ It is very difficult, and perhaps impossible, to obtain clear knowledge about these matters [life iff after death] in this life. Yet I should hold him to be a very poor S creature who did not test what is said about them in every way, and persevere until he had examined the question from every side, and could do no more. It is our duty to do one of two S things. W e must learn, or we must discover for ourselves, the truth of these matters; or, if that be impossible, we must take the best and most irrefragable of human doctrines, and em- lj¡ barking on that, as on a raft, risk the voyage of life, unless a m stronger vessel, some divine word, could be found, on which we |P might take our journey more safely and more securely.” Here is the mind of a true seeker. Note that remarkable phrase “ unless a stronger vessel, some divine word, could be found, on which we might take our journey more safely and more securely.” Christ is that stronger vessel, that divine word. And today Christ can be the answer to your seeking heart. H He wants to be. He died on the Cross for you. He and He alone is able to transform your life— to give it deep meaning f and a peace that this world knows nothing of. — L. H. If you have found in this short article a way of life that you would like, we urge you now— this very moment— to yield your will to His will and in doing so find that in Christ is life. If you have a question, or if we can be of help in any way, please write us. We shall be happy to send you a copy of the Gospel of John. It is yours free for the asking. Address: The Editors, King's Business, 558 S. Hope, Los Angeles 17, Calif.
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Feb. 20, 1955 The Church and Its Sacraments A cts 2:38-41; 1 Cor. 11:23-29 Pointers on the Lesson
Sacraments or ordinances of the church are ceremonies which picture various as-
Because You Care Because you care we are counting on you to give this special column to someone who doesn't yet know Christ. Suggestion: your postman, grocer, one you work with — or mail it. Remember, this column will not reach that soul unless you give it out. Thank you — ED.
pects of our wonderful salvation. They are for the purpose of helping us to re member what the Lord has done for us. More than this, they help us to under stand the nature of that which they rep resent. They have no mystical power in them to bring salvation, or else the ele ment of works would be introduced into our salvation, whereas it is all of grace. The Ordinance of Baptism Acts 2:38-41 In short baptism is the visible seal or symbol of the remission of sins. The phrase for the remission of sins has re sulted in endless controversy. Some have thought that it surely teaches baptismal regeneration. Verse 41 gives the proper order in the matter of salvation and baptism. First, there is reception of the Word of the gospel and the salvation which results (John 1:12). Then, as an act of obedience, baptism follows. (See Matt. 28:19.) In the latter ordinance we have a beautiful pic ture of our identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection experi ence. It also pictures our new birth. The Ordinance of Holy Communion 1 Cor. 11:23-29 The bread and the cup were given by our Lord as vivid pictures of His body and His blood which were to be given for man’s redemption. He left them as memo rials of the great sacrifice He was about to make. Twice we are told to observe these things in remembrance of me (vv. CONT INUED ►
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