Christianity is a matter of rela tionship to Christ. Such has about it the concepts of loyalty and fi delity. There is law in love and there is love in law. For proof, ask any parent or married partner. A parent must put down the law to his children in love. So, in the Christian experience, what we are actually enjoying is a relationship with the Saviour Himself. Faithful ness simply issues in the right kind of living. To become a follower of Jesus Christ means that you will be tak ing an unpopular path. It means going against the crowd, walking against the current, marching by another beat. You cannot popu larize the Christ who says that so ciety needs to repent and turn to God. The world does not want to hear that. In its entirety it lies in the lap of the wicked one. Disciple- ship, however, does call for obed ience! The believer's righteous life is an embarrassment to the unre deemed (John 16:7-14). We are members of the winning team. When you identify with your Cap tain, your team wins, even though the other force is there and the opposition appears very real. Matthew 7:7-14 shows us the characteristics of the person who lives righteously. We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The first point is that the one who follows righteousness is always seeking the divine will. Jesus states, "Ask, and it shall be given you." The language signifies a reading that indicates, "As you continue to ask, it shall be given you; as you continue to seek, you will find; as you continue to knock, it shall be opened to you." God wants to an swer your prayers far more than
you realize. He wants to express His will in the world far more than we could ever possibly want to ex press it. The second characteristic of righteous living is that it teaches us to practice the goodness of God. Just as the Lord does good things for us, so in a similar way we are to seek to do the same in our re lationship with others. Verse 12 is referred to as "The Golden Rule." Jesus is telling us that the things you would want men to do for you, get busy and do for them first. Do not wait simply to respond to what they do. Cultivate the prac tice of doing good. If you want others to love you, get involved in loving them. If you want others to treat you with integrity then you be sure to give over and above what may be asked of you. Do not wait on others. Begin demonstrat ing love, understanding, forgive ness and acceptance. The Lord can work through such a life as we try to overcome hostility and preju dice. Begin moving beyond those "hang-ups," judgments, and criti cisms through love, understanding and forgiveness. The last point that Jesus makes in this section has to do with the Christian's call for decision. There is a continuing call for people to decide for God against the main stream of life. Conversion really means a change of direction. It is an about-face. Some may yield and say "yes" to Christ, or they may resist Him and defend themselves. As a witness, however, all we are called upon to do is to witness positively and to trust the Holy Spirit to do His work in their lives. If you yourself have not decided for Christ, I urge you to give your-
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