one! On the other hand, human beings do not want to admit that this is true of them. They like to measure themselves by others who are obviously lower than they are. Cod measures men by His own standards of perfect moral right eousness." Some years ago Dale Carnegie published his famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence Peo ple. In one place he told how he had been renting the grand ball room of a certain New York Hotel where he could give his lectures. After one series had begun the manager of the facility suddenly announced that the rent would be increased by 300 percent. Practic ing his own philosophy of life, Carnegie went to the man and suggested, "Let's just see what the advantages and disadvantages would be if you follow such ac tion." The popular speaker then took a piece of paper, drew a line down the center and titled one col- lumn "Advantages," and the other "Disadvantages." He then guided the hotel manager in listing all the pros and cons they could think of. Finally, Carnegie pointed out, "Have you stopped to consider that you could not buy the kind of advertising the people who come to hear the lectures provide. They would not become aware of your facilities in any other manner. Why not look over this list again and reconsider?" The next day he re ceived word that the rate would go up but only 50 per cent in stead of 300 per cent. This is really what men try to do with God. We cannot bargain with the Almighty and come out! The perfect stand- dards are established and no mat ter how long or how hard we may
seek to argue, they cannot and they will not be changed. It is nothing but devilish and impudent for a man to think that he can dicker for an advantage with the Creator. Man's righteousness falls short of the standards which are set by God. Anything even fractionally short is absolute unrighteousness. It cannot be divided. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount exhorted, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). All men fall short of this requirement. In this way they miss it absolutely. If you have a boat tied to the dock by a chain with ten links, how many links have to be broken to set the boat adrift? Suppose the craft is destroyed by a churning cataract 50 yards down the river? Destruction obviously comes as easily with one link broken as with all ten. Humanly speaking, some men break all the links of God's law and may bear the dubious title of criminals or murderers. Other people, however, who carefully pry open just one of those links, trying to overlook their problem and rationalize their sin, are just as guilty, and just as imperiled. If you have sinned in the breaking of one commandment you stand guilty of having broken them all. Apart from Christ, we are all adrift headed toward the cataract of hell, an eternity without God. Even the best of human goodness is always polluted by sin. There is absolutely nothing that can substi tute for the righteousness we must receive through Jesus Christ as God's free gift. This is why the noblest ideals of man and his most sublime ideologies, all lead to the
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