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lover of God’s people and ministered tenderly, kindly, and graciously to them. He had sought to destroy the Church. Now he was willing to be de stroyed for the Church. He had slaughtered believers; now he was willing to be killed for their sakes. This blessed transformation came about in a moment when he met the living Lord. 2. CHRIST CHANGES THE MIND. Phil. 4:8. We are born with sinful minds which are selfish and self-centered. The child wants everything he sees for himself. But having obtained it, in a moment he throws it aside, for he has won the victory and cares no more for the prize. This attitude prevails in all hearts until Christ Jesus be comes Lord of the soul. The Holy Spir it then changes the mind, as we read in Romans 12:2. We are then able to think of others more highly than our selves. We look on the things of others rather than on our own. We ' desire to spend and be spent for Christ, for He has won our hearts and mas tered our spirits. He enables us to live in view of eternity rather than for passing, present pleasure. Paul could say, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). The mind of Christ thinks Christ’s thoughts. Let us earnestly seek for this. . 3. CHRIST CHANGES THE HEART. Prov. 4:23. The heart largely controls our man ner and method of living. We follow the things we love. We serve best those things to which we are devoted. The Lord asks us to give our hearts to Him (Prov. 23:26). He wants His Word to be written on our hearts (Prov. 3:3). He wants us to seek for Him with all of our heart. He wants us to believe In Him with all the heart. Only Christ can make such a heart and make it serve for His glory. Philip said to the eunuch, “ If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest [be baptized].” Paul’s heart was transformed in those few moments with the glorified Lord Jesus. His af fections now were set on things above where Christ sitteth. His desire was that Christ might have the pre-emi nence. His purpose was to make Christ known throughout the earth. 4. CHRIST CHANGES THE ACTIONS. 2 Cor. 5:17. We cannot act like Christians un less we are Christians. Our Lord gives a new nature and then gives us the privilege of manifesting that new na ture. The graces of the Spirit as re vealed in Galatians 5 prove the pres ence of the gracious Holy Spirit in the life. Those who are saved will want to see others saved. Those who be long to God will want to see others brought into God’s family. Those whose sins have been blotted out by
the precious blood of Jesus will want the joy of bringing that same knowl edge to others. Those who realize the wickedness of the world in crucifying Jesus will want to keep the world out of their hearts and to live separated lives from the world. These are proofs and evidences of the reality of Christ living and reigning in the heart and life. -t EAVAYAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA^ > i r s AN IDEA Idea. 1. For the July 7 serv- £ > ice, one of the older, thorough- 1 3 ly consecrated young people < 3 could prepare a blackboard I > 3 talk on the topic, “Recreation vs. Wreck-reation.” Some of > the so-called pleasures which »< > tear down rather than build 3 up the physical, moral and * spiritual man should be dis- » 3 cussed. » 1 Idea 2. For the meeting of 1 3 July 14, why not select several » young people to relate the Î % life-changing experiences of % 3 such B i b l e characters as t 3 Moses, Isaiah, Ma t t h e w , * 3 Zacchaeus, and the Philippian * 3 jailer? Naturally, the lesson ; « will center around Paul’s con- 1 version. The other accounts must be brief. \ Idea 3. It would be well to use a map with the lesson for 1 i July 21, showing the location j i of Mars’ Hill and other points * reached on Paul’s second mis- s « sionary journey . Idea 4. The word “Christian” < appears three times in the 1 i New Testament: Acts 11:26 1< > shows Christians as disciples 1< 1 or followers of Christ; Acts »< sHi 26:28 pictures Paul, a Chris- 1< 5 tian, as a preacher or evan- » < > gelist; and 1 Peter 4:16 por- 5 3 trays the Christian as a good 5 3 sufferer. These characteristics 5 3 of a C h r i s t i a n could be * 3 brought out in the discussion ? of the topic for July 28. rATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA*. JULY 21, 1946 PAUL VERSUS PAGAN ISM A cts 17:16-29. P AGANISM exists universally—even in our own country. Hollywood teems with it and so do all of our great cities. It flourishes everywhere in human hearts that do not know the grace of God. The heathenism which Taul saw on Mars’ Hill stirred his heart deeply. It should stir our hearts as well. We should long for those who worship false gods to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Let us invite the work » » Î 3 Rev. Carlton C. Buck i > >
of the Holy Spirit in our souls to make within us a distinct line of de marcation as opposed to the world of heathendom around us. The more we are like Christ, the more we will bring help to those who live in heathen darkness all around us. For Those Who Have Topics 1. PAUL VERSUS FALSE RELI GIONS. Gal. 1:13, 14. The Apostle Paul was well versed in the false religions of his day. He knew what they believed and he understood their practices. His min istry abounds with reproofs as well as with enlightenment on the subject. He exhorts the Galatians; he reproves the Corinthians; he corrects the Thes- salonians; and he informs Timothy against the false practices and evil ways of the religions of his day. Re ligion may have the appearance of being orthodox while actually being heterodox. The religion of salvation by self-righteousness, self improve ment, and character building is utter ly denounced by Paul. His own diag nosis of himself in Philippians 3: 4-12 is a splendid example of his repu diation of that which seemed to be right and yet was utterly wrong. His remedy and antidote was the risen Christ and His blessed work on Cal vary. 2. PAUL VERSUS HUMAN REASON ING. Gal. 2:5-6. Paul received his thoughts from Heaven. He knew that darkened minds could produce only false teaching and wrong theory. Human beings by them selves cannot reveal divine truths, for they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). Paul knew that no amount of philosophy and theory, reasoning and argument could bring light to a mind darkened by sin and separated from God. For that reason, Paul did not endeavor to win by philosophy, but rather by the Word of God ministered in the power of God. Worldly methods cannot produce divine results. Paul preached the Word and he preached Christ. He denounced the fallacious human reasonings existing in his day. We are shut up for revelations of Heavenly things to God’s power, God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit. 3. PAUL VERSUS HEATHEN PRAC TICES. Rom. 12:2. Every religion has its own nomen clature, practices, and performances. Paul would have nothing to do with them. He would not eat meat offered to idols for that carried with it the identification with idols. Paul would not pursue a course of self-righteous elevation. He took the opposite path saying, “I am the least of all the saints, I am the chief of sinners, I am nothing.” He took the position that others were better than himself, rath er than of promoting his own wel fare, as was the custom among the
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