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* aaaaaaaaaàmammamm MA&& òòòòòò &^^ Should I Be Orthodox? ByWM. H. CROUSE B O BE orthodox means to teach in accordance" with the receiv ed or established belief or doc trine as taught in the declar ations of faith of my church. Heterodox is defined by Webster as deviating from an accepted doctrine or standard of faith; heretical. Such a one is called aft heretic. I answer the above question in the affirmative: I should be orthodox in my teaching. I accepted these articles of faith when I united with the church. I accepted this faith in preference to the opposite which I might easily have found. I pledged al legiance to these principles. The minis; ters who ordained me to the work of the ministry understood me to believe these principles and that I would faithfully teach them. Had they not so under stood me they would have refused to ordain me. And rightly so: for were they not setting me forth to be their re presentative to promulgate among men the doctrines they believed the Bible to set forth? How long could we expect our denomination to exist if we, year after year, ordained men to the work of the ministry who did„not believe our doc trines and who went forth teaching that which we as a denomination do not be lieve? If the denomination, as a denomina tion, should see fit to modify or change her articles of faith she may of course do ,so; but for a minister or brother of our denomination to deny the recogniz ed and accepted faith of our denomina tion is in open violation to the pledge he gave when he united with the church; he forfeits the authority given him in or 1
1. Reject —This is within the sovereign will of man to do—to deliberately, posi tively and with a knowledge of its con sequences say, “I will not have this Man to reign over me”—to absolutely refuse Christ the controlling interest' in your life. I wonder are you prepared to take, such action? Let me p it it this way, Is Christ worthy of such treatment, and what has He done to merit your rejec tion? Again if you take this action of rejection who can take His place in your life? What substitute haire you to offer for Christ? As well think of some other body taking the place of tho sun as to think of substituting another for Jesus. 2. Neglect —More men are in danger of losing salvation from mere neglect than . from a positive rejection of it. How subtle the sin of neglect is. How easily it bars the way to heaven. Neglect means to disregard, to let slip without improving. What danger there is here for the man who regularly hears the Gospel message but just as regularly fails to appropriate its blessed facts. “Birds which build their nests in a bel fry become habituated to the loudest and longest clangor.” I picked up a card not long ago which read on one side, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer was given, “Be lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” On the reverse side, the eye was arrested by this question, “What must I do to be lost?” This striking answer was given, “Do nothing.” How easy then to miss salvation from sin and hell. Do nothing—do nothing. You need not blaspheme God, lie, gam ble—do nothing. You may go to church, you, may give generously to the cause of Christ, you may say your prayers pro vided you defer the day of personally accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. ^jiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiriniiiiiiiiiiiiinnu!!ii!iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuu!imiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiii^ OUR SLOGAN | H Every Subscriber Out After Another One =
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