b y S T A N L E Y S . K R E S G E
■i " •: g^xgS V §883 j: i 8: |$ ■:• :• > :8i88£: i;8 :• £ S Vice-Chairman of the Board, S.S. Kresge Company President, Kresge Foundation, Detroit, Michigan 8; ® $ •: g g S ii 88 8 xi888$ ;88$i 5 :• j:
M a n y t im e s , in writing letters to friends and to strangers as well, I put this Scripture reference under neath my name: Galatians 2:20c. It explains my philosophy of life much better than I could do and it gives my witness. This latter part of a Bible verse reads as follows: “ . . . and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him self for me.” It was at an early age that I com
ing contributions to colleges, universi ties, hospitals, and many other insti tutions. Usually I add a phrase on the back of the check: “ In the Name and for the sake of Jesus Christ.” Had it not been for Him, many or most of such organizations, including T h e Kresge Foundation, would not exist. My aim and goal in life is simply this: to do the will of God. As He gives me strength, I hope to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. Reprinted by permission from CBMC CONTACT, 127 S. Wacker Drive, Chcago 6, Illinois.
mitted my heart and life to the Lord Jesus. How thankful I am for having been raised in a Christian home! My lovely mother and my business man father (now 95 years young) both pointed me to Christ. I have been blessed with a Christian wife and three fine sons all of whom are Chris tians. I gladly testify to what the Lord has done for me, and is doing for me. As trustee of The Kresge Founda tion, I sign many checks — represent-
ence should bring conviction upon the sinful. Does it? When they know you, do they put away those pictures they have been looking at? Our life should live Christ. It is then that our testimony will count. Goodness, right eousness and truth should characterize us. “ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” We should test what is acceptable, not be so ready to say, “ I don’t see any harm in this,” and go ahead and do it, but always careful to make sure it is right. If it is not to the glory of Christ or is questionable, avoid it! “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” The Christian should be no spiritual chameleon that can fit into any crowd. Some try that and neither the church nor the world can tell if they are for our Lord or against Him. On the other hand, reprove sin. Live a life that condemns the world. You can’t expect to be kept from contamination by sin and evil if you fellowship with iniquity. If I want my two little girls to stay clean, their hands and faces clean, their dresses clean, their shoes clean, I would not allow them to go and play in a dirty pig pen. If they play in the muck, they will get dirty. Paul says that it is a shame even to speak of those things that are done by them in secret. If we are going to be clean Christians, there must be a separation from this crowd. What is your attitude toward a portion of Scripture such as this? Are you inwardly fighting against it? This is God’s Word just as much as is John 3:16. On the other hand, do you want your life to be a blessing where it many not have been? “Be ye imitators of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” Lean heavily upon the Lord. Read the Word. Obey the Word. Thrill in its blessings. It is possible, yes it is, to be clean Christians, even in a sex-crazy world.
A Sex-Crazy World (concluded) story. I read parts of this book and was horrified that such a book was on the market. The desires, the feelings, the acts of the vilest of sinners were described in such detail that it could have only the most degrading effect upon the reader. Hollywood has produced pictures on similar Bible stories. If a book can produce such harmful effects, how much more the. impression when portrayed on the screen! Such persons described in Eph. 5:5 have no inheri tance in the kingdom of God, Paul says. He calls them idolaters. This kind of a person worships himself only. What does he care about anybody else’s reputation. What does he care if he breaks up somebody’s home? What does he care if he wrecks someone’s life? What does he care who the person may be, just so he can satisfy his own craving? Christians ought to be clean, pure. “Be not ye therefore partakers with them!” There can be no fellowship with this crowd! Stay away from this gang! The atmosphere where they gather is polluted. As the Lord gives opportunity, present the gospel and “ save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even thè garment spotted by the flesh,” (Jude 23), but don’t be partakers with them and so condone their evil deeds. They are unclean as lepers until their sins are confessed to the Lord and forsaken. Be careful of such. You could catch their leprosy! “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” The condi tion of fallen man is described as darkness. The Ephesian believers had come out of this kind of a life. Now they were to walk as children of light. The Christian should be a contrast to the darkness around him and should be like a diamond displayed against a black velvet back ground, reflecting God’s goodness all around him We are to put off the ways of darkness. God expects it, the church expects it, and, yes, even the world expects it! There must be a difference when we become Chris tians! Our new life must be manifested. Our very pres- 20
—Evangelical Beacon TH E KING'S BUSINESS
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