THE KING’S BUSINESS
777
1But this is no reason why the truth should not be faced, but the very reason why it should be faced. I f the business house is not accomplishing what it was instituted for, the men in charge who have put their brains and money and lives into it, seek to know the reason why, and proceed forth with to make all the adjustments necessary to meet the conditions o f success, that results may come. In like manner should Christians seek to learn from the Scrip tures the conditions o f real spiritual suc cess, in the particular church, afnd then meet these conditions, that results may come. And this might mean many thnigs. It might mean a preaching that is more loyal to the Scriptures, and a more' consecrated preacher. It might mean an honest, heart searching on the part o f officers and peo ple, the putting o f certain things out of the life, the ceasing o f certain companion^1 ships, the rectifying of certain matters o f business, and the cutting o f certain nerves that connect the individual with certain institutions that foster evil. It will surely mean the lighted 'candle searching for sin in the heart, and the .shairp knife going to the very root o f it when it is found, and a consecration to Jesus that is real and true and abiding—it will mean the incoming of the Holy Spirit, and this will mean power. DANGEROUS PERIOD W e must meet the conditions, or we will fail. And how much the Christian and the church need this power! Whatever evil conditions may have confronted the church in the past, we are living in the most dan gerous period o f history, and without the Holy Spirit the church can make no prog ress and win no victory. In saying these plain words I am pleading for the very life o f the church as a divine institution. It is not the outwardness that makes the church, but the inwardness; not the form and the ceremony, but the life. And what ever else there may be, there can be no church apart from the presence and power o f the Holy Spirit. The time has come for honesty and reality on the part o f the
individual disciple, that the corporate church may have power, and fulfill her mission to the honor and glory o,f God. But that thé church may have power, as has been already said, the individual Chris tian must have power. The church and the members o f the church are one, and cannot be separated in any discussion o f them. The church can have power only as you and I and other disciples have power. Just as my lungs are strong, and contribute to my general health and strength only as each particular living cell fulfills its func tion, so the church will be strong just in proportion as each particular member ful fills his function. IDany o f my lung cells fail o f fullest life and power; just so far they contribute to my weakness and decline ; and likewise if any individual members fail o f fullest life and power, just so far they contribute to the church’s weakness and decline. The individual Christian is an indi vidual cell whose function is to inhale and exhale the Holy Spirit, the Breath o f God, and he is assuming a great responsibility when he consciously fails to fulfill this function. The ehurch, I say, can have power only as the individual member has power, and he can liave power only as he is willing to come to God’s terms, and pay the full price. THE BEST COMES HIGH The best things come high in the spiritual, as well as in the material realm. Silk costs more than calico, a house than a hut, a farm than a fence—-and to possess them we must pay the price. T o acquire an edu cation, to become proficient in art and sci ence and letters, to build up a profitable business, cost in ;money and labor and life, and to attain them we must pay the price. And this same law obtains in the spiritual realm. The best things come high, and the full price must be paid. There are no bargain days in God’s big store, when the best things are let go at half the original price. It would mean our moral and spir itual ruin if He did, for He would thus be putting a premium on unrighteousness, and telling us that coming short o f His require-
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