Satan’s Great Objective A Matter for the Churches of Todaj) to Face Squarely. What is Our Calling? E. P. H. KING
been saved with an everlasting salva tion. “ There is joy in the presence of the angels of God-, over one sinner that repenteth;” and to have had even a little part in bringing that to pass will count for far more in the judgment of the great day than any achievement that will perish with the termination of earthly existence, or be but fuel for the great conflagration that will burn into oblivion all that is not in accord with the eternal purposes of God. Satan has an eye on the coming ages; have we? He is working for eternity; are we? Are we building for the today of man’s brief earthly ex istence or for the changeless ages soon to break upon us? What shall it profit if working men do get better working conditions and a larger share of the world’s wealth and lose the unfading glories of the ransomed of the Lord?' To all the plausible and subtle solicitations of Satan to turn aside from our high calling we should re ply as certain wise men of old did: “We are doing a great work ,and can not come down; why should the work cease while We come down and talk with you?” Then when the morning eternal breaks we shall doubtless come from the reaping rejoicing bringing our sheaves with us. a a f c ? WHERE FASHIONS COME FROM An old Scotch preacher is reported to have said, in one of his sermons at Aberdeen, “ Ye people of Aberdeen get your fashions from Glasgow, and Glas gow from Edinburgh, and Edinburgh from London, and London from Paris, and Paris from the devil.”
ATAN’S first objective in this age is to keep men from be lieving on Jesus Christ unto salvation, and he invents and operates all his infernal and cunning devices with that end always in view. That seems
to be the chief import of Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 4:1-4. “ If our gospel be hid,: (or veiled), it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this age hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Satan never loses sight of his ob jective and never slackens in. his multi farious efforts to reach it. Are we ig norant of his devices? The objective of the Christian church should be the exact opposite to Satan’s; namely, to lead men to the acceptance of Christ as their Saviour; and with that as its high purpose should only engage in such ministries as will, in some meas ure, contribute to that glorious end. If this is the objective of the churches in these days, are all their activities in harmony with it and help ing toward it? The churches should face that question, and eliminate from their programmes of service anything that would tend to divert them from their supreme mission. The arch adversary of mankind cares nothing for what we do for the uplift of humanity if humanity is not lifted from the death of sin to newness of life through faith in the Son of God. It will matter little or nothing in eternity how much we have improved the social order or purified political life if we have failed to hold forth the “ word of life” so that men have
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker