The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-11-11
A PARADOX.
Losing to Save the Primary Law OF tn
Christian Religion.

A PARADOX.
Losing to Save the Primary Law Of the
Christian Religion.
It is put in the boldest, the most self
contradictory form by our Lord: HE
that loseth his life shall save it; he that
saveth his life shall lose it." Then our
Lord explains it, and illustrates it, and
enforces it, and finally makes Himself
the great monumental example OF its
truth.
What is q seed Of wheat? Absolutely
nothing, useless. mere inert matter, till
it is destroyed. The process Of its de-
struction maxes it precious. tits ground
up and becomes food, the staff of life.
1t decays in the ground, and by the
process produces hundredfold. Ex-
cept it die it bringeth forth no fruit.
What is candle? No other or better
than dead bit of clay untilit begins
to be consumed, aud then it fulnlls the
noble purpose of it's existence, in giving
light to all that are in the house; but
in that process of being itself luminous
and admirable it is utterly destroyed.
1t is a spiritual law. and on it Chris
tianity is based. 1t was the teaching
and it was the example of our blessed
Master. 1t was reported of Him that
HE pleased not HIMSELF" that is, He
did not try to save Himself suffering or
trouble. His whole life was a sacrifice
for others, and His death was the most
momentous conceivable self-sacrifice.
Thus living and thus dying, He told
His disciples that they were not above
their Master, and what He did they
must do; that if He suffered and toiled
for others, they must do the same; that
if He died for men, they must be ready
to die also. They learned their lesson
SO well that Paul could rejoice if he
might have opportunity to ''till up that
which is behind of the sufferings Of
Christ for His body's sake which is the
church," and not he only, but almosl
all of them literally offered up Their
lives as a sacrifice in testimony tc
the martyrs faith, and the apostles
zeal And how does the Christian
proverb repeat our Lords text: 1.-THE
blood of the martyrs is the seed Of the
church," which is only saying in
another way what Jesus said Of the
grain of wheat, that Except it die il
beareth no fruit" and that The thai
loseth his life shall save it."
Jesus makes this the primary law o.
His religion. His essence Of religion
lay in the command not to love ones
self first, but first to love God and you
ncighbor. That is nothing else bu
self-sacrifice. The coward the selfish
man, loves himself frst and Sacrifices
his neighbor. The Christian, the un
selfish man, loves himself last and sac
riices himself for his neighbor Tina
is the chief difference between one wht
is and one who is not Christian-th,
one sacrifices himself, and tn,
other sacrifices other people. VIVA
makes a man a Christian is no,
his exact and correct intellectual be
lief, but his unselfish living. Their,
are thousands of protesting Christian
who go through all the forms of reli
gion without flaw. but who will fai
when they put themselves to our Lord
test. Which are they sacrificing, them
selves or other people? Success comes
not with sacrificing other people Il
ourselves but ourselves to other people
This is success; this is heroism; this il
Christianity.
Why should we be surprised at it, ant
call it paradox? Will the time neve
come when it shall seem the natura
and reasonable thing to do what cam,
natural and easy to Christ to do-to sac
ri6ce ourselves to others? How long mus
the church preach and teach the law o
love before it shall cease to seem t.
The world impracticable and quix
otto? Was it not practicable to Chris
and to His Apostles? Nay. was it no
practicable to the heather Socrates
Has it not been practicable to thou
sands of heroes who have laid dow
their lives for their country? viii tn
church ever be able to teach the rea
sonableness of the paradox that he VIII,
loseth his life shall save it, until it shall
teach it by example, and shall show t.
the world its millions of member
actually loving their neighbors as them
selves, and actually toiling as Chris
toiled, and sacrificing as He sacrificed
for the welfare of the poor and suffer
ingp Perhaps then people will not 50.
that the church is not for poor people
and the poor will not be the ones frs
estranged from its invitations.-N. y
Independent