The Globe-republican., 1894-08-10
Religious Department.
HOW TO KEEP FROM BACKSLIDING.

HOW TO KEEP FROM BACKSLIDING.
Ipray not that thou should take them out
of the world, but that thou should keep them
from the evil. They are not OF the world,
even as am not OF the world. Sanctify them
| through thv truth: thy word is truth.-St
John XVII 15-n.
This is part of prayer which Christ
offered to the Father on behalf of those
who had been already converted. The
expression ''they are not of the world, -
indicates this, but to make the fact
absolutely certain, we quote from the 9th
verse Il pray not for the world, but for
them which thou hast given me.''
The prayer is made near the end of
Christ's ministry in human flesh on earth.
1t was the Divine Masters precaution
against backsliding, on the part of his
disciples. He had kept them thus far
by having them deny themselves, take
up their cross daily and follow Him,
through faith in his power to save and
keep, which is mans part of the work
of sanctification. It is Gods part of the
work which Jesus prays for at this time.
Mans part is to dedicate or set apart
himself for the service of God. as de-
scribed by Paul in the first verse of the
18th chapter of Romans. as follows: II
beeseech you, therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that yc present your
bodies living sacrifice. holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable SER
vice.
That this refers to converts to chris
tanity, who have already received the
new birth spoken of by Christ to Nico-
demus, is evident from their being called
brethren and also that it must be pre-
sented a living sacrifice, holy" In the
sixth chapter of the same letter, Paul
admonished the brethren that as they
are dead to sin. they should not live any
longer therein. In the 18th verse he en-.
courages their faith as!follows: Reckon
We also yourself to be dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord
is accomplished by the followers .of
Christ. who have by reason of the new
birth borne fruit of the spirit, then the
Almighty purges such followers that
they may be more useful in his work, as
il is set forth in John XIV, 2, as follows:
''every branch that bringeth fruit he pur-
geth, that it may bring forth more fruit. =
Webster's dictionary says purge"
means to cleanse and that ''sanctify'
means -, to make holy or free from sin,
to cleanse from moral corruption and
pollution; to make fit for the service of
God and the society and emplOyments of
heaven
1t is evident. therefore, that the word
purge" in the Nv of John and ''sanc-
tify" in the seventeen chapter, were
synonymous terms, and the connecting
words in both cases show that it is a
work for God to do within those who are
already his, and not for the unregener-
ate world. 1t also appears. from the
18th chapter, that this is not to be at the
time they are taken out of the world, but
to ''keep them from the evil In other
words. to keep them from backsliding.
This is the way Christ has provided
to keep his followers from backsliding,
and it is the only way. Any one who
tries to ''serve him without fear, in holt
ness and righteOusness.b before him all the
days of our life" as spoken of in the first
chapter of Luke will fail unless they seek
the cleansing, purging power after they
are converted, ''And if the righteous
scarcely be saved. where shall the uu-
godly and the sinner appear" LIST Peter
Ills.