The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1895-12-06


duty He needs u deliver %rOm the COZ =
domination and destroying power of sin.
He needs q savior who has III himself
F., transforming and creating power. /,
| other words, he needs God. He needs
! the same divine Being who made him
and breathed into him the breath Of lif4.
Christ answers this need when he says,
Il am the light of the worid.'' II this
declaration 10 asserts his divinity Or his
oneness " til God.
light and Salvation.
Now when Christ says, 4 am the
light Of the world, - he declares his alb
s0lute oneness with God. It is substan
tally what he had previously said to
Philip, HE that hath seen me hath seez
the Father. - Christ was God manifest
III the flesh "The word was with God
and the word was God, and the word
was made flesh and dwelt among US. -
| Though he has passed into the spirit
world and IS no longer dlAcornlb4e by
our mortal aenses, he IS still. the God
/ nan, one in being and sympathy with
God and one i'll nature and sympathy
with man. In tho person and life Of this
divine man is the light e the world, and
nothing but personal contact with the
personal life Of this divine Being can
emancipata' man from sin and satanic
power and lift him into sympathy and
fellowship with God.
Salvation is to know God. It is not
to know something about him, but to
know him. I can learn something about
God from his creative works. The
heavens declare his glory" But | can
know all that the earth and heavens
reveal of his wisdom and power without
knowing him. Man can know God only
through the mediation of the God man.
ono man knoWeth the Father but the
Son and he to whom the Son VIII re-
veal him. " What men need most is the
knowledge of God. This knowledge will
not only make them wise unto salvation
and fit them for heaven, but it Will de-
veIOp IL them gOdlillo virtues and pro
pare them to make the most Of the pres
6nt life and the present world. This
knowledge can be gained only by per
soDal contact and intercourse with the
man Christ Jesus.
But what will you do with c;!r second
text: eye are the light CT the world"
The same being who says, II am the
light OF the world" declares that his
followers arc the light Ct the world.
Paul, IN writing to Christians at Phi
lippi, says, "Iu the midst Of q crooked
and perverse generation among whom
&c shine Us Rights II the world. - There
is no contradiction here. Both doc
trines are true Christ is the light Of
the world, and his people aTc tho Light
OF the world.
Reflected Light.
TN. Oh
derived from Christ. Christ, the sun Of
righteousness, shines into him, and he
shines upon the world. IN other words,
Christ works through those whom he
has enlightened and redeemed to bring
lost men to Il saving knowledge Of his
truth Christians are witnesses for
Christ. They show the world by their
own redeemed lives that Christ is de-
liverer from sin. They demonstrate by
their own conduct that a union with
him by faith transforms human nature,
changes the currents Of it's thoughts,
affections and aspirations and makes it
in every way richer, nObler and diviner.
They reveal Christ as Christ reveals
God. They reproduce his virtues. Men
take knowledge of them that they have
been with Jesus and learned Of him.
They see the character of Christ in the
characters of his people. They are drawn
to Christ by the attractive power of his
people.
Having this light of life, Christians
are required by their divine Master to
let it shine before men. Dr. BrOadus
says that the meaning Of this is that we
must show our Christian virtues III the
presence of men. When we are isolated
from the world and its temptations, it is
comparatively easy for us to refrain
from SHINING and to preserve Il Christ
like temper. Fer this reason many peo-
pie become her3nits. They desert the
ranks Of men and hide themselves i'll
caves and mountain Businesses. These
are they who put their light under q
buShel. Christ gets 10 true service and
the world no real blessings from such
Christians. Put your light upon q can
dleStick that it may give Ght to al
that are i'll the house. Shine III the pres
ence Of men that they may see your
works and be inspired by them 10 Glcr1fy
God. stand before the world and provo
by the grace yen have received yOu can
Withstand its temptations. Go into tie
markets and show men that you can buy
and sell and get gam from day to day,
and from year 10 year, without doing
ono dishonest fht7a,r Go 10 the bar Of