Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-03-07
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.

Topic For the Week Beginning March 10.
Comment Dy Rev. n. ii. Doyle.
ToPIC.-Everytllin f0r G0d--Iuke Xiv, 81
1t costs something to be a Christian.
Nor did Christ attempt To conceal this
fact from His followers. Instead He en-
pbasized the fact and told them plain
ly that unless they were willing TO give
up every thing for God they could not
be His disciples. He also pointed out to
them the importance Of counting the
cost before they pledged themselves to
Him. AS a man before building a tower
counts the cost Of it, a. a king before
going to war estimates bis ability to
cope with the enemy, 80 Christ taught
that we should carefully consider the
sacrifices embraced in Christian disciple
ship before we take this discipleship
upon ourselves. 1t is reasonable and Just
that we should do so, and just as rea-
sonable and just to give up all for God
/. Everything for God includes our
affections (verse 26). If any man come
to Me and hate not his father and moth
er and wife and children and brethren
and sisters, he cannot be NY
disciple. " This does not mean literally
that we are to hate our relatives. The
Bible everywhere repudiates such a doc
trine. 1t is simply another way Of say
ing that the first place i'll our hearts, in
our affections, must be reserved for God.
We must allow nothing, then, to stand
before Him, not even our dearest rela-
tives and loved ones fThou shalt have
no other gods before Me. " If we loved
some one more than God i'll Christ, it
would be placing something above Him,
and this makes true discipIeship impos-
sibIe.
2. Everything for God includes life
itself. Life is one Of our greatest bless
ings. We prize it very highly and sell
it very dearly, and yet even life itself,
if necessary, must be given to God. If
we are brought into a position when it
is question of life or Christ, there
should be no hesitancy in choosing
Christ. As Stephen and all the long list
Of martyrs chose Christ and death, %
should all His disciples. we should die
daily for Christ, die to sin, selfshness,
unrighteousness and To the world in all
its forms
8. Everything for God includes all
that we have (verse 49, "Whosoever
he be of you that fOrsaketh not all that
he hath cannot be Ny disciple " This
is the essence of the whole matter in one
word-''all . 1t must be all for Christ
or nothing for Hiln-loved ones, houses,
lands, health, wealth, pleasure, prosper
ity. The child Of God must stand ready
to sacrifice any or all Of it for Him
That he should be willing to do % is
not unjust or unreasonable God has q
just right to all we have and are. he
gives us strength to make sacrifices for
Him. He repays US abundantly for all
we give up. Every one that hath for
saken houses, or brethren, or sisters, OF
father, or mother, or wife, or children,
or lands, for My names sake, shall re-
ceive a hundredfold and shall inherit
everlasting life A" Christianity may cost
something, but it pays, for it hath the
promise both Of this life and the life tc
come.
Bible Rea5iiIgs. Gen. xii lib, 10.
12); | Chron- xxx, 16, III; Ps. ], SIP;
Math. iv, 1920; xix, 2S, 90; Mark K,
$3.50; Luke ', IL; Acts XIV, 25, 2G;
Cor. XIV, 1892; Rev. iv, Il; xii, H.