Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-16
SUNDAY READING.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF CHAR
ACTER.
Itby rev. y. G. Campbell, Pastor NJ. E.
Church, Sheldon, Ia.l
BE not conformed to this world; but
ne We transformed by the renewing of
your mind. that ye may prove what ia
mat good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God Rom. 1872.
In the previous verse the apostle ex-
horts the Roman Christians to present
Sthelr bodies living sacrifice in God 8
service This is mentioned by way of
contrast with the Jewish sacrifices and
other offerings common to the heathen
or that time They offered the bodies
OF animals as burnt offerings unto God.
The Christian is to offer his own body,
not as a dead, but as a living sacrifice
he Was to count his life and all hls ra =
tional and bodily powers az not his
own. but his Lords; this is reasonable
service or worship. For Ye ca, not
serve God and lnammon." None other
than this whole-hearted, out-and -out
service of God Ia acceptable to Him.
Then Is added the second verse. to
snow what change is necessary to thus
please God, and to show that ali who
obey may prove to themselves the ex-
celience of this perfect way.
This command of n-conformity to
ms world does not forbid us to enter
INTO the business affairs of this life
God has ordained the law of labor in the
restitution of human life. This Is no
exhortation to seek a hermit S cell, or to
take O. sour or gloomy view of this life
Neither does the apostle forbid entrance
INTO the social life OF the world. This
is as much a snecessity for a full man as
food for the body or air for the lungs
Al that he means is that we shall not
touch, mingle with, nor conform 10. the
evilFof the world. The business man
has the splendid opportunity OF showing
tina a man can be Christian and do
business in the world successfuly
There are such men, and they shine like
lights in dark place. There ts no more
ieffective way of teaching the Gospel
IMAM by showing 1t thru the fingertips
IN business deals and contracts ard by
Christian treatment of competitors
Here ls the beautiful responsibility of
the Christian business man, not to con-
form to the evil that prevails IL, COM
mercial life. but to be Christ like in the
world because he is not of the world.
The same is true of social life.
L. BE not ccnformed to this world Pc
not conformed to the present, transitor.y
interests and things of this present life.
he world passeth away and the lust
thereof. but he that doeth the will4of
God abideth forever. Dosnots he short
sighted: be far-sighted This lis one of
the chief elements that make up 4. sue
.cessful business man. He looks into the
future, lays his plans and does his work
today with reference to his business fu-
sture. Any man doing business for the
pre- only runs but short course to
failure. 1t is this business sense APP.
piled to the matters of character and.
eternal life that Paul is arguing for.
Peter refers to those conformed to this
world 40 blind and not able to see afa,.
off. All men look into the tomorrow for
the body and provide for it, 1T is just
as Imperative to look into the tomorrow
of life and care for yourself, Your char
3acter and destiny. The body is not one 8
self. 1t is the tent in which we dwell.
We tabernacle here in the body for a
time and move this tent from place to
place. The man is more than the tent.
The self-conscious, free, acting eoul,
that is the man.
Vars ago missionaries went TO the
Paraguan Indians of South America.
They were barbarians. living by means
of the chase. The missionaries urged
them to cultivate the soil They secured
oxen and plows for them. and after
much persuasion the Indians began
work. The first day they did we'll a
plowing. But on returning to their camp
in the eevning they Killed the oxen and