Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-03-20
oaWl.rlAN ENpKAvoR.

Topic For the eek BEGINNING
March adjournment by Rev. 5. II.
Doyle.
TorIc.-what / owe to christ.-u Cor. viii. .:
I Pet. II. 2i-25.
The individual as well as humanity
at large owes a debt to Jesus Christ-a
debt that can never be estimated and
b debt that can never be paid. 1t is
well for us TO consider our Individual
Indebtedness to Christ. What do owe
to Christ? And when we try to fathom
this great Indebtedness and realize that
we can never pay it we should throw
ourselves into Ills arms Of everlasting
mercy. and We VII nnd that It win be
Increased Is being freely and fully
forgiven. what a wonderful Saviour
is Jesus, our Lordw
The topical influences suggest that
l. We owe Christ for spiritual riches.
II Cor. viii, o, For We know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ that. though
He was rich, yet for your sakes He
became poor that We through His pow
erty might become rich" Christ gave
up heavenly riches for earthly poverty
that we might become rich. The riches
that He thus brought US are not tenn
poral but spiritual riches, the present
and future blessings that come to us
through the gospel Of Christ. And
what ricl@s indeed! Gods love. recon-
Citation with God, forgiveness of sin
and eternal life, all these we owe to
Christ, and that we might have them
He gave up heaven for earth, crown
for a cross. What an Indebtedness for
spiritual riches!
2. We owe Christ for a perfect ex-
ample. / Pet. ii, 81, Christ also
suffered, leaving us an example that
We should follow His steps, who did
no sin, neither was guile found in His
mouth" In urging servants to pa
tiently endure persecution and mis-
treatment Peter appeals to the example
of Christ, who acted in this way under
even worse circumstances. In patient
endurance and in all things Christ has
left us perfect example. He knew no
sin. He was tempted, yet without sin.
He Is the only One who ever lived a
perfect life, and this should make His
perfect example all the more valuable
to us. Had Christ not lived we should
have had no perfect life as an en-
coura cement, an inspiration and a
guide. A Christian life would thus
have peen lived under more diffict :.
circumstances. for it is easier to copy
a perfect model than to be directed
simply by precepts. Our debt TO Christ
here is great. and we should try to pay
it by initiating His example in all
things.
8. We owe Christ for a vicarious
atonement. Pet. ii, %, ''Who His
own self bare our sins in His own
body on the tree" Peter here refers
to the death of Christ for US. Christ
did not die simply to leave US an ex-
ample of self sacrifice. He died to
atone for our sins, as our substitute.
Our sins We're placed upon Him on the
cross. and He bare them in our stead.
Had He not done so it would have
been impossible for us to be saved.
We would have been compelled to bear
the debt of sin ourselves eternal
separation from God. But Christ paid
our debt on the cross. Here we see
our greatest Indebtedness to Christ.
All else sinks into insignifieence in
comparison TO the debt of the cross.
To pay it in kind is impossible. Christ
does not ask it. All the pay that He
asks is that we accept the sacrifice and
that we devote the lives He thus saves
to His service. Can we do less than
that? Is He not gracious creditor,
who viii accept such payment for such
debt?
But drops OF tears meier repay
The debt Of love / owe.
Here, Lord. give myself away;
IT'S all that do.
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Have a testimony meeting. Let each
member testify concerning his in
dividual indebtedness to Christ.
RIBLE READINGS.
Eccl xii, 10. IA; lisa. lii, ia; Math.
viii, 10. 20; xxi. 1910; John iii. 16;
Rom. xii. /, .; Cor. vi, 10. 20; Phil. ii,
Ill; Col. iii, II.