The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-27

10 the real nature and scope Of the gospel
of our Lord. IN the great fact that He.
the Divine One, came from heaven TO seek
and TO save that which was lost, many
have reached the conclusion that the gos-
pei OF Christ is one which deals wholly with
personal saving grace and terms OF saliva
ton through faith In Jesus. Now, surely,
no one will deny that this is an integral
and essential part OF that glorious gospel
OF the grace OF God which Jesus brought
10 men. but that SUCH is the primary or
principal import -ofsthe gospel as conceived
OF by Jesus and the New Testament
writers. he would be a bold man who would
so affirm. In the apostolic writings the
gospel is spoken of as the gospel of the
grace Of God-the gospel Of Jesus Christ
this largely the Pauline characterization;
and the gospel OF God, as il is called by
Peter: while il is worthy of notice that
John, who deals with the life and mission
Of our Lord, philosophically does not either
in his gospel or his epistles use the word
gospel at all, but deals rather with the
personal relation of Christ to the indi-
vidual believer. But please notice that
Jesus, himself. invariably, where He char
acterizes the gospel at all, speaks of IL
as the gospel of the kingdom as in
deed, the burden of His public teaching
and thought is, that He came to establish
a divine k~ingdOm-a kingdom of righteous
ness and truth amongst men.
1T is noticeable that at the very open
ing of His ministry, when, in answer to the
question Of the Baptist as To whether He
was indeed the Christ, or they should look
for another, Jesus replies: Go tell o
III GAAAAA1o > 2 lNeA anu 5EIH LAE DlAAAA e
ceive their sight and the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed. and the deaf hear, the
dead are raised up. and the poor have the
gospel preached unto them so that the
gospel is the forthputting of divine love in
human activities. for the healing. helping.
blessing and saving of men. This harmon
ICES with the opening utterances of His
ministry up in Galilee, when, after reading
from the book in the synagogue at Nazar-
eth, where 1t was written, The spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed
me 10 preach the GOSPEL TO the moor He
hath sent me to heal the broken hearted.
10 preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind. to set at
liberty them that are bruised. TO preach
the acceptable year of the Lord and He
then began to say to them. This day is
the scripture fulfilled in your ears So
that the gospel of Christ is first. the good
news and personal effort of the divine
through human activities and ministra-
uons for the bruised. broker hearted. blind,
Durdened and bOndaged sons of men.
Follow with care the teachings OF Jesus
ana you Will readily discover that the gospel
OF christ is next a gospel of righteous and
helpful relationships between man and man.
Such relationships are to be created and
sustained by man through a personal ac-
ceptance of Jesus Christ, for to as many
as receive Him to them gave power to be
come the sons of God When men thus
become the sons of the Father, born from
above, that which is born of the spirit is
spirit and truly OF such is the kingdom
OF heaven. 1t is upon such characters
amongst men that He relies and builds His
hopes IOT the klnSUOm. 4e are the Salt
Of the earth. We are the light of the world
and the potency and blesSednesS of the
kingdom is in their changed character
Blessed are the meek. and the pure and
the poor in spirit. and the peacemakers.
and they that hunger and thirst after
righteousness, and they also who are per-
secuted for righteousness sake for theirs
is the kingdom OF heaven. He then applies
il all TO the life that so much needs
II, saying, Therefore be We perfect as your
Father in heaven is perfect. Love and
serve the lOVahlp and the nnlOVahlp the
good and the bad, your frienCs and your
enemies. Your Father does this. He sends
His rain upon the just and upon the un-
Just. Be Xix Him. Do more than others.
By the blessedness of your own spirit of
meekness, mercy. purity, righteousness be
like your Father. BY the needs of the world
all about you be like your Father. And
then come the great warnings and the final
judgment. Hear Him. Not every one that
saith unto Me Lord, Lord. shall enter the
kingdom, but he that dOeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven and so also
in the great judgment picture recorded
by Matthew, which many mistakenly read
as referring primarily. IL not wholly, to the
general Judgment of the world. Jesus has
been discOursing upon the kingdom of
heaven amongst men and showing the OBJ
legations to fidelity and large service which
rest upon those who are in the kingdom.
and He then goes forward in this great
judgment picture to show what will be the
certain outcome of fidelity or failure in all
who have known their Lords will and had
opportunity to live il out. The doom falls
upon those who did nothing and the destiny
of eternal blessedness upon those who gave
themselves and served according TO the
wants and needs of men by the power and
love OF Christ in their own souls. Here
also Jesus gives some of the deepest teach
ing as to the divine incarnation. for He
links himself with the weakest, neediest.
unwoTthiest Of men. and declares that He
is so linked with human life even in it's
lowest and most desperate situations that
inasmuch as we did kindness unto one Of
the least of these we did it unto me. And
- -IaI1 mo Int 8 .
Who? Those who have been doing the will
Of the Father amongst men and spreading
the kingdom by the personal helpfulness of
Christ-like activities"