The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1903-12-04
EAST POINT.

clergy, l should like to give few
quotations from scripture on the
subject. The question is: "are
Christians III the Kingdom OF God
or is the kingdom of God in tho
hearts of the Christians?" In the
light of the inspired word it is
clear that Gods children Al re in
His kingdom and also that His
kingdom exists in the heats OF
His children. "Neither shall they
say, 10 here! or, lnthere for behold
the Kingdom OF God is within you"
Luke Il; q. This VERSE teaches
that Gods kingdom is within the
Christian. We also fluid this verse,
Verify, | say unto you, whose.
ever shall not receive the kingdom
of God AS little child, he shall.
not enter lherei'. hiark 1915,
Here it is evident that tha.r who
are saved enter mo the Kingdom
OF God. And ag4in; jesus sad to
Nlcodemu>: Except mtn be
born Of water and Of the spirit, he
can not enter into the kim dom (
God" Juo. y. lhisVelsc teach,
We must enter aud how We do
enter. Thtsepassoges are best eA-
planned by other portions OF the
Bible which teach that there is
harmonious blending into one be-
tween Christ and his church. The
kingdom OF God is the church.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians
uses the following language as en-
blematic Of the relation between
Christ and his church: "For tn is
cause shall man leave his father
and his mother, and shall be join.
ed unto his wife, and they two
shall be Que flesh. This is great
mystery but | speak concerning
Christ and the church. Here
Paul wishes to explain the one
ness Of Christ and his church. On
the night OF his apprehension
Jesus prayed that the members
of his church might be one, "and
the glory which thou gavest me |
have given them that they may
be one even as we are one; | in
them ana them in me; that they
may be made perfect in one, and
that the world may know that
thou has sent me and has loved
them as thou has loved me-"
"Neither pray | for these alone
but for them also which shall be-
lieve on me through their world"
Jesus was praying for the dis
ciples and all who might believe
through them which would i'm
clude the church down to the
present time. The kingdom OF
God and the church is the same.
Then how many churches did
Jesus establish? Only one, there
are many denominations, but only
one church. In talking to Moo.
demus Jesus told him the only
way to enter the church is through
the new birth no; one can "joinp
the church. We can join de-
nomination made by man but we
have to be born into the church.
This is scripture. After entering
the church by new birth is it neces-
sary to go off and join some de-
nomination? No. This causes di-
vision among Gods children, and
the Bible says "Let there be no
divisions among you" Christ
prayed for unity. He prayed for
this "that the world might know
that thou hast sent me-" II there
were unity today among all the
protested followers OF Christ the
world would know few things it
doesn't know and 1t would feel the
power of the unity OF Gods people
as has not been felt since the early
days OF Christianity. Infldelity
would surely seek a hiding place.
One great cause of infldelity is the
division among professors of the
religion OF Jesus Christ.
Many OF the hottest men Of the
past have been opposed to sectism.
Melanethon, the friend OF Luther,
on separating from the church Of
Rome, feared that the Protestant
church would split up into many
actions. His fears were well
grounded for there are now about
iOO denominations in the Protest.
mt church. That holy man OF
iod, John Wesley had no desire to {
orm a new sect. He says, "There t
Ire already too many sects and
PARTIES in the family of God. d
Would to God the time wound ,
ONE that we would abandon all
'arty names and divisions and sit
neekly at the feet Of Jesus to i
earn his will aud imbibe his low
ng spirit.p A. NJ. A. (
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Fight Will be Bitter