The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-16
BELIEF IN JESUS
THE WAY OF LIFE.
Three Important Factors-Christ's
Love. Death and Saving Power
Pointed Out in Sermon.

The Way of Life" was the subject OF
the sermon preached last night at the Cook
Avenue NJ. E Church by the Reverend Wal
ter Holcomb. who has conducted a success
full meeting there. Mr.. Holcomb goes from
here to Arizona. The text of the sermon
was Romans Nv, %. "a, rs. and Romans V,
/, 2. He said, in part:
Il want TO speak to you on the way OF
life. The supreme desire of my heart at
this moment is that l may point out the
so plainly that those of you who have be-
gun that life may live 1t more perfectly.
commencing. it may. be prevailed upon to
start. And in carrying out this desire OF
my heart. the only obligation that is rest
ing upon me Is to show you this way as
God has revealed 1t TO us In his Word. For
our Father. In speaking Of the plainness and
simplicity of that way. has said. The way
faring man-that is. a tramp-thouSh a
therein
I'VE do not go very far in considering the
way of life until We have to do with facts,
The mistake that most of US make is
to begin with feelings and move on to faith.
then settle down upon facts. But Gods
way is that we should first get hold of facts.
and let facts inspire faith. and let feeling
The first fact that we run across in the
Bible is the fact of Gods love. In John Iii,
gave his only begotten Son. that whosoever
believeth OF him should not perish, but
have everlasting life Romans v. s, But
God commendeth his love toward us. in
that. while We were yet sinners. Christ died
for us John xiv. IA. Greater love hath no
man nn than this, that a man lay down his
D you know that this Is about the first
fact that the sinner really finds in the
r EinlsF the su Pppia a ans S been t anas aas f inae
the most tongues is John Ill. 16. The fact
OF Gods love for a soul! I have sometimes
thought that maybe the spirit of God has
thrown this verse out before the world
that we might get hold Of this Bible fact
in order to come to God in an intelligent
1T is a fact that God loves. 1 am not
discussing the why or wherefore of Gods
love. If you ask me why and how 1t is
ner to my heart. but whether or not we
can explain the why and how. it remains as
a fact that God loves the sinner.
John. the beloved apostle, who leaned
upon the Savior's bosom. said God is love-
And as he is a God of infinite and boundless
less sinner: Now if you will just accept this
fact it will change your life. The most de-
basing thing in all the world is impure
love.
THE next fact is Jesus's death. God 80
loved the world that he ave his only be-
gotten Son. that whatsoever believeth on
life While we were yet sinners Christ
died for us Greater love hath no man
than Tia }r this that aWS a man ,aT.d lay yd down his life for
self for me- These scriptures which
bring out the fact of Gods love also
bring out the fact of Jcsus'a death. Some
men say 4 cannot understand that thing of
the death of Jesus 1t does not sound rea-
sonahle. 1t does not sound as IL 1t were
exactly just
Il don't know of anything that appeals to
my reason more strongly than the little
thread Of redemption that runs through the
pages of this book. As l look at my life
and your life. and the condition of mankind
at large. / say Something has gone wrong
with man somewhere. some time. Man has
fallen. This stream is fearfullv muddy. |
can't believe it started from the throne of
God as l see II now / walk up the banks
OF the stream until I find myself in Eden's
garden, and there 1 read in the simple words
of Moses that man fell, and that he started
the current of inquiry. and that 1t has
flown on and on. widening until we are
where we are to-day. Then 1 read thai
Jesus Christ came into this world to puri-
fly that current. I know that law has been
broken. ! know that some one must suffer
for n broken law. 1 know that II / break
the law Of nature l have to pay the pen
atty, II 1 break the law of my State I
must gay the penalty. If / break the law
of my God I must pay the penalty. Then
1 read, Jesus paid 1t ALL"