The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-02-21
PAYING THE PRICE.
: God Too Good a Business Manager to
Give Something for Nothing.
Even Salvation Costs the Sinner
Something - Popular Idea Re
futed by the "HfGhway and
Byway" Preacher.
copyright, 1903, by A. N. Kellogg News.
paper Col

copyright. 1903. by A. N. Kellogg News
paper Col
Chicago, Feb. Is. 1908.
Text:--"I counsel thee to buy Of Ne gold
tried IN the fire. that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame OF thy naked
ness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes
with eyesalve. that thou mayest see. '-Rev.
3:lS.
q Text Setting.-This text, from
which the Lord may be pleased 10
teach us His truth and the certainty
with which He operates, is taken
from the wonderful revelation of
Jesus Christ given to His beloved
disciple John, as he communed in the
Spirit on the Isle of Patmos on the
Lords Day. 1t is part of the message
TO the church at Laodicea. one OF the
seven churches to whom last solemn
warning and admonition was sent 1t IL
the commonly accepted view OF Bible
scholars and commentators that,
while the churches addressed had an
actual existence and the several mes
sages had their direct application to
the special needs of the churches at
that time, still itCwas the intention
and purpose Of God that these let
tiers should have wider and general
application to the church of Jesus
Christ during the Gospel dispense
ton, until it's taking up as the bride
of Christ. Johns prophetic vision Is
separated by the Spirit, Who dictated
its writing, into two divisions: The
things which are" and "The things
which shall be hereafter
There is much difference of opiE-
ion among Bible students as to in
depreciation, some holding that The
things which are" imply the present
state of things in the churches when
John was writing, as represented in
chapters Q and 3; and that THE
things which shall be hereafter" are
the things symbolically represented
concerning the future history of the
churches, as set forth in chapters
TO %; while others believe that
"The things which are marks the
present period of the church in the
world to the time of the coming of
Christ in the glory and clouds of
IleHNtH 10 TCCtlNt bliuSs WY
church, as it is taken out of the
world to meet Him in the air, and
1.-THE things which shall be hereaft-
er" are the things set forth from
the fourth chapter to the end of the
Revelation, and describe what will
take place in the world after the
church has assembled to be with its
Lord.
This latter opinion is gaining
ground among the most devout and
spiritual Bible scholars, and certain
" gives increased interest and force
TO the message to the seven churches,
and brings our text into living touch
with present conditions and needs,
for while we may always learn help
full spiritual lessons from texts
which plainly have their application
TO another time and place and peo.
pie, still when we feel that text is
directly addressed to us, its author
ity, and meaning. and force are
deepened and intensified.
A Fallacy.-It costs the sinner
something to obtain salvation. IL
costs the Christian something to win
as n personal possession the spiritual
riches which are in Christ Jesus. The
language of Gods Word is so misun-
derstood when it speaks of salvation
and spiritual attainments as gifts.
that what God offers is undervalucd
and the way of obtaining the gifts
is almost entirely, il not wholly. lost.
1t weakens the force of the Gospel
message to the heart of the sinner
TO wholly empha size the gift OF God,
and make no reference to what the
sinner must give up in order to OBJ
tain the gift. The Christians who
think of spiritual gifts as something
which God is to pour into them, with
out their giving up something in re-
turn, live shallow Christian life,
and instead Of the substantial mani
festation of the fruits of the Spirit,
there is the sentimental and emo
tional talk about the possession of
the deep spiritual gifts Of God and
an entire absence of their evidence
in the life. The sinner often deludes
himself into the thought that he is
willing to receive the gift of saliva
ton, while he refuses to- pay the
price of surrendered will, and the
Christian, in prayer meeting gener.
ally, and sometimes elsewhere. talks
about longing to receive the gifts of
the richness in Christ Jesus, and even
goes so far sometimes as to claim
possession of them, while he Is fill.
ing his heart and life SO full of 9TH
err things that there is room for
nothing else.
God is too good business manager
TO commit His treasures to thought
less or ruthless hands. He under
stands the human heart too well to
offer something for nothing. The
story is told of British lord, who as
the result of wager with a friend
who was keen observer of human
nature, stood on london bridge all
day long with tray full of glittering
gold sovereigns which he offered for
sale at shilling apiece. All day
long he stood there appealing to the
crowds as they passed to buy genu-
ine gold sovereigns at a shilling each,
but The people looked askanee at the
unheard-of bargain and passed on.
~ q T.