The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-09-17

bondage, of sin unto death to liberty
and life In Christ Jesus. He Is called
disciple because he is convert and
adherent to the teachings Of Jesus.
Jesus likened the disciple, unto a
branch of a vine to illustrate the inti-
mate relationship which existed be-
tween Himself, Who was declared to be
the vine, and His followers, and again
He called His disciples friends, to as
sure them of the cordial and pleasant
intimacy which existed between them
and their Master. He also called them
the sheep and pointed to Himself as
the Good Shepherd to impress them
with the thought of His tender care
for them, His leadership, and His pro-
lection from every enemy. In the epis-
ties we meet repeatedly with the ex-
pressions "sons of God" and children
Of God" and are taught that those who
have been saved through the cleansing
power of Jesus blood hold peculiar
and vital relationship with God. In
the truest sense God is their Father,
and because sons of God, they are
"heirs and joint heirs with Christ" to
all the riches of the Fathers house.
The term "bond-servant," or Slave" is
also used, which conveys forcibly the
truth that the Christian is bought
with price" and that he no longer has
a right to think of himself as apart
from his Lord, or as doing anything
independent of His will. Christ was
declared to be the Light Of the world be-
cause, as the manifestation Of Gods
holiness and truth in the flesh, He was
| the great revealer of human corruption
and sin. Light reveals, light purifles,
light marks the safe pathway, and for
| this reason Jesus was called the Light Of
| the world, and for the same reason His
followers are declared to the children
of light"
THE apostle admonishes us to walk
j as children of light" The whole
life and course of the Christian is in
volved in that term walk" So walk
that you may enjoy the privileges which
belong to the children of light" Sc
walk that you may meet the obliga-
tons which rest upon you. So walk
that you may realize the needs of the
peculiar relationship. So walk that
the dangers which lie in your pathway
may be successfully avoided So walk
that the blessings which are promised
| to them who love Christ and keep His
commandments may be received and
enjoyed. Oh, 1t means something to
be child Of the light It is more
than wearing badge or button; 1t
| involves more than church member
ship, or long prayers in the market
place or the chief seats in tho syna-
gogue 1t means something to be
known as child Of the light. First.
then, what are the privileges? They
are almost innumeraole, but there ere
four which particularly command our
attention: First, access to and fellow
ship with God second, clear vision
and a plain path; third, identity with
God, and, fourth, the knowledge of the
deep things of God. We have not
time to adequately unfold all that Is
implied in this four-fold privilege of
the children of light, but let us briefly
suggest what it means, trusting that
| you will with the aid of the Holy
| Spirit come into fuller realization of
| all it means to be child of light.
| Access to and fellowship with God.
| Words cannot begin to express and
explain all that is involved in this
| privilege.
LIE WHO has daily access to the
| ! very presence of an earthly king
and is on terms Of intimate fellowship
with him, knows theat there is no re-
quest which he may not make, no
favor which he dare not ask, and he
knows that II it is within the power
of the king to grant them. he shall OBJ
| tain his desires. What a privileged!
Children of light having access to and
fellowship with Him Who is the Light.
And then clear vision and plain
path. Not children of darkness; blind
leaders of the blind, and both falling
into the ditch. but seeing plainly and
following safely In the pathway
marked out. And identity with God.
Children OF light part of the Light.
This thought of identity with Christ
| Is suggested In the opening verse OF
the chapter from which our text is
taken, where we are told to be 'imi-
tators of God" And in another place
Paul speaks Of Christ being formed
In u.s." We sing, More like Jesus
would be- This is the thought;
Identity with God. And lastly, the
privilege of knowing. There is pas.
sion to know things in this our day
The spirit of the Greeks has descended
upon US, and like the cultured an
clients we are always eager to hear and
tell some new thing. But the children
Of light have privileges Of knowing
such as the children OF the darkness
never dreamed OF. The promise OF
Jesus when He left His disciples was
that the Holy Spirit should be given
unto them and when He, the Spirit
] Of truth. Is come. He win guide you