The Penn's Grove record., 1906-06-01

SNSoO' l. AlIlStEc Ildu lSSlta Il Ut
cree that if any member of their syna-
gogues should so much as confess that
he knew Jesus he would be eXcommu-
nicated from the synagogue. They
were afraid of this threat or decree,
and so they did not confess Christ.
They did not have faith enough to
make them bold and fearless or to lead
them to do their duty whatever might
be the consequences. They took
sci Of their fears, and 50 they failed in
their duty. 1t meant much to them to
lose their place in the synagogue. They
knew that. 1t really meant more to
them to confess Christ even if they did
lost their place in the synagogue. They
did not know that. They did not know
that as we know it to-day. We blame
them, but in blaming them we condemn
ourselves, and the people Of this day
who do not confess Chris.
There are very many to-day who be-
lieye in Christ with more or less faith
who do not make any public confession
or profession Of their faith. What hin
ders them? Many things, no doubt,
but among those many things this
"a false fear, the fear of giving
up or losing some coveted position or
pleasure. Let me illustrate what [
mean There was a family at one time
attending this church quite regularly.
l asked them several times if they
would not like to make a public profess
sion of their faith and join our church.
They always objected. and gave me
ome weak excuse, but finally they
gave me the real reason. They said:
You know, we like to play cards some
times, and we go to the theatre once
in a while, and we don't think that a
church member ought to do these
things, so we don't join the church,
Thus, for the fear of losing these
things, they made a public con
fession of their faith by uniting with
the church. They were wrong, and L
told them so. They We're wrong in the
first place, in concluding that a church
member might play cards, or go
to the theatre without injury TO his
soul, or to the church; and then they
were utterly wrong in the second place.
in that they concluded that these things
were wrong for the believer in the
church, and especially, in the third
place, in believing that these things.
even if they were wrong and had to
be given up, were of more Importance
than joining the church, and so chose
these rather than the fulfilling of their
faith by a public confession.
1 believe there are many like them
who put some little thing, or false fear,
in the way of doing their full duty to-
ward their God. And thus they stul-
tify their souls and prove false. to their
faith. There are many 40 say to me:
81 would like to be a Christian and join
the church, but there are so many
things that I would have to give up
that now I like to do" They are
wrong. N becoming a Christian we
need to give up only what is wrong,
and every true person ought to be will
ing to do that, anyway. And then the
things that we lose are as nothing com
pared to the things that we gain. When
we can say, with Paul. "For me to live
is Christ" then we will count all other
coveted things as refuse in order that
we may have more of Christ. Aye.
even death will be a gain to US, for it
will give us more of Christ. "Godli-
ness is profitable, both for the life that
now is, and for the life that is to
come"
Away, then, with all false fears and
silly excuses, and let all who believe in
Christ confess Christ. This is His W
desire for US, as we know. For who
soever shall confess Me before men,
him will 1 confess before My Father in
heaven
But not only do false fears keep peo-
pie from the duty and the privilege of
confessing their faith in Christ: there
is another reason given in the text. 1t
is false loves. For they loved the
glory of men more than the glory Of
Cod" They wished to be thought well
of by these Pharisees of the synagogue
and to receive their praise. Their
praise was something real and present
and tangible. The praise of God for
duty well done; that was far off and
uncertain. They believed in this lowly
Nazarene. They thought He was the
Messiah, and, if He was the Messiah,
it would certainly be to the glory of
God if they would confess their faith
in Him. 1t would help on Gods king
dom In the world. But if they should
declare their faith in Christ, the Phari-
sees would be displeased and no longer
praise and glorify them. And so they
choose the glory and praise of the Phar.
isees. rather than the glory and praise
of God.
There are very many to-day who
make that mistake. They love the
praise of men, of their comrades, more
than the praise of God, and so they fail
in doing their full duty to God. They
are afraid Of what some of their
friends will say if they come out and
make a bold confession of their faith
in Christ. 1 believe this love of the
praise of men, and coupled with it thu
fear of what others will say, is keeping
many from their well-known duty 70
ward God. Oh. let neither false feayE
nor false loves keep any one back from
duty, his full duty, toward God and
His church.