The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-17
LIBERTY IN CHRIST DR, MOORE'S THEME Liberty and Power Passions ot
 Human Soul
SELFISH WHIMS GOVERN US
Strict Adherence to Theories and Dogmas Frequently Make Us Un- able to Grasp True Mean
 ing of Things.

ing of Things.
 The Rev. Dr. A. R. Moore preached at the First Christian church yesterday morning on "The Liberty That Is In Christ" taking his text from the thirty first and thirty-seeond verses of the eighth chapter of John: Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had followed on Him. if ye abide in My word, then are ye truly My disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make ye free"
 pr. Moore spoke in part as follows:
 The love of liberty and the love of pow CT are two passions of the human soul Freedom from the restraint and domina- ton of others, and the power to control and direct others are the two dominant passions in the unregenerate heart, and these passions have caused more bloody wars than all other causes combined Liberty perverted Is anarchy. and power perverted is tyranny. There can be no lasting peace where these two passions are unevenly balanced. They have been perfectly balanced in only one man, Jesus Christ. Our only nope, therefore, Tor perfect liberty and perfect power is in Christ.
 Human Bondage.
 Tn this text, Jesus does not speak Of human slavery. All nations and all relig- ions have sometime or other recognized and toledated human slavery. Most re- ligions have encouraged and increased It. Christianity alone, while not suddenly abolishing it, introduced principles that gradually led to emancipation and frce- dom. But Jesus has not this for his theme in the text read. He Is speaking of something that Is more important than that.
 Nor does He here refer to national fn- dependence. It was the dream of the Jew to once more attain unto national inde- pendence It was for this that our fore fathers fought and died. All honor to them, It is glorious to be true pa triot. and the man who gives his life m the service of his country deserves to have his name engrossed high upon the scroll of fame.
 Freedom of Truth.
 "If the truth. shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" This is the free dom of which Jesus speaks, the freedom that comes through truth. All truth be- longs to him. In all ages, among all peo- ples. whatever is fouad to be true, be- longs to Christ He is the author ol truth and has never left Himself with out witness. In Jesus we have perfect freedom of mind in the investigation oi facts, in science, invention and phiioso- phy. He fastened no letters upon human thought He placed no clogs in the way of true progress. Sometimes the church has thrown itself across the path of pro- gress and demanded that a Calico reeant, but in so doing it violated the spirit or the head and Master.
 We are frequently blinded by prejudice We are held to the past by custom. We are welded to our theories and dogmas' so that we are not always able to grasp the true meaning of things, or exercise our liberty therein. In a southern city a preachers application for membership in the ministers alliance was rejected because he did not believe in the doctrine of total depravity. l know man who offered himself for membership In d northern church and was rejected for the same reason He believed In Christ all right, and was willing to serve Him, but because he did not believe In that old, worn-out dogma he was rejected. That was a brave thing that Newell Dwight Hills did when he was called to the Beecher pulpit In Brooklyn. He said: "l was brought up under a certain creed, but I no longer believe all It's teachings. While I revere it as venerable docu- ment, l have come into larger liberty in Christ and refuse to be tied down to its requirements. To be tied to any hu- man statement of faith Is intellectual bondage and contravenes our liberty In Christ"
 But Christ also offers freedom from the tyranny of self. We are governed by selfish whims. We live for selfish encs. We indulge In selfish loving and selfish living. Christ calls us to lay aside all that and to enter into a larger life. He calls us to larger self, in which We shall live for others and seek the high est good of our fellow-men No man can reach his highest development who lives for self alone But in forgetting our selves and living for those who need us we como into our larger self, because we come into fellowship with Christ.
 Freedom From Sin.
 "Everyone that committeth sin is the bond servant of sin" Sin is slavery binding us to bad habits and to evil associations. From that slavery Christ would free US. He had the power of life and the power of forgiveness. He can bring peace to the troubled soul and set the captive spirit free. He can also free us from the consequences of sin "fhe soul that sinneth shall die" That Is the law of sin, but from 1t Christ sets us free ITO as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the children of God" He that liveth and be- lieveth on Me. though he were dead, yet shall he live again." Christ has made us free indeed. Not free to sin; not free to indulge in wrong doing; but free to do good, free to live up to that which is highest and best in our natures. Like the caged eagle. when, after days or restlessness and weary efforts to escape, 1t finally is given its freedom, scars aloft in It's native element, far above the clouds; so the soul of man, freed from sin and the tyranny of self, rises Into its native element, the atmosphere of right eousness mad the true liberty of the d. vine presence
 Then, finally, liberty in Christ means the liberty to do right; the liberty to love those we ought to love, and the liberty to break away from that which we ought not to love; the liberty to labor for the uplifting of our fellowmen, with the help of the Masters hand; the liberty that leads to life immortal and eternal. Stand fast therefore beloved, in the liberty