Mexico Missouri message., 1908-09-24

- work upon the
merit OF which one depends for saliva
ton apart from Jesus Christ. II is
dead because II is separated from the
sources Of all spiritual life. The man
who depends upon his character as
the ground Of justification before God,
while he declares that he has no need
OF an atoning Saviour, is relying upon
dead work. The man who depends
upon salvation through baptism or any
other external ordinance is trusting 10
a dead work. Dead works are like
wax fruits manufactured and hung
upon tree. They look like fruit, but
they are not, because they lack the
life OF the tree.
Faith Toward God.
A Foundational Attitude Of soul
Is in the words faith toward
God" The opposite of faith toward
works. There can be no growth with
out this soul attitude toward God. AS
well try to make plant grow that
never turns its leaves toward the sun.
As we'll seek the development OF ami
NAL life without the light. II is more
than faith toward truth. One may be.
lieve that the Bible is tAe word OF
God without trusting God for saliva.
ton. One may even believe in the
deity of Christ without accepting
Christ as the Saviour. One may be.
lieve in salvation by grace without ap.
propriating grace for his own saliva
ton. Faith toward God in Christ
means salvation. Faith toward God
the Holy Spirit means power. Faith
toward God the Father means sonship
and worship.
Doctrine Of 5aptlsms.
A Foundational Disposition is in
the words the doctrine of hap.
tisms" There may be reference to
the ceremonial washinss of the jews
or to Christian baptism, perhaps TO
both. But the underlying meaning is
the same in both cases. The Jews
practiced these ceremonial washlngs
because they believed that God had
commanded them. The Christians
baptized because Christ commanded
1t. The disposition of the soul in both
cases was the same, though the dis.
position OF the Christian marked a
higher type OF spirituality than the
disposition OF the Jew. In both cases,
however, that disposition could be de-
fined as the spirit OF obedience. II
was a desire to please the one they
worshiped and loved.
Resurrection Of the Dead.
A Foundational Faith Is in the
words resurrection of the dead"
Both words in the Greek are without
the article and might be translated
resurrection OF dead things, whether
souls, bodies or institutions. 1t is
fundamental that a Christian believe
in resurrection. which means the
power Of God to give life to the dead.
OF course, he believes In the resur.
rection of Jesus Christ, and he does
not explain 1t away by silly talk about
suspended animation. His Lord was
crusifed, dead and buried, and rose
from the dead on the third day &C
cording 10 the Scriptures. The very
body that was laid away In weakness
came forth In power. The very body
that was entombed a natural body
came out a spiritual body. not a spir.
itual spirit, but real body, although
no longer subject TO natural law, be
ing ever hereafter permeated and
dominated by the Spirit. or course
the Christian believes in the resur
rection Of his own body "All that are
in the graves shall hear the voice Of
the Son of God and shall come forth
Laying on Of Hands.
A Foundationai Eouinnent IA a.
the words laying on of hands
Beyond doubt this refers TO the en-
duement of the Holy Spirit. The
apostles laid their hands upon people
and they received the Holy Spirit
What relation the laying on OF hands
had TO the imparting Of the Hol!
Spirit we are not told.
AS TO whether one person to-day hal
the power TO lmpart the Holy Spiri
10 another we do not know. II II b.
true, then our difiiculty is in findlnl
the person or persons who have sucl
power.
Eternal Judgment.
Foundation Expectation is in tbs
words eternal Judgment" Judg
ment" may mean a decree FOL
as or against US. though its usua
meaning is a decree of condemnation
Judgment for the penitent believer 4
eternal, and Judgment against the
impenitent simmer il eternal Ger
tainIy there Is no teaching that eithe
decree win be revoked after death.
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In the four cables OF the Manhattan