The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-12-17

TX, OF.
ooOr.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.".-.-.
ers OF his dscourses-in respect TO the
Church class now called of the Father
to be the Kingdom" In the sense of
being the kings and priests of that
Kingdom-the royalty of that King
dom-the reigning family-the Queen.
the Lambs Wife. associated with the
Heavenly Bridegroom. King of kings
and Lord of lords, in his rule of a
thousand years.
Not Fit For tho Kingdom.
We now have before our minds the
two ways In which the expression.
Kingdom of God. Is used and we can
readily see that our Lord could not
refer to the Millennial Kingdom and
say that any would be too degraded to
be tit for the influences of his Millen-
NAL Kingdom. because that Kingdom
Is designed for the very purpose of
dealing with the unfit and gradually.
during the thousand years of its reign
of righteousness uplifting men out of
sin and death conditions. IL they will,
to the full human perfection which
Adam lost. which Jesus redeemed. and
which Is to be restored to the willing
and obedient. as ST. Peter declares
(Acts Iii. 10-2D. 1t follows, then, that
our Lord must have referred to those
called of the Father and accepted by
himself to be chiseled and polished
to be taught in the School OF Christ
and eventually to become his Bride
and joint-heir in the Millennial King
dom. No man will be esteemed tit for
a share in that Milennial Kingdom.
unless he attains to the glorious quail
ties of character. saintship. which the
Scriptures set forth as the Divine
acknowledgements of Gods dear Son"
(Romans viii. 20,.
Fit for the kingdom. Let us think
for moment what these words signi-
fy. First of all we recognize that as
sinners. we were most thoroughly
unit for any favor of God. much less
this greatest of all favors, joint-heir-
ship with his Son and "partakers of
the Divine nature" I'll Peter /, d. But
that difficulty has all been overcome
with those who have come unto God
through Christ and been made partak-
ers of his holy Spirit of adoption. OF
such we read. 1T is God that justi-
fieth Who is he that condemncth"
Qtomans viii. 1884. 1t is Christ that
died for our sins and who now is our
Advocate. Who could in any wise
hat n md
our Heavenly Father?
But this justification is not enough.
IL we were perfect actually instead of
merely reckonedly we would not be ft
for the Kingdom of God-we would
not be fit to govern others-to be
kings and priests unto God and to
reign on the earth (Revelation Xxx, u,
We should still be unfit to be the
| Judges of the world, as the Scriptures
declare that we shall be, saying
Know We not that the saints shall
! Judge the world Il Corinthians vi, q
Our Heavenly Father in bringing
many sons unto glory made the Cap
tain of their salvation Uesus, perfect
through sufferings. Should we think
it strange that we, his younger breth
rem. justified through his blood, should
be required. not merely to make n pro
| fession OF Goodness, holiness, but also
to approve or attest that sentiment t.
be a part Of our very character! Is
not what we as the Church of Chris
experience very reasonable indeed
who would be prepared to teach the
world meekness, patience, brotherly
kindness. long-suffering, love, withou
first of all developing these various
qualities of character in himself? Ant
how could he develop these and b.
tested except under just such schooling
and disciplining influences as now ar
upon the Church of Christ, with ;
view to making us fit for the glorious
position of our high calling of God il
Christ Jesus?
When the Scriptures refer to tn
Church as being tit for the Kingdom
and as being the "overcomers' TO
whom the Kingdom is prepared, ant
who shall share its gories and honor'
because they are worthy" (Revelatio
iii, A., we are to understand this woI
thiness and tituess, not that they wer
originally so, but that by Gods grace
through Christ, n transformation wor
will eveptually bring some to this glor
Gus position where God himself will es
TEEN them i1Orthy to be called his chi
dren. and to be joint-heirs with hi
Son, the Great King,
Various Kinds of Fitness.
There is one certain standard of III
ness for the Kingdom and none othe
will do; but there may be quite Va
Riety of conditions which make one IN
nj for the Kingdom. One of these
murder. mo murderer hath eterna
life abiding in him" Il John iii, 10
He would i've unit for the Kingdom
This would not signify, however, tina
one who had once been a murdere
might not, by sound conversion an
by faithfulness In the School of Chris
become member of the kingdor
, class. But the word murder here use
has broader meaning than Is genel
ally attached to 1.-THE meaning whic
, st. John gave to the Wort when h
= said that whatsoever hateth his brothe