Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-09


Furthermore. each one who thus sub
stitutes for the Living and Indwelling
Christ creature of his own ina gination,
made In his own image and likeness. viii
be disposed to make war on all compet-
ing images. He asks himself, what would
Jesus do? and waits not for the answer
from above, but takes as response to his
question the echo of his own voice re-
bounding from the figure set UP in his
own fancy. Thereupon he says, MY way
is the only right way: for 1t is the way
Jesus would walk" In truth, such a per-
son does not walk lin His steps who
walked in Galilee and Judea in the first
century, but he makes a Jesus of his
own creation, who follows after his own
way in the twentieth century. He adores
his idol until by it's worship he engen-
ders in his devotions lofty pride In
which he feels himself a kind Of Christ
qualified to both save and judge all 9TH
ers about him. He becomes self-centered.
vain and censorious. The unspoken as
sumption of his whole manner of life is,
II walk as Christ walked, but the rest
of the church walk some other way" 1t
may be doubted If the walk of one who
assumes that most protesting Christians
are un-Christly is e godly gait.
The whole movement of such walking
proceeds on a misconception, and it is
likely to lead all astray who fair under
it's delusion. Christian living is not at
tanned by a mechanical effort to uninick
the historic Christ. 1t is not process
of mere imitation at all; it is not copy
ing Of the Christ of the humiliation, but
a heavenly communion with the Christ
of the exaltation. As the devout and
scholarly DIR. William AIilligan of Aber-
deem mas said in his very able treatise
on the Resurrection OF Our Lord" lit
is by no mere imitation of our Lords
example when He was on earth, by no
mere listening to the teaching that then
fell from His lips, by no mere trust In
any thing then accomplished by Him.
that we live; but it is by abiding in Him
as the vine is in the branches and the
branches in the vine. We live in a
Risen Saviour; His life is In our life,
and in Him our life is a risen life" AS
Christians we live a life whose whole
character and complexion is derived not
merely from what Jesus was, but from
what He is,-a life permeated by the
spirit Of the supramundane world and
resonant with the tones Of the heavenly
land.
No one will suppose for a moment
value the earthly life of Jesus. or that
we are to depreciate the inspired records
in which it's story is told. But what
ever power may have been present in
that wonderful life, or whatever beauty
may have adorned it, the standard OF
Christian life was not found in it nor
did it supply the force By which Chris
tians are liftetd to the level Of the di--
vine ideal and enabled to sit with Him
rl
Saviour in the days of His humiliation
revealed the depth to which His COM
stopped to reach US rather than
the height to which by the might OF
His risen and glorifed humanity He de-
signed to raise us.
Wherefore for all who would truly and
scripturally walk the ChristIy way We
should bow our knees unto the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is
named, that He would grant them ac-
cording to the riches Of His glory, to
De strengthened with might by His
Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may
dwell in their hearts by faith, that they
peing rooted and grounded in love, may
be able TO comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth and length and
depth and height; and to know the love
of Christ which passeth knowledge that
they might be filled with all the fulness
of God"
Conformity to this uneartfily type OF
life is the standard of christian living,
and this pattern shown us in the mount
s a far nobler form than the transient
md tentative type advertised IL the press
dispatches from Cleveland. Ohio. The
dea of putting on a Christly style OF
ife on a given day and wearing it for
certain number of weeks is one quite
oreign to the Scriptures. II sounds like
sort of picnic piety under the impulse
# which a certain number of those who
rave wearied of other diversions so for
IN outing TO Paradise Park. the exact
lour of their departure and return being
Iuly determined beforehand. Life in
christ can not be so mechanically under
aiken nor so summarily laid aside. It is
ar too serious and sacred to be endeay-
'ured in such fashion.
What pity that the spirit of fads and
Iovelty and advertising is finding its way
wen into such solemn and molly things as
attempts to live the Christly lifeI What
lext? May the Lord have mercy on our
ensation-loving generation! May we
earn speedily that the kingdom of God
ometh not with observation. but that it
) within US If it exists for us any where
a any worthy way.