The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-13

death unto life, while he that beievetl
not is condemned already"
Unbelief which rejects Christ is th'
great condemning sin of the world
Hence Jesus told His disciples "when
90 away ! will send the comforter anC
when he is come he will reproye thu
world Of sin, righteousness and judg
ment-of sin, because they believe no
on Me. =" While faith in Christ is the
one condition on which reconciliation
can take place between God and tn,
sinner, yet it is not faith that saves,
but Christ. Faith unites TO Christ VIII,
saves. AS the graft is kept in unioT
with the stock from which it derives IL
nutriment and life by means of the
clay which the gardener has applied, Sc
is the believer united to Christ by
faith. The clay cement keeps the part:
together. but has no virtue in itself, Sc
faith is the means of union with Christ
who saves.
Have you, my hearers, believed OF
Christ? | trust most Of you have. anc
yet while you say IL believe, yet you
cry out, Lord, help thou my unbe-
lief You feel that your faith is
weak and you long far the assurance OF
faith. Let'me say for your comfort
that it is not the quantity Of faith, but
the quality which saves. Any faith
which lays hold on Christ and appro-
PIRATES His righteousness, however
weak, saves. Genuine saving faith is
not always a glowing torch, but is
sometimes a glmmering taper. The
taper gives light as well as the torch,
but not so brightly. So faith in
Christ, if it be genuine, gives life to
the soul, whether it be weak or strong.
We all have need TO pray, Lord, in
crease our faith. We should not con-
tent ourselves with a weak, faltering
faith, for the reason our religious en-
! joyment and usefulness require that
we have a strong, unwayering faith in
Christ. Since faith in Christ, which ap-
propriates his righteousness. IS the one
condition on which we can be reconciled
to God and be saved, we do well to heed
the injunction of the apostle, Examine
yourselves whether ye be in the faith. y
In settling this matter character and
conduct is the one true test. IL is vain
for us to say Lord, Lord, while we do
not the things he commands. We are
told faith without works is dead, =" is
not genuine and does not save. The
apostle says, 81 will show thee my
faith by my works" While we are
not saved by works but by faith, yet
works are the necessary fruits Of faith
and if our character and conduct are
not such as becOmeth the gospel of
Christ, it shows that we have not the
faith that saves. In the Christian life
faith and works act and react on each
other in the relations of cause and eff
feet, genuine faith leading to good
works and they in turn increasing, de-
veloping and strengthening faith.
Hence we are told. "Was not our father
Abraham justified by works when he
had offered Isaac his son upon the al
tar? Seest thou how faith wrought
with his works and by works faith was
made perfect" strengthened and de-
veloped. Faith that flows out in action
is genuine saving faith, and hence as |
have said, right character and conduct
is the evidence that we are in the faith.
| trust all you who profess faith have
this evidence of the genuineness Of
your faith. And that you can say hope
fully and confidently:
I've found a friend, Oh such a friend!
He bled, he died to save me:
And not alone the gift of life,
But his own self he gave me.
Nought that have my own call;
hold it for the Giver.
My heart, my strength, my life, my all.
Are his and his forever.
But some of you do not profess to be
in the faith or TO be reconciled TO God.
close with earnest appeal to you to
seek this day reconciliation with God.
As an humble ambassador for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by me
pray you in Christ's stead be ye recon-
ciled to God. What spectacle! God,
the infinite and holy one, beseeching
sinful, rebellious men to be reconciled
to him and men refusing. My dear i'm
penitent hearer, your highest interest
and happiness in the present and in the
future demand that you at once give
up your enmity and opposition to God
and be reconciled to him. "Acquaint
now thyself with God and be at peace,
thereby good shall come unto thee.