Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1909-12-11
PEOPLES PULPIT.
Unfit For the
Kingdom.
mo Man Having Put His Hand
to the Plow and Looking Back, Is
Fit For the Kingdom Of God" Luke
tx, 62).

n, 6Z).
ooO.-.-.-.~.-...-.-.-s- -.-.-.-.~.-.-.-.-.-.-.-sC
text. nor did he refer to the perfect
Kingdom. as it will be turned over to
the Father ut the end of the Milleu-
mum and will last forever. Our Lord
used the words. Not fit for the King
dom of God" as he did in many 9th
ers of his discourSeS-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 Il
thousand years.
Not Fit For the Kingdom.
We now have before our minds the
two ways III which the expression,
Kingdom of God is used aud we cal,
readily see that our Lord could not
refer to the MllenniaI Kingdom and
say that any would be too degraded tu
be lit for the influences of his Millen-
uia Kingdom, because that Kingdom
is designed for the very purpose of
dealing with the unit and gradually.
during the thousand years of its reign
OF righteousness uplifting men out of
sin and death conditions. if 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. l9-2H. 1t follows, then, that
our Lord must have referred TO those
called OF the Father and accepted by
himself TO be chiseled and polished
10 be taught in The School of Christ
and eventually 10 become his Bride
and joint-heir in the MiIlennial King
dom. No man will be esteemed fit for
share iu that Millennial Kingdom.
unless he attaius 10 the glorious quail
ties OF character, saintship, which The
Scriptures set forth as the Divine
standard-"Copies of Gods dear Son
tROmans viii 29,.
Fit for the Kingdomr 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 j, A.. But
that difficulty has all been overcome
with those who nave come unto God
through Christ and been made nartak-
ers OF his holy Spirit Ql adoption. uf
such we read. 1T is God lhat ju>li
lieth. Who is he that cUndemilelh
Qtomans viii. ;;.:;i-3t,. 1t is Christ that
died for our sins and who now is our
Advocate. Who could iu amy wise
come between us and our Savior and
our Heavenly Father?
But this justitica tion Is not enough,
If we were perfect actually instead Of
merely rerkOnedly we would not be Mt
for the Kingdom of God-we would
not be bit to govern others-to he
kings aud priests unto God and 10
reign on the earth" (lteyelation XIX. III.
We should still be unit 10 be The
judges OF the world. as The Scriptures
declare that we shall he, saying,
Know We not that the SHUTS shall
Judge the world q Corinthians vi, y,
Our Heavenly Father in bringing
many SONS unto glory made The Cap
tain of their salvation (Jesusl perfect
through snlferings. Should we think
it strange that we, his younger broth
ren, justified through his blood. should
be required. not mereiy to make pro
feSSiun of Goodness. holiness, but also
to approve or attest that sentiment to
be Il part Of our very character. Is
not what we as the Church OF Christ
experience very reasonable indeed =
who would be prepared to teach The
world mcpkness. patience. brotherly-
kindness long suffering, love, without
first of all developing these various
qualities Of character in himself: And
how could lie develop tbeSe and be
tested except under just SUCH scnQoing
and disciplming inhuences as now are
upon the Church of Christ, with a
view to making Us tit for The glorious
position OF our high calling OF God in
Christ Jesus:
When the Scriptures refer 10 the
Church as beiug lii for the Kingdom
and as being the "overcomers Tor
whom the Kingdom is prepared. and
who shall share its glories and honors.
because they are worthy uRevelatlon
iii, A., we are TO understand this wor-
lhiness and tituess. not that they We're
originally so, but that by Gods grace.
through Christ, Il Transformation work
will eventually bring some to this glori-
Gus position where God himself will cs-
TEEN them r0rfhy TO be called his chill
dren. and TO be joint heirs with his
Son, the Great King.
Various Kinds Of Fitness.
There is cne certain standard of ft-
ness for lie Kingdom aud uone other
will do; bur there may be quite Il va-
tiety of coDditiOus which make one m
fit for the Kingdom. One of these is
murder, no murderer hath eternal
life abiding in him Il John iii. 10.
he would be unfit for the Kingdom
This would not signify, however. that
one who had once been murderer
might not. by Il sound conversion and
by fathfulnesS in the School Of Christ.
1ecome nlember Of the Kingdom
class. But The word murder here used
bas broader meaning tbln is geper-
ally attached 10 il the meaning which
Iol.r In IN
said that whatsoever hateth his brother
is murderer Il John il. ~. We