The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-02-14
Pee J
{ WHAT
GOD EQIJIRES.
OF US
Tea. "Nhai Dab Thy God Require Of
Thee. but 10 Do Justly. and 10 Love Mercy,
and 10 Walk Humbly With Thy God ="
Micah Vi. 8.) s..

and 10 U.lk lIunbly With Thy Cod
Micah Vi. 8) g s: ~ |
,,,ly of your neighbors as .you would
have them speak of you:t Or do you
hold up their ilnPcrfecttons to irillcule.
MS you would like to have them hold
up yours Do you guard your tongue
so that you speak only things ton
would thlnk proper for your nclshbOr
}to..speak respecting YOU. If you changed
places? ~ 3,
Simple Ju.ties---Nothinu More. "a
Do You not begin to see. dear. friends:
.that what God requires Of lis liz much
beyond what the majority. have becii'
rendering? Do you stand appalled, and
'telIsme that 1t would be Impossible To
live fully. up to that standard? i a Eree,
with you. And st Paul agrees. say-i
Ing, We cannot do the things. which
we would" The Scriptures again
agree and declare There is none
righteous no. not QUE. All have sin.
ned and come short Of the glory OF
God" : ~, D .l'+i
What shall we ]. do? y, Shall VIC sar
that because We, are unable to live up
10 our own conceptions and stand.;
ards OF justice We Will. make no Mt.
tempt to do So but. abandon those
standards entirely? God forbid. We
are weak enough and imperfect enough
as :it h. 70 ignore out. best ideals Of
Justice would be, to take on all the
brdkes and permit the tlownwart tend.
encies Of our lePravedi natures to gu
rapidly from bad; to worsc-to icnf.s' us
further and further, from God and the
standards Of character which lie mp
proves. We can. surely be content To
do nothing less than our very best Id
live mp to our own ideals and TO raise
those Ilenls MS nearly as possible TO-
The Divine standard - : Z; ~ (. '.'i g
What Would 40 the Uss7 8 =; Z
Suppose We do our very best daily
to measure UP to our highest concep'
lions ;of our God.garen ideals and
standards. would tiod accept of. this
and count us worthy OF. his favor, and
of eternal, life?. Surely not. The Law
Of the Lord Is perfect Justice ~
Justice. Not the nearer Of a law. not
the well-wislIls.' receives the reward.
butt the door. the obedIent!a Here. then:
We find ourselves In difficulty: With
our hearts. our nlinds.'swe approve
Gotl's Law and desire to he obedient
to him, but find, ns st. Paul t,sa vs.. that
many things we wish TO do We full
to;accotnpiIsh: and fiaur OF the things
we'do not wish TO do we cannot avoid.
I'VE cannot do the things that we
would" We approve the. excellent dc:
1; mands OF. Gods Law. We llsapprovc
The 4in,perfections of our own flesh.
Like. st. Paul. we. cry out. 20 wretch
ed main. that i am. who shall deliver
Inc from this dead body :H-tilis body
that Is Imperfect through Inherited
sin and Weaknesses. With. our. minds
we serve Gods law and approve 1t:
but with our bodies We come short:
What IS our hope: How shall We be
delivered? Can we prevail upon God
to change the reasonable requirement
OF; our text SO that 1t shall read. Whit
doth God require OF ME but to will
justly and do .imperfectlr: We can
not hope for such change In the
Divine LAW. Are we then hopeless is
| IeSpGCls bhluE hPlpAofdlT anu cIeIHhl
life? tRomans vii. 17-24.l
The Glft1of God u. Eternal Life.
81 III our moment of pcrplexity we
hear Gods message speaking peace
through Jesus Christ our. Lord: The
message of peace is that. what we
could not: do for, oursclrcs iii the way.
of. lifting ourselves up to Divine. all.
,,rnr,I f,r,1 Hoo r,ro,4J,1,L1 t,t,,II Ia 1,rr
for us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our failure to keep the Law marks US
as. unworthy Of eternal life. and
worthy OF tile wages OF ,'sin-not ctcr-
nal torment. but death God In mercy
concluded to offer, us etcrnuf life as a
| giff-because, Of our not actually: merit
Ing It under his legal requirements.
Thus we read, "The wages of sin Is
DEATH: but the fgift OF God Is eternal
lie through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Romans vi. 23l. What we could not
obtain legally under the Divine re.
| qufremrnts God profrers TO. us rs "A
gift. But the gift Is conditional one
rs expressed In. the words. Through
Jesus Christ our 1.ortl.''a Only those
who accept Jesus Christ as "the way.
the Truth. and the Life" may have
Gods. gift OF eternal life. Hence it
! will he seen that 1t Is wholly u. mistake
to suppose that: the heather at. home
or abroad eau get eternal life. The gift
OF God. In ignorance .bf Christ. All the
| Scriptures c6ntirm this and declare not
only that we cannot save ourselves. by
obedience 1.-the terms of G obs, La W.
but that There In none ofhcf. ma mo mn.