Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-09

G) There is a charter relationship.
Jesus Christ is tt founder, Lord and
| head of the church. Ii is divine I'm its
| origin. 1t has no right to exist save
| by His authority. His word is its con-
stitution and law. BY all the consid-
erations of honor, it is bound to yield
| obedience to Him. This relationship
| both differentiates the church from
other organizations and defines it's
sphere of action. 1t is not just one Of
the human organizations 1t stands
apart from and above all other organ
iZations. Because of this, we who are
it's members are bound to give to II
our highest allegiance. If there is a
question of precedence, l do not hesi-
tate to say that the church has right
to the first place, and claims our high
est allegiance.
The charter relationship also defines
its creed. Christ said, IF ye love me,
keep my commandments" Our char
ter, given us by Him, determines for us
what we shall believe and what our
activities shall be. And if any church
shall fail, either in doctrine or in deed,
to recognize the New Testament as its
only rule of faith and practice and
shall depart from its teaching, it there
by forfets its right To exist as a
church. We need then, diligently to
study the word and faithfully to follow
its teachings.
CD There is an instrumental rela-
tionship. The church was brought into
existence to carry out the will of
Christ on earth. In the nature of the
case, our Lords ministry was confined
to a very small part of the earth and
To a very few of its inhabitants. And
yet, that he intended the salvation
which was procured by His death for
all lands and for all peoples, no one
can for moment doubt who studies
His parting directions to His followers.
In His wisdom the church was brought
into existence to be the conservator
Of His truth and the executor of His
will. 1t is the divinely chosen instru-
ment for saving the world. To His fol-
lowers who formed the nucleus of the
first church, He said, "Ye shall be wit
nesses unto me both i'm Jerusalem, and
in all Judea, and in Samaria. and unto
the uttermost part of the earth" Hap
py the church which understands its
high mission, and faithfully seeks to
fill it in the fear and i'm the love of it's
risen Lord.
CD. There is n protective relation
ship. Christ said of his church that
the gates of hell should never prevail
against it. His promise to His disci-
pies was that as they went to do His
will, that He would be with them
through all the days. And in the
beatific vision which John saw, when
he was eXiled for preaching the word
of God, and when the future looked
exceedingly gloomy for Christianity
with the ruling powers arrayed against
it, there was a glorious one who walk
ed among the candlesticks and tended
them And he was assured that the
mystery of the golden candlesticks,
with the glorious parsonage walking in
their midst was none other than the
seven churches of Asia Minor and the
Lord of glory moving among them.
How the thought must have cheered
the heart of the aged apostle. And
then the letters which John was COM
missioned to bear to these churches
showed most conclusively that our
Lord has intimate knowledge of His
churches and of their work. Here Is a
thought to stimulate and to encOur-
age. When l put my life into the ac-
cOmplishing Of the task which Christ
has assigned to His church, am iden-
tfying myself with an enterprise which
cannot fail, and if the church is obedi-
ent in doctrine and deed to its Lord,
come into the most intimate relation
ship with him and have the assurance