Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-25

self behind a frowning providence. we are
apt to think that God has estrangcd Him
self, gone far from us; but not so. for lie
Is never nearer to us than at such times.
He walks with us with so gentle tread;
He dwells within us in such quiet way
but always guiding helping and sustaining
lie makes common cause with us in all
things that concern our welfare; like a
teacher who is trying to enter into the life
Of child seeks some point OF contact and
common interest from which she can easily
lead the child mp through various steps
into the light, does God seek a point Of
contact with us. something in which He
can make common cause with US then pa
tiently helping us on and up step by step
to perfect manhood In accomplishing this
gracious work for us and in us, He works
at ''close range" dwels within us, incar-
mates Himself in our life.
1t is Gods only way of lifting us. rev.
citation in the abstract, a Christianity on
the long-dlstance" plan would not lift us;
1t would be of no avail. because OF our
weakened and sinful natures and Of our
utter inability to lift ourselves toward God
or to a higher humanity or to purer
life. God must reach humanity with the
concrete, as He did in Jesus Christ and as
He is doing today through the holy spirit.
He must touch our life, come into it to
vitalize, energize and quicken 1t, incarnate
Himself within us, see through our eyes,
hear with our ears, speak with our lips.
work with our hands and be the ruling,
permeating and dynamic force of our life.
Only by such a process could God lift Paul
from a condition where he was chief
among sinners" to a condition where he
was chief among saints. And only by
such a process can He lift us out of con-
ditionR that may retard or forbid our at
tanning to noblest manhood and largest
degree of usefulness up to those condi-
tons that afford us inspiration and oppor-
tunity corresponding to Gods expectation
Of us.
Oh, that we might be willing for Gods
great purpose to be wrought out in our
livesi In speaking OF the limitations which
Christ took upon Himself in His incarna-
ton that He might reveS God to man,
Paul goes on to admonish: Let this mind
be in you which was also in Jesus Christ
He who was equal with God, but willing
to take upon Himself limitations to reduce,
to lessen Himself to fit the capacity Of
NATURE DO DOTh Oh WOHldut hN0
among sinful men and die upon the cross
Then in his ministry His willingness to
exalt the Father: II came not to do my
own will, but the will of Him who sent
me-" Then in the working of His greatest
miracle when the crowd had assembled
the stone rolled away and He was about
to call Lazarus back, He stops to pray
unto the Father, not because He needed
to do So but that He might put Him
uppermost in the thought OF the people.
As Christ was willing to fully meet all
conditions that he might come into human
nature and reveal the Father, likewise let
US be willing to meet conditions that God
may incarnate Himself in US. Paul gives
us splendid example Of this willingness,
Chosen as he was by his co-religionists to
lead in their schemes of persecution of
Christianity, yet when he is convinced Of
the Fathers greater plans for him and
that his life could be better invested, he
willingly yields and from that time on 1t
is his supreme delight TO do the will of
God II am crucified with Christ" says
he: as Christ died upon the cross. so did
Paul die to self that God might incarnate
Himself within him and work out TO its full
contamination His great purpose concern
ing him. Paul let God have His way.
Nevertheless live; yet not 1, but Christ,
liveth in me-"
May we be willing as was Paul.