The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-12
The Church Militant's Surrender
to the Church Triumphant.

past Let US today consider this church
as the Church Militant and prospect
lively the Church Triumphant.
The Church Militant.
IF We all agre that we have before
our minds the real church, the church
of the New Testament, let us notice
that there is a nominal church also
and that we are not competent to fully
determine which are the real and
which are the nomina- Christians ex-
cept by the test. which our Lord has
given-"by their fruits We shall know
them" While the real church of fully
consecrated believers, faithful to the
Lord and his word and the principles
OF righteousness, is represented by a
very small number, there is a nominal
church related thereto as is shell
to the kernel of nut The nominal
church inclu.'eS those whose manner
or whose attendance on worship i'm
plies relationship to Christ without
having gone the length of a full faith
acceptance of him in sacrifice, perhaps
without having fully turned from sin
even in their Eearts, and without hav-
ing made & full conservation to serve
the Lord. This nominal class may be
subdivided into believers who are fav-
orabI disposed toward Christ and
righteousness; others who RECORD the
church as merely a moral club de-
signed for social and moral benefit or
influence upon the world, by counter
acting sinful influences: still others,
bitter at heart, sinful and selfish, hav-
ing no faith whatever in Jesus and no
ing the name of Christ hypocritically,
merely as a garment to deceive, that
they may the better gain their ends.
Thus we find the nominal church to
consist of:
I'd Hypocrites; t2) Moralists; go
Indifferents: "a Seekers after godli-
ness; (5) The true church, "the sane
titled in Christ Jesus" q Corinthians.
Christ"-prospective members of the
Church Triumphant.
Eightings Witout and Within.
Every member of ''the church of the
first born" was called ito suffer with
Christ that he may be also later glori-
fed with him in the millennial king
dom. Only those who will stand the
test of faithfulness under sufferings,
trials, crosses self-sacrifices, have the
| promise of sharing with Christ the
glories of the Church Triumphant.
"If we be dead with him, we shall
also live with him; if we suffer with
him weshal ! also reign with him; if
we deny him, he also will deny u.s.
| (II Timothy ii, II, 12).
But why should the church fight :?
| Is she not commended to live peace
ably with all7 Are not Christians ex-
| horted to war not with carnaI weapons
and to be smitten on both cheeks,
rather than to return evil for evil !?
Where, tnen, comes IN the ngnt! w no
are the foes? Surely none would as
sail a non-resistant.
We reply that the facts do not bear
out that suggestion. Our Lord and his
apostles were peacable and non-re-
sistant, obedient to kings and laws,
and yet they suffered violent deaths.
as we'll a sstTipes and imprisonment.
| They had thei- names cast out as evil
And those who prosecuted and ma
| ligned them verify thought that they
did God service. All who follow in
| the Lords footsteps must expect SINH
| lar treatment because, as Jesus said.
| 1.-THE servant is not greater than his
Lord" Marvel not If the world hate
| you, We know that it hated me before
| the world would love his own; but be-
cause We are not of the world, but I
have chosen YOU out of the world,
| therefore the world fateth you (Joi1n
xviii. Is, 1a)- The Master saids The