Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1911-11-10
What Is 1t to Be a
Christian?
By DR.. H. T. MUSSELLMAN,
of Philadelphia

TEXT-How often shall my brother sin
against me and / forgive him?-Matt
XVIII. Fl.
What Is 1t to be a Christian? 1t Is
to possess the spirit of Jesus. Jesus
was greater than the things he did.
Every Christian must be greater than
the things he does. | am a Christian
in SO far as | possess the spirit or
Christ | do not possess 1t complete
ly. If l did, | would be second
Christ. l cannot possess the spirit OF
Christ completely. But / am Chris
tian in so far as l possess this spirit
Of Christ.
What was the spirit Of Christ?
must seek to have the mind Of Jesus.
In the first place, Jesus Christ pos
sessed the spirit of trust. He never
was afraid. Then the first thing In
Christian spirit is trust. There were
nights when lie went out under the
eastern stars and gazed up at the
cerulean blue and talked to God in
prayer. Yet even In the garden OF
Gethsemane as he prayed, Father, II
it be possible let this cup pass from
my lips" he was not afraid. 1t was
his heavenly Fathers world. A man
Is Christian insofar as he possesses
the spirit of trust. Why should we
be afraid in this world, when the
heavens declare the glory of God?"
1t is Gods world When calamities
come they should not dismay. | am
not sure that even God could develop
us into the kind of characters he
wants us to be without the aid of
trouble
Jesus Christ also possessed the
spirit of trust in men. He felt that
people are worth while. Let him who
has not sinned cast the first stone"
This petty jealousy, this crooking the
finger of scorn, this lack of trust and
faith In men, is almost as bad as the
lack of trust in God.
Christ possessed the spirit of in
finite pity, and l, too, If am to be
Christian, must possess the spirit OF
pity. He came to save the lost and
his great heart went out in yearning
pity for all humanity. Even as he
sat and looked at Jerusalem, the city
which was to cruelty him, he said,
20, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft
would l have gathered you as a hen
gathereth her brood, but you would
not" even then overcome with COM
passion. Without pity Christianity is
defective You may get to heaven.
am not bothering so much about
heaven. 1t is the now am concerned
about God will take care of heaven.
| am a Christian and you are a
Christian insofar as we possess the
spirit of forgiveness. Every man who
is worth anything makes some enc
mics. We have ample opportunity to
display the spirit Of forgiveness Look
how injustice came to Jesus. They
said he performed his works because
it. With the great spirit Of forgive
ness, and when he had lost out" as
the world said, but had succeeded in
greater manner. he offered up the
prayer of forgiveness on the cross,
saying. Father, forgive them; they
know not what they do" His great
heart broke with compassion and for
giveness. l don't care how much you
have Deen sinned against, you cannot
afford to have any other but the spirit
Of forgiveness.
II am a Christian possess the
spirit of love. The very climax of the
acts that make up human life is the
touch of affection. Only as love men
can l have the power over men. II
g man finds that my heart beats atune
with him he opens his heart to me.
AS we possess the spirit of love we
are Christians. Though I speak with
the tongues Of men and Of angels,
and havo not love, have become as
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal."
In my humble judgment, much of the
talk that comes from pulpits and plat
forms fails to inspire the hearers with
the determination to live nobler be-
cause there is not that current of love-
A Christian is one who renders the
humble service of Christ and possesses
the spirit of Jesus. Are there per-
feet Christians? No. II there were
there would be so many Christs. There
are 20 perfect Christians. We are all
simply partial Christians, and for this
reason we ought to be kindly disposed
to the shortcomings of others.