The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-09-13


true OF the spiritual. Life in God
through Jesus Christ II is this 90
which he refers when he speaks OF
them TO whom he writes as having "ob'
tanned like precious faith with us In
the righteousness OF God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ"
The Christian is one who has lob.
tained" something. he has not earned
IL or worked II out for himself, but
obtained IT, That which he has OBJ
tanned is faith. Faith Ia the gift OF
God. The object OF this faith, that on
which IL terminates, is the righteous
ness OF God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ" Not the righteousness which
God is, but the righteousness which
God gives his imputed righteousness
by which slone a man begins To live
before him.
Word OF God the Means.
Cd He next speaks OF the means
OF growth, which is the word OF God
(verse 2-4). Grace and peace are mul.
tiplied unto us through the knowledge
OF God, he says and, indeed. he adds.
'all things that pertain unto life and
godliness" come In the same way.
But this knowledge is not that which
was obtained I'm the handiwork OF ma
ture, but in the revealed word. De
sire the sincere milk OF the Word
that ye may grow thereby"
In our hearts Is evil. but I'm the Word
there are exceeding great and pre-
cious promises" and II Is as we see
and apprehend these that we desire
and reach out for them And I'm reach
ing out for them we drop these II
is what the child does when tho apple
falls out OF his hand as he opens 1t TO
grasp the orange.
(3) The inspired penman Is led far
ther TO speak of the nature OF Chris
tian growth in verses 81, which he
sets before Ms along seven different
lines of development-yirtu knowl-
edge, temperance, patiepce, godliDess
brotherly kindness and charity or love.
Virtue" is not TO be limited here 20
the thought of seXual chasteness, but
means as nearly as possible I'm spirit
ual sense what "strenuousness' has
come 20 mean I'm the physical and In.
tellectual. A Christian man. In 9th.
or words, is supposed 20 have the
courage OF his convictions In witness
ing 10 Jesus Christ
In the same way Temperance does
not mean simply abstinence from In
toxicating drink. but selfcontrol In
the whole OF ones conduct. a life kept
we'll in hand for God, symmetrical.
spiritually well poised, an allaround
salnthood. No better illustration Of
this could be found than I'm the union
OF patience and godlincss, which fol.
lows.
The patience Is not 90 be mere
stoical endurance. but united 20 and
flowing from a spirit OF enlightened
trust I'm God. The true Christian IN.
deed is the ideal man. How sad that
there are so few OF them when the
provision for their creation IS 30 sim.
pie and 50 freely offered by divine
grace.
A) The result OF growth I'm grace
IS three-fold (yerses S-1D. First, fruit
fulness: second, assurance, and third.
reward. n there iB O,le thing more
than another that Christians want TO
know IL is how they may BE- assured
OF salvation. Here is the A, -, g Of
II: III ye do these things 20 shall
never fall" This is the way 20 make
our calling and election sure. TO do
these things" This does not moan TO
make our calling and election sure 80
far az God Is concerned. but 80 far
We ourselves are concerned.
God knows whether We are called
and elected or not. and II can't be
any surer as 90 him. But " We don't
know. the way 20 find ont IS 10 DO
these things. When ! hear a man say
ne believes IN the Lord Jesus Christ.
but has no assurance OF salvation, I
generally feel that there IS something
in his life not right and which he
knows 20 be not right. and yet does
not put away. Get right with God and
assurance follows.