River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-02-15

cerG purpose 10
live as Christ would have them live,
but who come to the close Of the day
confessing how far short they have
come of being what Christ wanted
them to be.
And the criticism of the world, and
the curse of the church is, that in
those of us who have named the name
of Christ practice comes so far short
of confession, and that many OF us
who make pious professions by the
the Son of God afresh and put him to
an open shame Mr.. Drummond spoke
truthfully when he said that what the
church needs is not more of us, but
a better brand of us.
There is better way to live. There
is a Christian life possible to each
one of us which is higher and holier
and more victorious than any expert
ence we have had hitherto. The per
lection OF Christian character is the
perfection OF faith in Jesus Christ
the faith that takes him to be all and
in all. Just as by simple act OF
faith we received the gift of saliva
ton from the crucified Christ we are
to receive from the risen Christ the
grace which we need to live con
sistent Christian life.
May we not explain our failure to
become what we hoped to be, and
what Christ wants us to be, because
we do not understand the difference
between the appreciation OF Christ
and the appropriation OF Christ? The
Christian church does not lack In ap'
probation sermons, prayers, hymns
and testimonies swelling the praise OF
Jesus; but lack OF appropriation Is
shown in indifference to the claims OF
Christ and the demands OF holy
life, in spiritual unrest when Christ
has said, Peace leave with you,
and in frequent failure at the same
point in my life. These are evidences
of our neglect to take Christ as the
complement of our daily need, of our
neglect to clothe ourselves with
Christ, of our lack of appropriation.
AS one read the New Testament
three things are made clear:
|. Gods purpose, which is to make
MS like Jesus Christ, although he uses
various methods by which this end Is
attained Sometimes the means used
do not seem pleasant to us, but when
we realize his high purpose, We shall
be satisfied.
III. Christ's promise. AS we begin
to understand Gods purpose we ask
who is sufficient for these things; but
in the presence OF every high call OF
God, of every holy purpose, OF every
unattained ideal, Christ stands and
says. MY grace LIS sufficient for you.
And we may cou4t him faithful who
promised
Ill. An adequate power. When we
accept Christ by faith the holy spirit
comes into us to perfect the purpose
of God and to make the promise OF
Christ actual in our Christian expert
ence 1t is the realization OF the pur'
pose, the faith in Christ's promise.
and surrender to the spirit that con-
stitute the elements OF that faith
which Is the perfection OF Christian
character So our lack OF deeper
Christian experience, of power In
prayer, and Of usefulness in service
does not consist in the smallness Of
Gods uurpose nor the weakness OF
Christ's promise, nor the lack OF an
adequate power-our failure is be-
cause we do not appropriate all OF
God there is for us In Christ Jesus.
We are reminded of Martin Luther
who said that the entire secret OF the
Christian life lies in the use OF the
possessive pronouns; that 1t is a great
thing to know that Jesus is a Savior
but a far greater thing to know that
he is my Savior. In fact, the entire
philosophy of the New Testament
with relation to the Christian Is that
he shall put off the old man and
shall put on the new
What blessing would come TO the
Christian church and to the world
If Christians not only fully appreciate
ed Christ, but complersiF appropriated
him It would effect d transforms
ton in character ana cohuuct' ana
career and in many CT us 1t would
make the impossible possible. Christ
stands Just opposite our lives and
saws What wilt thou that | should
AZ INTO thee?" and when he knows
tba desires which possess US and
which struggle for expression ne fur
ther says, "Believest thou that l am
able to do this?" and our life growth
and fruitfulness are dependent upon
our faith in him.
Therefore. just as by faith ask
Christ to be my savior let me now
take him for my need of humility.
purity, strength. wisdom. sanctitica.
ton. righteousness, redemption--"All
/ need in thee to find"
"Grace there is. my every debt to pay;
Blood to wash my every sin away:
Power to keep me day by day: