The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-09-18


Ing in the footsteps of Jesus, not Bible
study, but athletics, manliness, posi-.
ton In society, attention to political
duties, attainment of honorable posi-.
tons in the world, and great names
which will make the Church register
shine-and money withrJ
Far be 1t from me to teach inatten
ton to the duties and responsibilities
of life. Nothing in the words of Jesus
or the Apostles admonishes or exempH
fies carelessness in respect to health
manhood, womanhood, education, good
name and proper provision Of the
things needful to the present life. The
Gospel of Jesus and the Apostles, how.
ever, tells us-most distinctly impresses
upon all the followers Of Jesus-that
their conservation as disciples of Jesus
means their death to worldly ambitions
for wealth, praise of men, political
Office and the giving Of chief concern
to the preservation of their earthly
lives. 1t exhorts that these are all to
be considered quite secondary to the
new ambitions, the new ideals, set be-
fore us in the Gospel.
The followers of Jesus are enjoined
to do good unto all men as they have
opportunity. This would include, of
course, everything akin to social uplift.
Indeed, we cannot imagine that any
one could be Christian-a follower of
the Lamb of God-without having a
deep sympathy with everything apper-
tanning to the welfare Of humanity and
a social uplift. But the Apostles ex-
preston, ''as we have opportunity" is
a limitation. The mission Of the Chris
tian is not social uplift. That is not
the work to which the Lord Jesus and
His followers dedicated their lives-at
least not the kind of social uplift gen
orally understood.
A Social Upiift That Will Succeed.
The whole work Of God in connec
ton with human Redemption is to be
an uplifting work for Adam aud his en-
tire race. The uplift which God has
planned and which He has revealed in
the Bible Is to be most thorough one,
such as humanity has never conceived.
It is to be an uplift mentally, morally,
and physically--backt to the image and
likeness Of Coolest in Eden, redeem
ed at Calvary. This social. uplift of
mankind which God is interested in,
and Of which God is the Center and
Fulcrum, is the line In which all the
followers of Jesus, rightly instructed,
are more interested than any other
people in the whole world.
However, the followers of Jesus are
soldiers Of the cross under His Cap
taincy, and they are not at liberty to
follow theories either Of their own or
of other men respecting the way in
which the great work of uplifting the
world Is to be accomplished. They
are deeply interested in everything
betterment Of humanity in any and
every sense of the word And, as
they have opportunity, they are glad
to give a word of encouragement and
appreciation, or occasionally helping
hand. But theirs is far more i'm
WOih- are .
with God-not with men.
Gods Plan is first to select the
Church, the Body of Christ, to be His
joint-helrs In the glorious Messianic
Kingdom. Then He will use that
Kingdom for the thorough and com
plete social uplift, which all agree is
so necessary. The world sees not the
Divine Plan, and even the Message Of
the Grace Of God is foolishness to
them; hence also the world may prob
ably think Of Jesus and His followers
as chimerical. Their theory, Gods
and those who follow the Divine ar
rangement, as st. Paul says, are
counted fools all the day .long-be-
cause they are spending their lives for
the accomplishment of things which
the world cannot see. understand, APP
preciate-"the deep things Of God" Il
Corinthians ii, 1O)
Forms of Goodness.
The Gospel of form and ceremony Is
not always hypocrisy. If reverential
forms and chants and printed prayers
always came from the heart and were
never merely forms, there would be
much In them to approve and enjoy.
Still, ceremonies are no part of the Cos
pei Of Christ, and to put them instead
of 1t is to make of them false Gospel.
Who will say that either Christ or any
of the Apostles presented a Gospel of
forms and ceremonies?
The human heart is deceitful above
all things, say the Scriptures. 1t likes
to delve into worldliness and frivolity
and sometimes into sin, and then to de-
ceive itself into believing that it is the
Elect of God and a special subject of
His care and sure of heavenly glory.
Many such appear to know nothing
whatever respecting the Gospel of
Christ. Theirs Is Gospel of good
works. donations to hospitals, to social
uplift and Church work and forms and
ceremonies. They feel burden roll
away when they repeat weekly the
phrase, 1--WE have done those things
which we ought not to have done, and
have left undone the things which we
ought to have done, and there Is no
health in us. Be merciful to us miser-
able sinners"
But any suggestion that these are
miserable sinners and need to know
the way of the Lord more perfectly
and to become justified saints II they