The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-07

Is All in ALL and Messrs. Gilmore
and Klingler sang 1T Pays to Serve
Jesus as d duet, the choir joining in
the chorus. The opening prayer vas
made by Rev. G.. T. Bond. Rev. Elmer
E. BURNER read the scripture lesson,
and the meeting was closed with
prayer by Rev. Harold H.. Griffis.
The Sermon.
Christ Is All and in ALL" Col. iii:11.
This was the evangelist's text, and he
spoke in part as follows:
THE book from which my text is
taken is one of the most instructive in
the Bible for the Christians, and the
third chapter from which my text is
taken is the best in the book, and the
text itself is not only the key to this
book, but of the whole Bible-Christ
Is all, and in all-for Christ is the
beginning and the ending of the Bible
the alpha and omega of Gods word.
How any one can read the Bible n
read out Christ I do not know. for He
is to be found in every chapter Of it.
Another thing regarding the chap
ter from which my text is taken, is
that it contains one of the finest illus
trations of what it means to be a
Christian. 1t is to put off the old nan
with his doings and to put on the new
man. To put off. the filthy rags of
unrighteousness, of self-righteousness.
and to put on the robes of righteous
ness in Christ. l heard a story of a
little newsboy some time ago who live
in n of our great cities. He was
ragged and dirty, but as bright as
such little fellows are. Some young
men called him one day and pre-
scented him a new suit of clothing.
At a sort of signal the old garments
fell off, and he was into the new, and
the m he had made the change
he started for the door, when one of
the young men said, Here, don't you
want to take the old clothes with YOU
and he said: No, yes can have 'em;
l don't want 'em.' 1t led me to think
of this text, and many illustrations of
it. First of all the little fellow real
lied his need inc the fact that he was
clothed in filthy rags. It is identi-
cally that which the slime must real
ize-that he is clothed in filthy rag
of ungodliness, for there never was a
sinner saved, and there never will be
one, until that sinner realizes his real
condition out of Christ. In the second
place the little fellow realized that in
the new clothing was the opportunity
to change his condition. In Christ and
He alone can the sinner change his
lost condition. Then the little fellow
was wise enough to seize the oppor-
tunity, and I am compelled to say he
n,nc fnr ,1y ,tiSa }ho, ,,pI n Sirrnr
who admits his condition, and that
he knows his only way of escape is in
Christ, but who loves the filthy rags
of unrighteousness so much that he
goes away still wearing them. 1t is
one of the saddest sights in the world
today.
But the story of the little boy
teaches another lesson. I imagine |
hear him say when called back, Yes,
I will go and get the old coat; I think
a good deal of it, 1t illustrates the
one who puts off the old man, all saw
the besetting sin or worldly pleasure
that we low more than Christ. Alto
gether too many Christians today are
! wearing that old coat. and it does not
look or fit right. Again the little fell
low might have said, Yes, l will get
these old clothes and wear them on
week days, and the new n on sun
day Too many Of us who name
Christ are wearing the old man to
transact business in, and putting on
Christ on Sunday, but it is an UNI
s%criptural way to be Christian, for the
command is, Put off the old nan n
put on the new, and make Him all
and in ALL
What It Means.
but someone is asking, What does
it mean to make Christ all and in all?
! wish to say once for all, that While
we do any thinking at all. nevertheless
1 am not in Missoula to swap opin-
ions, but to old fast to the Bible, as
| purpose doing in answering the ques-
ton. Fact is, there are at least three
answers in the chapter from which
I this splendid text is taken. In the
second verse we read, Set your mind
upon things above and not on things
on the earth In the 10th verse are
found these words, Let the word of
Christ dwell in YOU and in the 18th
verse, Whatsoever We do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus These admonitions are so
plain that they scarcely need ON
ment. In a word, it means making
Christ governor of our lives in every
thing. 1t means making Him Lord