The Tupelo journal., 1913-02-07

M k#s* verse one. What
- is the source OF
physical growth? Life. The same ID
true of the spiritual. Life In Goa
through Jesus Christ. 1t is this TO
which he refers when he speaks OF
them to whom he writes as having cd
tanned like precious faith with US IN
the righteousness Of God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ"
The Christian is one who has 90
tanned something, he has not earned
1t or worked it out for himself, but
obtained it. That which he has OBJ
! tanned is faith. Faith is the gift OF
God. The object of this faith. that on
which it 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 alone 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 Pa. Grace and peace are null
tiplied INTO us through the knowledge
of God, he says, and, indeed, he adds,
"all things that pertain unto life and
goodness" come in the same way.
But this knowledge is not that which
was obtained in the handiwork of ma
ture. but in the revealed word. De
sire the sincere milk Of the Word
that We may grow thereby"
In our hearts is evil, but in the Word
| there are exceeding great and pre-
| cious promises" and it is as we see
and apprehend these that we desire
and reach out for them. And in reach
ing out for them we drop these. 1t
is what the child does when the apple
falls out of his hand as he opens 1t to
grasp the orange.
90 The inspired penman Is led far
Their to speak of the nature of Chris
tian growth in verses 81, which he
sets before us along seven different
lines of development-virtue, knowl-
edge, temperance, patience, godliness,
brotherly kindness and charity or love.
Virtue is not to be limited here to
the thought Of sexual c~hasteness, but
means as nearly as possible In a spirit
ual sense what 'strenuousness" has
come to mean in the physical and in
tellectual. A Christian man, in 9TH
er words, is supposed 10 have the
courage of his convictions in witness
ing to Jesus Christ.
In the same way temperance does
not mean simply abstinence from in
toxicating drink, but s%elf-control in
the whole of ones conduct, a life kept
we'll in hand for God, symmetrical,
spiritually well poised, al all-around
s%ainthood. No better illustration of
this could be found than in the union
of patience and godliness, which fol-
lows.
The patience is not to be a mere
stoical endurance, but united to and
flowing from a spirit of enlightened
trust in 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 so sim
pie and so freely offered by divine
grace.
() The result of growth in grace
is three-fold oversees SID. First, fruit
~fulness; second, assurance, and third,
reward. If there is one thing more
than another that Christians want to
know it is how they may be assured
Of salvation. Here is the A, B, c Of
it: IF We do these things ye shall
never fall" This is the way to make
our calling and election sure, Ito do
these things" This does not mean to
make our calling and election sure SO
far as God is concerned, but 80 far
as we ourselves are concerned.
God knows whether we are called
and elected or not, and 1t can't be
any surer as to him. But If we don't
know, the way to find out Is to do
these things. When l hear a man say
he believes In the Lord Jesus Christ,
but has no assurance Of salvation. l
generally feel that there is something
in his life not right, and which he
knows to be not right. and yet does
not put away Get right with God and
assurance follows.