Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-05-14
CHRISTIAN ENOEAVOR
Prayer Meeting Topic For Week Be-
AIMING May is 1918

ginning way 10 tSAS'
Topic.-"The Stature of Christ"-Grow-
ing Up Into Io.--Eph. iv, n-16. Union
meeting with Junior and intermediate So
eieties) Edited by Rev. Sherman H.
Doyle, d. d.
The church of Christ is a divine In
stitution, for it was founded by Him.
Nor is the organiza ton of the church
a mere human arrangement. Its Off
gers are of divine appointment He
bestowed upon certain men certain
gifts and gave them 10 the church
apostles. prophets, eyangelists, pastors,
teachers. The object of the bestowal
of these special spiritual gifts was for
the perfecting of the saints
till we all come unto per-
feet man. unto the measure of the
stature of the fuilness of Christ" 1t
was for a practical and distinct pur-
pose-"the building up of the body OF
Christ" which is the church. For this
purpose all the ordinances and institu-
lions of the church are ordained.
But the church can be built up only
by the building up of the individual
members of the church, and when they
are brought to perfect spiritual man
hood and united together as harmo-
niously as the various parts of the hui
man body the end Of the ministry and
ordinances of the church viii have
been accomplished. The Importance
of the growth and development of each
individual Christian is therefore most
evident. The perfection of the whole
is through the perfection OF each part
The individual Christian must grow
If the whole church is to grow. This
growth is gradual. The convert is "A
babe in Christ and must develop from
spiritual infancy to spiritual manhood.
But the growth of the child to man
hood is gradual. He does not become
a man in day. Nor is spiritual man.
hood attained In a day. There must
be constant increase Of knowledge,
an requirement Of stability of faith,
development in the Christian graces or
fidelity and of love and in all virtues
that tend to make the disciple like his
Master, the servant like his lord. All
of these things require time. knowi-
edge is slowly acquired. Stability OF
character is a matter of development
The child is easily Influenced. while
the full grown man stands firm and
steadfast. We are not, therefore. TO
become discouraged If our progress is
not all that we might desire. In all
growth there are difficulties to over
come. obstacles to be met. The one
supreme necessity is perseverance, con-
tinuance in growth.
Christ Himself Is the ideal toward
which we are to grow. We are to
grow up to ''the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ" We are TO
grow cup into Him in all things" The
degree of our Christian progress is de
termined by our nearness to Christ.
The most nearly perfect Christian Is
he who is most Christlike in character
and is nearest to Christ in communion.
The perfect Christian must be abso-
lutely Christlike But there is no per-
lection in character in this life. and
hence we cannot attain absolutely unto
the stature of Christ here. 1t is at
death that the soul Of the Christian
is made perfect in holiness"
But at the same time perfection Is
the goal toward which we are to strive
even here, and. trusting In the Lord
Jesus Christ for strength" we should
always aim to grow in grace and in
knowledge" and in Christlikeness.