Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-17

philippians 3:SJ The speaker said:
Even sanity Christians seem but i'm
perfectly to grasp the plain teachings
Of the New Testament respecting mem
bership in the Body OF Christ Some
assume that 1t is to be had on some
basls Of favorltlsm. and trust that they
will be Of the Elect. Others think
that the Apostle Is using figures Of
speech In an extreme fashion, and
vaguely hope that they belong to the
right Church and will attain whatever
others get, as In the success Of Il party
In which all the yictors share the
spolls.
No doubt the errors OF the Dark
Ages absorbed In childhood have been
more or less responsible for these va.
garies and for our general neglect OF
proper Bible study. 1t seems hard for
the people of God to realize that the
Wisdom from Above Is the noblest
science and the best instruction; and
that II needs intelligent and systematic
study as much as do enrthly sciences.
But we are learning, and, thank God!
progress Is being made In unsectarian
Bible study casses, which are spring
ing up all over the world
Conversion Not Winning Christ.
What Is ordinarily termed conversion
is not what st. Paul refers TO In our
text as winning Christ" The word
conversion signifies ito turn about"
1t implies that wrong course has
been pursued, that the error Of the way
has been detected, aud that a change
TO the proper one has been made. The
wrong course Is the sinful course.
which brings Injury and injustice on
others, We never had right to take
that course; yet 10 somo extent we are
excusable; for we were born with
downward tendencies an Inherited pre-
disposition TO sin.
We inherited these depraved appe.
titles and tendencies from our forefa.
theirs under the general laws OF hered.
lty. A realization that sin always
brings sorrow In II sufficient reason for
a change OF course, Conversion, there
fore, Is merely the operation OF n sane
mind In turning about from things rec
ognized to be Injurious. Every sensl.
BILE person should DO converted from
sin to righteousness.
Conversion may have Christ connect
ed with Il or II may not Many are
converted without any real knowledge
OF the Gospel OF Christ, They merely
knew that they were going In a wrong
direction, and turned about TO take the
proper course. But this we can say,
that only strong characters can sue
'cessfully pursue Il right course. and
strong characters are IN the minority.
Whether strong or weak In character,
great mid will surely be experienced
by those who, at the time of their con.
version, have a knowledge Of Christ
md an appreciation OF His work and
His teachings,
Nothing else gives such fortltude as
the hope sot before us IN the Gospel,
and the realization that there Is n IN.
ture llfe provided through Christ FOR
all mankind. and that our course In the
present life win have much TO do with
the stripes, or punlshmeuts, we shall
receive here or In the future lie nee
cesary to ~ us for Divine favor aud
everlasting lifc.
epresont Your Bodiss"--saeri6eea.
one might reform his HE, and have
a knowledge OF Jesus and OF the life TO
come secured through His death and
OF the fact that whatsoever man
soweth that shall he also reap and
vet. with all that conversion, belief and
reformation Of life. he might not be q
Christian AZ all. IN the Bible sense OF
that term. We would not by thls DIS.
courage anybody FROM taking the re
sormatory steps already outlined, We
would. on the contrary encourage
them SO to do. These steps are neces,
sary before anything further can ex.
pect 70 be attained,
AZ already stated. reformation aud
righteous living commend themselves
NJ all Intelligent minds as right and
beneficial 10 the lndiyld.
nal himself AZ we'll az 70 the world Of
manklud. Eet rs discuss Christianity