The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-04-07
The New Creature In School.

SOuS w AlCu lhCJ Ahdot ASehAh eANJ -~-~
grow in grace, in knowledge and In
love. As the Apostle explains. they
must be transformed-be formed over
If they are not thus transformed, they
will not. be ready for the Kingdom to
which they are called. This trans
forming is not a work in the flesh. al
though it will affect the flesh to some
extent 1t is the renewing of the
mind-their minds must become new.
Thereafter matters are to be decided,
not according to their preferences. but
according to certain principles-justice
and love. The New Creatures In
Christ have set of new rules, alto
gether different from what they had
before they became New Creatures
The world has no such rules and reg
ulations as those which are applicable
to the New Creatures in Christ Ev-
erything done by those who are in the
School of Christ must be squared by
the Rule of Justice. They dare not do
anything that would be unjust to a
neighbor, to a brother or to anybody.
To the full extent of their ability the
New Creatures must render justice.
Many of the Lords people apparently
have not fully realized this fact-that
obedience to the rules governing the
new nature means absolutely the Gold
en- Rule on their part toward all 9TH
ers They must not do to others what
they would not have others do to them
- fo{1 thn rf nj
some to recognize this principle. the
way of the Lord is spoken evil OF
sometimes If Christian fails to pay
his debts, or if he is careless as to
how he involves himself In debt, 1T Is
because this principle of justice does
not stand out prominently enough be-
fore his mind. As an old creature he
has perhaps been in the habit of ig-
noring the lines of justice and of slid
ing along as he may be able and of
leaving others in the lurch. This will
not do for the New Creature; for he
has come under a set of new rules.
and no matter how much the old crea-
ture may seek to shirk, the New Crea-
lures duty is to bring the body into
subsection and to see that justice rules
In every act and word, and so far as
possible In every thought
"They Shall All Be Taught of God"
To whatever extent the principles of
justice control our minds, to that ex-
tent we have character likeness to
| God. The cultivation of these prlnci-
pies in all our actions and dealings, in
| all our words and thoughts. must be
our daily concern. 1t may be compar-
| atively easy to be just so far as money
is concerned, to say, would pay to
the very last penny, and would live ON
| the plainest of food rather than be in
| debt; but it is not so easy to be thor
| oughly just in our words and thoughts.
| The New Creature is to sit in judg-
ment on every word which his mouth
may utter 1t Is no wonder that st.
James says that if any man sin not
with his tongue the same is a perfect
| man. The New Creature Is to be on
guard that he may be developed along
| this line. and must thoroughly show
the Lord that he has no sympathy with
injustice.
One must be just in his thoughts be-
! fore he can be properly just in his
| dealings. The man who thinks I'M
justly will act unjustly, in spite Of
himself; therefore the New Creature
must be disciplined even to the control
! of his thoughts. He must never think
/ of any one except with an unprejudic-
ed mind. a calm judgment. seeking to
! give others the benefit of the doubt. If
there is any doubt whatever. Add
/ tionally, he must heed the Lords coun
! sci that we should exercise great mer
/ cy, and that He would rather have us
! err in the sense of being too enient
I than have us be merely just.
But beyond justice comes love. the
! very highest of Gods attributes God
! is just; but He is Love- also. which is
I higher. in the sense that it implies
/ something more than mere justice.
Not only will God do full Justice TO
everybody. but He will do little more
He will do something of love. This
He shows us in His dealings with
mankind. God was only just when He
condemned the race of Adam as unfit
for everlasting life; and He would still
have been just if He had never pro-
vided redemption or any other oppor-
tunity for the world whatever
God is more than just, however, and
so in due time He provided the Re
/ 6aQmAr This Nron
Mercy. this was Love. And Love has
been working all through His great
Plan of the Ages, providing first the
Savior, then making provision for the
Church, that through His mercy we
might come from the ranks of sinners
up to the ranks of glory To accom-
plish this, He has forgiven the sins of
the Church. has encouraged them by
assurances of His love and favor all
the way and has made all things work
together for their good.
"Be We Perfect
This, then, is the Love of God; and
the New Creatures in Christ must
have this character-likeness to God
We must have love. sympathy. and not
merely justice. There is nothing of
grace in the giving of justice; any
thing less than justice is wrong. But
the Lords people must be more than
just; they are to be kindly affectioned
one to another, tender-hearted, forgiy
ing one another. even as God for
Christ's sake has forgiven them. Our
Heavenly Father wishes His children
to see that quality in His character
and to copy it. This is what Jesus
meant when He said, BE We perfect
even as your Father in Heaven is per
feet" We cannot sring our mortal
body to that degree of perfection
where every act would be perfect. ev
cry word perfect. but the mind must
be In full sympathy and accord with
God and His arrangements, and each
must strive to the best of his ability
to bring the body into harmony with
God.
AS the Bible teaches, the Church
class are in the School of Christ. being
taught of God-His workmanship. By
His providence and His Word he has
been working In US, by our experiences,
which He has shaped for us. and by
the opportunities which He gives us.
All these things are designed by the
Lord to bless us and to develop US IN