Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-06-14


uciEhborhoud embraces all mankind, |
and sorrow makes all humanity
brothers Strange, isn't II, that hu-
man nature Is so prone 10 this vest
pocket rulo of morals, especially
when II comes 10 dealing with the
"othcr fellow? Christ evidently was
not disposed TO relieve our moral SIT
uation by bending his code Of ethics,
Ike IA lcadcn rule, TO iit our low
ideals How then, does Christ give
us rest, even though he aggrlvates
our burden Of guilt? My reply, in
brief TO that question IS, that he in
spires us with the consciousness or
divine forgiveness.
Tho Distinctive Message of
Christianity.
Tho distinctive message OF Chris
tiHuity y--Hs revealed in the New Tes-
lament teaching is that God loves
all men. And II is this new ana ir'
resistiblc way OF approach that diff
ferenuates Christianity from every
other religion known among men. In
Christs personality we read Gods
love TO us translated and writ large.
God was In Christ reconciling the
world unto Himself Jesus not only
taught us TO pray "Our Father who
art I'm Heaven" but He said, "lle that
hath seen me hath seen the Father"
In every true sense then Christ ~ the
Heavenly Father indeed all OF God
that the human mind can compre-
Lend and PROFOUND as the mystery
seems since the highest love always
mduifests itself I'm supreme sef-sacrt-
fcc-We are prepared to accept the
fact Of the atonement and affirm
D.. a. 1tt.f IA Al In mi OF
Jesus suffered and died for us, His
children. If this be so then for a
man to become a Christian is to
believe that God loves him, and 10
continue a Christian is to dwell In
Ills love to him, and TO love others
with the love with which God loves
him
II might be well for us Just here
in passing-to suggest that the love Of
God toward US assumes various forms,
according TO the condition in which
It finds us For instance when we
are I'm need we call it Providence.
When we are in pain we call 1t pity.
When we sin we call it forgiveness
Now, | have come to feel-in and
through my own eXperience-thatd d.
vine forgiveness is absolutely uncon-
ditiOnal. We are not forgiven because
we are not very bad We are not
forgiven because we are trying TO be
good We are not forgiven because
we have suffered. In the Old Testa-
ment forgiveness is always condi-
toned upon the repentance and suf-
fering Of the sinner; In the New Testa-
ment repentance grows out Of for
givcncss. We are forgiven because
we are sinners Forgiveness is the
form Gods love takes when It rests
upon sin It beats upon the closed
shutters Of the soul; all we have 10
do is to throw baCk the shutters and
let Il stream in. And faith is the
simple act Of opening the shutters. 1t
Is believing that our sins are forgiven
for the asking. II is not doing some
thing ourelves, but depending upon
what God does. It Is not under
standing the plan Of atonement, but
accepting the fact II is not feeling
that we love God, but that God loves
US
| God is calling you, my friend ana
| brothor-you, an immortal being, a
deathless soul, creature quivering
with the image Of God d-head, clod
thrilling with immeasurable might,
shadow flying on invisible wings, a
| handbreadth spanning time and etern-
| ity, a casket of divinity sclf-plunged
INTO a sty Of iniquity-and you an
swer 81 will not" to that God. who
is calling you; calling in mercy, call
| ing in judgment, calling by night,
calling bv day "Come unto me and ]
will give you peace" Is II not enough
TO appall even the Almighty? In this
sense, at least, you are the creator
Of your own destiny. The first step
ia a willing will. Drop out that bra
zen, self -sapping negative. II will
not" and what have you? Nothing
less than one OF the overwhelming
spiritual facts; 81 will" That instant
a man begins to live In a new uni
verse. The power that SAYS NO" to
the Masters importantly Come unto
me-" and the will that stubbornly
rhuts itself out from reality. is the
very same that lets itself into JOY and
peace and power There is no quar-
rel between Gods sovereignty and
mans freedom They are two halves
OF ono spiritual whole. Religion Is
the interaction Of your will with the
will OF God. the interplay of your
own soul with the Soul OF the Uni
verse. the God and Father OF our
Lord Jesus Christ. Your Will Is the
door. bolted It, barred II, locked II
house Of life. Have you shut the
| door. bolter It, barred It, locked 1t
/ fast? Open It. now' You, and YOU
+. only know the combination TO that
safe in which the jewels OF your soul
are kept God is hungry for you.
4 Oh. give him to drink OF the waters
of thv spirit God ia longing for YOU!
II oh. run home to His heartl Thow
Yourself into the arms OF the great
II breasted God. the All-Father. and be
at peace
The Conscious Acceptance OF Divine
forgiveness.
I am well aware that God seems
ao unreal. and we have so little time
10 think about Him-especially In
this dav and aRe-that all this sounds
tke far-crv I'm our ears But ] feel
sure that n we reflect upon our past
sinfulness, and accept once for all,
md unreservedely the thought that
II Cod loved us and sent His son to be a
n-opitiatIon for our sins and that. in
YER, true sense, God was In Christ
loving US and dying for our sins, we
,ball experience something OF the re-
pef conveyed in the words Of our
text. "Come unto me. all We that
labor and are heavy laden. and ] VIII
give you rest" We shall feel the
truth OF those simple lines of the
noet which are said to have converted
more people than any other human
words
.1r peace let me resign my breath.