South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-26
GOSPEL CARRIES
MESSAGE OF COD
Or. James |. Gardiner Treats
on Teachings of Christ in
Evening SermOn-HiS Love
is Everlasting.

"some Vital Facts Of the Gospel"
was the theme used by James l.
Gardiner. ID. D.. pastor OF It. Paurs
Methodist church last night in which
he pointed out three vital points that
the gospel contains.
Dr. Gardiner in part said: When
Jesus Christ was bidding his disciples
farewell he said. Go ye into all the
world and preach my Gospel 10 every
creature Paul in writing 20 the Ro-
mans exclaims, i am not ashamed OF
the Gospel of Jesus Christ for II Is
the power OF God unto salvation unto
everyone that believeth. William j..
Gladstone once wrote, Talk about
questions Of the day there is but one
question and that is the gospel. II
can AMI will correct all that needs
correction.
Now what are the essentials OF that
gospel which Jesus commanded MS
disciples TO preach and Of which Paul
was not ashamed What are the cen
trail facts OF that system Of religion
which Gladstone believed was the
hope OF the world2
First, the Gospel of Jesus Christ
contains "A message Of Gods love for
SHINING and sinful men AMI women.
The sum and substance OF the Gospel
is contained in the words of Jesus.
God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son. that whose
ever belieVeth in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life
The love of God is everlasting Be-
fore the morning stars sang together
God Was love. There never was time
when He began to love. He created
man and loved him but man did not
seem TO understand the love Of God.
Hence Jesus came.
The highest expression of life Is
love and the highest expression of
love is sacrifice. God TO reveal His
love gave Jesus Christ to die upon the
cross. The love OF Christ is the big
gost. the most real and the most per-
sOnal fact in the world.
Another fact of the Gospel Of Jesus
is the fact of sin. Paul said, All have
sinned and fallen snort Of the glory of
God We live in an age when there
is a diminishing sense of sin. We do
not feel the Nervousness of sin per
haps as our father did. We are prone
10 white the keen edge off sin. We
try TO cOndOne sin. The Bible never
does 1t is the one thing that keeps
men out of heaven. II is the one thing
that can mar and dam a human soul.
This is a fact of the Gospel and we
should not neglect TO lay emphasis
upon it simply because it is an On
pleasant truth.
81 would remark also that tnc fact
of forgiveness is again and again set
forth i'm both the old and the new .cS-
lament. This too is a fact of the Cos
pei Man is a great sinner but through
Jesus Christ God fOrgave man of his
sins.
II would like however, to call your
attention TO the truth that forgiveness
is not a matter or divine bookkeeping.
II is not put away 10y any legal pro-
cess. You may dissolve a marriage By
legal process but you can not forgive
sin that way. Sin can only be put
away through passion and suffering.
What is the cross of Jesus Christ? 1t
Is the expression of what IL costs God
10 forgive Human and divine for
giveness always means pain and suf-
fering One writer says we have re
demptiOn and forgiveness through the
blood of Jesus Christ
Il have time only 10 speak OF one
other fact of the Gospel namely this
the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ
is something that can be experienced.
In fact religion does not consist in
knowledge OF God. Christianity is
not what we may know about Jesus.
III is an experience of Him. The
The Christian is the man who has the
experience Of God within him. Chris
tianity is the life of Christ within
the human soul This fact we may
know and appreciate and can sing,
Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, ON
what q foretastc of heaven divine
These then are some four facts OF
the Gospel-the fact of the love Of
cod. the fact of sin. the fact of for
givcness through Jesus Christ, and the
fact that God may he known through
personal experience.