Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-03-07
MASTER MOTIVE
OF CHRIST-LIfE
Fear No Security for Re
lease From Thraldom
of Sin.
THE DIVINE PURPOSE
ChristL.ove the One Power
Which viii Give the
Victory

u, StuYgis' sermon Soday Is gee
qreshing and Gnheartening one j"
which he shows his care gitts "H poet'c
imagination and penetrating I"sis Is.i
mo AMMAN mature. Free of all PM:
osophical surmise Og theological c@'''
it il the choeTy word az man OK Gh-
swerying faith 20 his companions py
fbe way. Written wholly from praC-
1icaI viewpoint and concerned WIN
Sur practical daily lives, II ~ OF the
prroqsst yaGueo 20 The thoughtful man
0y womaNo as indicating the Kan" VA
wholesome changes which can pe &c"
qOmplished in our own uay W"'n 80,
radiance of 'the master motive 0i the
s,n,ist like" ia allowed to shine ON hu'
MaD gives. .,,a 1ho
words oG -. Paul. as recorded III
Corinthians, V, IA. "The love "R
Christ cOnstTaiuetb me- DR. StuiS1S
said
An the chapter which have read
Cor our scripture lesson "" fnd re-
Veale0 six main thoughts whfch are
9he substance OF The message "hicn L
hyins for youT consideration tonight.
Yhas of 1.-THE Master Motive Of the
Christ Life"
First. The Christ-love Is the master
motive because OF It's restraints. Sec
UYd " IS the master motISe pecause
OF rs permanence. Third. " Is the
master motive because without lts
kindly and eXalting influence all other
motives HaTpish and grow dun. Fourth.
IL is The master motive because II
holds Us back from doing ana think"
ing and feeling 81 great many things
ahaG We would otherwise rush into.
h'i9Qh: The restraints and the hero
9sms oS The Christ-lOVe com bine 10
show than il is the master motive the
one prevailing power which Will give
Us Victory IN temptation and progress
~ our pilgrimage toward God. S%th
Vhe GhEist-9oye abideS as the peTma'
nen3 master motive when earthly
Vhings decay and change, and inspires
uN to attempt tasks which appear 20
be beyond our strength and which
would otherwise entirely discourage
VS. All other motives are empty and
unavailing, IL love is absent from their
midst. The gifts OF eloquence, and
prophecy, and charity are even the
heights oS soIf.sacrifice. are to be
reached Nctoriouslys not by She self.
satisfaction Of the thinker III each
neW-minted conception ot the scheme
~ creation, or the last halt-Inter"
Vretation of the most recently per
Celved mystery of science. nor by the
thought of the treasures of education
l.boriously stored In our brothers
mind, but are dependent upon fhe in.
spring influence of the Chris'-iove.
Sm Insight Into the Sinful Tendencies
NOG Human Nature
81. Paul fully realized the COM
pleXity of everyday life; the throng
Uf motives, good and bad. that are
pushing and pulling upon the con-
fusion In the lives OF weak people
who are governed one moment by one
motive and one moment by another.
tie saw other lives which were COM
Ing more and more under the sway
at the baser motives-anger, lust.
covetOusness, and all the other evil
spirits that molest the human heart.
Psul saw some such lives In the
Church of Corinth, precious lives for
whose salvation he had tOiled and
prayed and sacrificed everything:
precious lives which We're rapidly
drifting away from God. bringing re-
proach upon the name OF Christ and
ha2arding their eternal welfare by
their indulgence In the pleasures OF
the moment Thus 1t was that Paui's
great heart burned with eagerness to
reveal to such men and women tho
supreme motive in the Christian life,
which should be so strong and SO uni.
flying that 1t should gather up the
scattered energies and concentrate In
producing life OF Christ-llke purity
and power.
With q keen insight into the central
tendencies OF human nature, Paul
enumerates the restraints which love
PNerts. Listen! 'J.ove envieth not"
The blessings OF contentment Is In
deed rare and beautiful one. We
know its sacred JOY. And yet the In.
stincts Of envy and jealousy defy our
better natures and rob us OF our
peace. Jacob plotting to steal the
blrth-right from his brother Esau:
the disciples cycling one another with
suspicion because OF the strife for the
positions OF honor at the Passover
supper; the Pharlsees seeing the truth
and duty Of the life OF Jesus. and yet
deliberately closing their hearts to
every appeal which he made to them.
These are instances where the i'm
pulses OF envy usurp the mastery. But
where the Christ-love secures control,
the very roots OF Jealousy are weeded
out. The man OF narrow Circum-
stances can look upon his wealthy
neighbor without envy, because he