South Bend news-times., 1915-03-29
MUST NOT LOSE
FAITH IN LORD
Value OF Suffering as Benefit to
Others is Lesson Drawn BY
Rev. c. 4. Decker From
ChriSt'S Crucifixion.

The value of suffering for the bene-
at OF othets. i'm the same way that
Jesus suffered on the cross. was en-
phasized by Rev Charles a. Decker
IN his Sunday morning sermon at the
First Baptist church. The discourse
was the fourth OF a series on the sub
tect, The Seven Words From the
Cross
What is the explanation he ask
ed, "Of the cry Of Jesus. My God. my
God, why hast thou fOrsaken me?'
We must reply that we do not know.
1t would relieve the matter OF all diff
nculty if we could look upon Jesus
as a mere man. but this we cannot do.
One thing IS certain, this cry was not
extoTted from Jesus because His
Father had actually deserted him.
Gods feelings towards Jesus have not
changed. There was time when
Jesus said. Therefore doth my Father
love me because ] lay down my life
that 7 might take it again And this
was the supreme act OF obedience of
Christ toward God.
1T is morally impossible that at
the moment OF supreme obedience
God should turn toward him in wrath
Nor can we say that God supposed
him guilty. ina order TO satisfy any
theory OF the atOnement, for God can
not take even a seemingly false 1tti-
tude. To take this view is to intro
duce the profOundest unreality into
the relations of the fother and son.
This cry, MY God, my God, why
has thou forsaken me?' arose from
the inhrmities Of Masters human ma
ture IL was not the hiding of Gods
face but the darkening of the human
spirit Think of the situation. He
was a good man-sinless. He was
faithful TO his trust. He was Obedient
TO the Father. He said. My meat is
to do the will of Him that sent me-
lie was gentle, kind. hopeful
And now he is treated like cur.
and crucihed like a criminal. His
disciples have fOrsaken him lie is
suffering untold agOnies. And the
darkness has settled down upon the
earth. Is il any wonder that he ut
tered a cry Of loneliness and even
thought that God had forsaken him
Jesus was here suffering as a rep
resentative of fallen humanity. Al
though he knew no sin, he was made
TO atone sin for us. The captain of
our salvation is being made perfect
through suffering, even the suffering
hat ensues when the soul feels that
God has turned his face away. And
there can be no greater suffering than
his.
There are three practical lessons
that are to be derived from this eX-
perienCe of Jesus. First, that the
time of suffering defeat is not the
time 10 release ones hold ON God.
Though he does not understand the
meaning of all this ne still cries, My
God. my Cod God is his father
through il all It would be a great
advantage to us if we could learn this
lesson job had learned it when he
said OF God, Though lie slay me, yet
will I trust Him
Sometimes when suffering and we
could almost believe that God has
turned his face away, it is then a com
fort To remember that Christ has been
In such a situation before us. God is
never really far away.
"Our suffering may be for the sake
OF others So il was with Jesus. His
was on account of humanity He did
nothing worthy of death. but we have
and he suffered that we might be
saved. In "a lesser sense. but in a true
one. we. too. are saviOrs. And all
saviors have TO suffer with and for
those whom they would save"