The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-04-15

~ u ~ ~ ui"h '"'p'u""s
him Now prison
walls confine him and prison chains
restrain him
There ne sits In his narrow cell
chained 10 a Roman guard, writing a
letter TO Timothy "Be not asha med.
he writes. ''of the testimony Of our
Lord. nor OF me his prisoner Yea.
Timothy. all that will live godiy IN
Chritt Jesus shall suffer persecution
And, as the dampness OF the cell
causes him TO SILVER; when thou
contest bring the cloak | left at
Troas." and the words OF our text.
"Demas hath forsaken"
The significance OF this statement
Is realized. when seen 10 the light OF
the circumstances which called II
forth. Demas. a Christian. a friend
OF Paul. with him during his frst
imprisonment at Rome. has abandoned
the apostle. He stood by him when
everything was favorable. but when
imminent peril threatened Paul be-
cause OF his loyalty to Christ. the con
temptible coward fed for his life He
could not stand the test. and In this.
was the forerunner OF many Demases
OF today who profess to be loyal TO
Christ, receiving all the good things
that come from him. and who shout
aloud their hallelujahs and amens. but
when the testing time comes lack the
grit and grace 10 endure hardness as
good soldiers OF Jesus Christ" II -
one thing TO shout at a Fourth OF July
celebrations: II II another thing 10
shoulder a gun and march to the
front
n II easy 20 shout ''hailelutah"
when everyone's saying "Amen:"
It's another thing TO stand by him
When they curse him again and again
You may have wondered Why msny
who profess loyalty to Christ sadly
fail him when the testing time comes |
Paul acquaints Timothy with the rea I
son: "Demas hath forsaken ne. hay
ing loved this present world -" That |
is Il: the owe OF the world causes dts
loyalty to Christ Jesus taught this
when he said. mo man can serve two 4,
masters. for either he will hate the /
one. and love the other. or else he
will hold TO one and despise tae 9th.
err Ye cannot serve Coz and Nam.
mon." Matt 6:2i Does this mean
II we are 10 be loyal to Christ We must
give up everything In the world? That
depends upon what Is meant by every.
thing Surely. anything that comes
in between Christ and us must be
given up. And n We are loyal 10 him
we will surrender all. THAI he may In
turn give us richly all things TO en-
Joy" As those who love him end are
wise. we will weigh the things OF time
in the balance OF eternity. just as the
gold hunter In the river bottom
washes the dirt that he may find the
pure metal. so we should carefully
sift the things of the world that We
may find the good and true. The
builder OF the world that we may find
the good and true. The builder who
rears the skyscraper tests every bit OF
material that goes into the structure:
how much more important II Is for US
not TO permit anything to enter our
lite that will weaken any part and
cause US. when the stress and strain
come. to be disloyal to Christ
John Conlon. walking on the rail
way. caught his foot In frog
where two tracks crossed. He laughed
at first but when he tried to extricate
his foot. he found himself held fast
He heard a locomotive coming around
the curve and redoubled his efforts
but without avail. and the uierciess
crushed him to death. One
thing. only one. held John Conlon. but
Il held him as securely as II he were
bound TO the track by a legion OF sol
diers. II may be Just one thing. only
one. that holds US from being loyal
10 Christ. and this one thing. as IN
The case Of John Conlon. may prove
fatal
How shall we give up the things OF
The world which are SO alluring2 II
ID not by giving up but by getting.
hat a wrong love Is displaced II the
owe of Christ Is permitted to flow into
bur hearts in all its fullness. II will
iisplaee the love OF the world II
my man love the world. the love OF
he father is not In him" This Is
evident. for two opposite loves can
lot occupy the heart at the same time
rhe love given the right OF way will
,rowd the other love out
Let Christ In and the love OF the
world will be displaced.