River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-21

family OF God. When we suggest that
Jesus would raise conditions, the prop
osition seems astounding to some.
They have somehow gotten the i'm
preston that the Heavenly Father and
Jesus are in great distress because SO
few people desire to become members
Of the Church; and that they would
be ready TO receive anything and
anybody on any terms, simply to
have another name added. How
absurd this is. when we come to think
of it.
We call to mind the teaching of the
Master. He did not say. so many of
you as wish to hit the sa wdust trail can
go to Heaven He did not say, seek
to excite the people and get them to do
something that they would not after
ward fully understand and appreciate"
He did the reverse; He said ''Sit down
first and count the cost" before com
plying with the terms of discipleship.
And so He still says to all who come
to Him. sit down and count the cost. !"
Do nothing rashly.
than others. Many of the poor ones
who are weary and heavy-laden
through sin are ready to say. Il know
| the cost Of sin in my personal expert
ences. The cost of being disciples of
Jesus cannot be greater than the cost
of being rebels against the Divine
Law. Such are frequently ready to
decide quickly and take their stand
firmly on the Lords side. Others are
| like the rich young man who came to
Jesus. saying, What good thing can
do that | may inherit eternal life?
have kept the Law from my youth up
What lack | yet Y'-Matthew $4,000
There are few today like that young
man, Of whom we read, Jesus, behold
ing him, loved him. And we may be
sure that Jesus still loves those who
are striving hard to live right, right
eous lives. But this class has the hard
er struggle They think they have
done everything that they ought to do
or at least everything that the Lord
would have them do But Jesus says
| No. To that young man he said. go
sell what you have, and give to the
poor; and come. take up your cross and
| follow Me-" Again He said, IF any
man will be My disciple. let him deny
| himself. and take up his cross and fol
| low Me. and where l am, there shall
My disciple be-"
To be disciple of Christ is to be
| follower, pupil-One who walks as
| He walked. The proposition is self-de-
NAL, self-effacement. 1t means giving
| ones self wholly to God, as in our text
Present your bodies a living sacrifice,
| holy, acceptable to God, your reason
| able service" No one need go far to
make this conservation. Each, at his
own bedside. can give his little all to
| God, through Christ.
How to Become a Christian.
1t should not require long to count
how much more we shall receive than
we give We give condemned and
dying existence; we give mental, NOR
al and physical mperfections-we have
| no more except as our Savior, by i'm
putting His merit, makes our sacrifice
of value in Gods sight. But in ex-
change we receive riches of grace in
the present Iife-peace, joy, blessing
of heart. which the world can neither
give nor take away-and in the life to
come. glory, honor, and Immortality.
joint-heirship with our Savior in the
| Heavenly Kingdom which shall domi
| nate the world for the thousand years,
| for it's blessing and uplift
Really, after counting the cost, there
is danger that we would feel so
ashamed of the littleness of our offer
| Ing that we would fear TO come to the
| Lord with it. We gain courage to pre-
sent our bodies only by knowledge
of the Lords Word, and realization
Of the mercy and favor which has
| prompted His kind invitation for an
| exchange of something of little value
| for great things of inestimable value.
But unless we take this very step, and
definitely and positively enter into
contract with the Lord, we have nei-
| Their part nor lot with Him. We are
| still of the world, however much we
may try to pattern our lives after de
| cent models and to avoid the grOSSer
A
and the finer sins. The covenant with
the Lord is the beginning, and to each
rovenanter comes grace to help in
every time of need; as Jesus said.
Without Ne ye can do nothing"
| But, says one, Surely this is not the
only way of coming into Gods family!
| Yea. we answer, it is the only way.
There is none other Name given un-
der Heaven or amongst men whereby
we must be saved" from our condition
Of condemna ton and be brought back
| into the family of God. Jesus Him
self makes the distinctive terms that
we must become His full disciples in
order to have this blessed privilege OF
discipleship.
Have you ever heard the limitations
and obliga tons of the Christian SO
Scripturally defined before? Have not
| the facts been hidden from you by the
clergy? Have they not rather sougnt
1 ~ Of ho0QHCQ