Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-18


Father, and thus, bring us back fr
the condition Of condemnation intut
family OF God When we suggest
Jesus would raise conditions. the
osltion seems astounding to So
They have somehow gotten the u
preston that the Heavenly Father ~.
Jesus are In great distress because
few people desire to become member
Of the Church; and that they woulu
be ready to receive anything and
anybody on any terms, simply 10
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, $50 many OF
you as wish to hit the sawdust trail can
so 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.
Some Of us can count more rapidly
than others. Many Of the poor ones
who are weary and heavy.laden
through sin are. ready to say, 81 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 yetT--Matthew 10:16.20
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 ut least everything that the Lord
would have them do. But Jesus says,
No. TO that young man He said 60
sell what you have, and give to the
poor; and come, take up your cross and
follow Me- Again He said, III any
man viii be My disciple, let him deny
J himself, and take up his cross and fol
low Me, and where ! am, there shall
My disciple be-"
To be disciple Of Christ is TO be n
follower. pupil one who walks ns
lie walked, The proposition is selfde.
nlal, self.eifacement. 1t means giving
ones self wholly TO God, as In our text,
Present your bodies living sacrifice,
holy. acceptable to God, your reason.
able service" No one need go far to
make this conservation. Each, ut his
own bedside. cnn give his little all to
God, through Christ
How TO Boooms a Christian.
II should not require long TO count
how much more we shall receive than
wo give, We give condemned and
dying existence; we give mental NOR
nj and physical imperfectlons- we have
no more except MS 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 llfe-peace, Joy, blessing
Of heart which the world can neither
give nor take away-and In the life to
come, glory, honor, and immortality"
lointheIrshlp with our Savior In the
Heavenly Kingdom which shall domI'
nate the world for the thousand years,
for lts blessing and uplIft
Really, after counting the cost there
Is n danger that we would feel 30
ashamed Of the llttleness Of our offer.
ing that we would fear 10 come TO the
Lord with II. We gain courage 10 pre-
sent our bodies only by a knowledge
VI the Lords Word, and Il realization
of the mercy and favor which has
prompted His kind invitation FOR an
exchange Of something Of little value
for great things OF inestlmable value,
But unless we take this very step and
definitely and positively enter into a
contract with the Lord, we have nei.
ther part nor lot with Him. We are
stll Of the world, however much we
may try 10 pattern our lives after de-
cent models and 10 avoid the grosser
and the fner sins. The covenant with
tho Lord IL the beginning, and to each
covennnter comes grace TO help In
every time Of need; Ms Jesus said,
"WithOut Me ye can do nothing"
but, says one, Surely this Is not the
only way OF coming into Gods family
Yea, we answer II Is the only way
"rhero Is none other Name given un
der Heaven or amongst men whereby
we must be saved" from our condition
OF condemnation, and be brought bnck
into the family Of God. Jesus Him
self makes the distinctive terms that
we must become His full disciples N
order to have ths blessed privilege Of
disciplcshlp.
Have you ever heard the Limitations
aud obligations Of the Christian 8,
scrlpturally defined before7 Have mol
the facts been hidden from you by The
clergy7 Have they not rather sought
a -