The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-03-11
THE TRUE VALUE OF CHRISTIANITY
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offered free of charge-Christ paid
the cost on the cross of Calvary
and yet the majority pass on seek
ing for the pleasures of sin for which
they have to pay dearly. There
are very few people who are not
alert to all chances to obtain some
thing for nothing and yet they pass
heedlessly by the greatest essential
to true manhood and womanhood.
Why do they do this? Is it be- ause
they believe that all the hell there
is is on earth and that they have
not yet had enough of it? Indicat-
ions seem to prove that such is the
case. 1t would also seem that there
was not enough hell on earth and,
therefore, war must be declared and
man 90 forth to main and slaughter
man in order that his barbaric and
savage nature may find an I'M
restrained opportunity to vent it.
self on his fellowmen.
Often we hear someone say, well.
I'd like to be a Christian. but
there's my neighbor who goes to
church every Sunday; he always
prays the longest and loudest, and
gives the most money when the col
lection plate is passed around. He
is one of pillars of the church, and
yet, on every day except Sunday,
he is busy scheming how to swindle
some one out of their money. l
don't want to he Christian if I
have to be one of that kind"
Let us say right here, and en-
phatically, that this neighbor is not
CHRISTIAN for it is impossible
for man like him to be a CHRIST
IAN until he has learned to follow
the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.
The same Holy Scriptures are filled
with accounts of just such men
they are called hypocrites and phari-
sees and are reminded that there is
warm place prepared for their
reception, and that there shall be
wailing and crashing of teeth.
1t is not just nor right to Judge
Christianity by the standards set by
such men. Christianity was not
created by man, but by God, and
man, therefore, cannot bring Christ
ianity down to the level of his own
whims and fancies. If man wants
to obtain and be saved by Christian
ity he must come to the standard of
Christian perfection laid down by
Jesus Christ and set forth in full in
the Holy Book. 1t is not what this
or that man does which brings sal
walton to US, but what WE do.
Each one shall be held strictly &C.
countable for his own acts and no
others.
Many people spend their entire
lives on earth mocking and scorn-
ing Christianity. They want moth
ing to do with such silly sentiment
al nonsense. Give up all their sim
full pleasures fer a mere will the
whisp? Never!'' say they. Still it
is an undeniable fact that, when
these same people realize that they
have only a few hours or moments
to live, they begin to cry aloud to
God to have mercy on their poor
souls. If Christianity isn't good
enuf do live by why should 1t be
good enough to die by? Why is it
that 50 many spend their lives seek
ing happiness that cannot be found
in sin, and then at the last moment
declare that Christianity is best and
contains the only happiness? Why
do We serve the devil so faithfully
here on earth and then try, as it
were, to slide into heaven on
CREASED plank? Let us tell you
why: 1t is because all their lives
they have known that Christianity
was the only means of obtaining
eternal life. but before striving for
this Giver of eternal life they had to
taste of the fOllles of sin. hoping to