Evening journal., 1916-01-29


Genesis 10: 6.-@And he believed in
the Lord: and he counted IL TO him
for righteousness"
Spiritual success consists in get
ting Gods viewpoint. Man exalts do
ing. but God exalts being. The life
and character of Abraham stand out
/ like a mountain in a desert. Abraham
was honored OF God, not because he
was a great warrior, a great states
man or a great philosopher, but be-
cause he was a man OF great talth.
His life is attractive to us on account
OF the fact that what Abraham was
we can become also. This same truth
was empasized in Christ's parable OF
I the ten talents. The reward was not
on account OF cleverness or brilliancy
OF intellect, the reward was on ac-
count of faithfulness. Not every one
can be great. but every one can be
good. Not every one can be tull OF
wit and learning, but every one can
/ be full of faith.
Abraham has been called the faith
or of the faithful" This leads us to
ask. who are Gods chosen peopley
The reply is. the children OF Apra-
ham. But right here is apt to be
Imisapprehension. The true children
of Abraham are not those OF blood
or race decent. but all who receive
Jehovah as their God and now Jesus
as their Saviour. The lineage Is not
after the flesh, but after the spirit. AS
the apostle Paul declared, For he Is
mot n lew. which is one outwardly'
neither is that circumcision, which Is
loutward in the flesh but he Is Jew
which is one inwardly; and circum-
cism is that OF the heart, OF the spirit
and not in the letter; whose praise
is not Of men, but OF God.
Let us note first OF all the neces-
sity for faith. Christ never com
> mended men for their culture. their
= wealth. or their genius, it was only
for their faith. Faith creates the at
2 mosphere through which God works
r Even Jesus Christ with His vital con
t. nection with omnipotence, could moi
% accomplish great results without 1t
There are many in these days who
D are depreciating the importance o
. faith. and are saying, what need Is
creed and character. But creed an6
\ character have the relationship o
d cause and effect. Whenever you have
! a big cause, to succeed you need q
= big creed The greatest lives are
III those who have had social enthusiasm
- inspired by spiritual conviction. i
p is a faith in something and an en-
p thusiasm for something that makes I
. life worth looking at. Faith is pre-
q eminent because causes are create
: than results.
Let us note in the next place tina
faith to be real and effective mus
have a solid, substantial foundation
There are those that hold that faitl
is merely a psychological principle
that as long as you have faith II IL
of no consequence, whether the thin.
that you have faith in is true or false
] That. however is short sighted AM
:, superficial. Faith in a falsehool
might accomplish temporary results
but sooner or later its emptiness
l. would be apparent. II the structur
g of your faith is built upon the sand
!. there must some time come the in
v + evitable fall The Christian faith 1
: based primarily upon the fact OF God
d His benefeence. and His omniscience
y To have belief in God, we must be
3 lieve that he is able to do what he
I saws He will; and to believe that II
a knows how to do what He says ii
{ will; and that He is willing to d'
[ what He says He Will.
: This leads us in the third place 4
a ask, what are the avenues OF faith
e What are the sources from which W
x are to obtain this knowledge Of God
r would reply, first Of all, in nature
/. No thoughtful man can look out ol
+ the works of creation and believ
$ these things came by chance. Th
L creation witnesses the creator. Tn
change Of seasons. day and night tn