The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-05
GLORIOUS GOSPEL
WORLDS HIGH HOPE
Rev. A. VI. Fox, OF Fairmount-A Avenue
Christian Church, on
Bible.
SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
Wonderful Simplicity OF Gods Word
Explaincd--All Nations Have Bcne-
fitcd by Its MISUNDERSTANDING IL
Illustrations.

The first OF a series of five sermons
on the GLORIOUS Gospel" preached in
the Fairmount-A Avenue Christian
Church last night by the pastor. the
Rev. A. NJ Fox. The first discourse
was on the Simplicity of the Cos
pei" 1t was in part as follows:
This gospel of Christ Is not a mys-
terry. The plan of salvation before
Christ came was sealed mystery
Paul speaks of this gospel as the
grace of God which was given by reve-
laticn that is, God made known the
mystery which in other ages was not
made known, but when the fullness
of time was come God sent forth His
Son. made OF woman. made under
the law to redeem them that were
under the law. This thought OF a
cosmopolitan religion was not con-
ceived of until the Christ came and
made known the eternal purpose of
God. II does not mystify salvation.
hut places both Jew and Gentle upon
the same moral platform. requiring
of both the same to perform and con-
form. Isaiah. speaking OF the SIM
plicitv OF the way that the gospel
would bear to humanity. says that it
shall be called the way. OF holiness
the unclean shall not pass over It,
but 1t shall be for the redeemed: the
WAStHTlnR men. YET, lphiE, SNAIL not
err therein. Jesus said that He came
to reveal the Fathers plan, but not
to mystifv IT,
Simple Things Used.
ut does not take the learned TO
believe and accept this simple gospel.
God has taken simple things. and
simple people and has confounde led
the mighty men of the world. And
| I. brethren. when I came unto you.
came not in exce1lency of speech or
of wisdom. declaring unto the testi-
mony Of God. And my speech and
my preaching or the thing preached
/ WAS not in persuasive words of mans
| wisdom, but in the demonstration of
/ the Spirit of power. that your faith
i should not be in the wisdom OF men,
/ but in the power or God. So said the
apostle Paul. So simple is this mes
sage to some that they call It foolish
ness They think that II is not worth
while. Having eyes. they see not
ears they hear not: and understand
| ing and understand not. because they
/ have let the god Of this world blind
/ their eyes. A cataract has come over
their eyes and they have closed their
| ears.
| This simple gospel is a stumbling
block to many. For the word of the
cross is to them that perish foolish
ness: but unto us who are saved 1t Is
! the power of God. Seeing the Jews
ask a sign and the Greeks seek after
wisdom; but we preach Christ cruel
| fed. unto the Jews a stumbling block
and unto the Greeks foolishness, but
unto them which are saved, Jews and
Greeks. Christ the power of God and
the wisdom OF God It Is simple in
! that OF its primary obedience OF COM
ing into Christ by faith, repentance.
confession and baptism. For as many
| as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ The gospel is
divided into two principals, viz: FRS,
principals. that which brings us into
Christ. The second Is that OF keep
ing in the Christ. The second is as
important as the first Yea. IL we do
not continue faithful until death the
first is of no consequence to US. Be
thou faithful unto death and l will
give thee a crown of life. He that
lovercometh shall not be hurt OF the
second death.
! Sword of the Spirit,
! The simple gospel is the sword of
the Spirit The apostle was so much
! Impress with this fact that he said
| am determined not to know anything
among you save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. Jesus was the sum total
| OF Gods expression to a dying and
/ lost world.
This simple gospel is inspiring and
| consoling to one and all that accept It.
! 1t inspires people to do the best
noblest and wiscst things for man
| kind. 1t teaches us who our neigh
! bors are and instructs us as to our
/ duty towards them. OF all the hui
manitarian acts and philanthropic ex-
pressons we may enjoy. in some way,
! directly or indirectly. is inspired by
| this simple gospel. whether 1t be
acknowledged or not. The great
movement which has been conceived
OF and is being worked out in the city
OF Richmond. TO care for people who
are infected with a contagious dis
ease and to give the colored people
of our city sanitary and respectable
place in the medical line can be moth
! ing more nor less than the Samari-
tan act OF kindness to humanity. The
gospel does not complicata our rela-
ton to our fellow being, but simplifies
il. The men and women who have
been of the greatest usefulness to
mankind have been men and women