The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-05-18
{ EVANGELIST
WILLIAMS At
TABERNACLE.
LAST NIGHT HE ADDRESSED
THOSE WHO HAD BRAVED THE
= ELEMENTS - TEXT WAS FROM
q. II. 2:12-13.

and attel Il the tabernacle meeting
last night. re was no disposition
to quarrel WI he weather but ev-
eryone was tn, hldul to God for the
much needed rain, and grateful ack-
! nowledgement of it was made in the
opening prayer. DR.. Williams spoke
| from Phil. 2:12-13. His thought was
cooperation with God in the use of
! spiritual capital-working out what
God works within us. God has stored
the earth with all sorts of metals.
Man mines them, works them out
of the earth, and fashions them for
various needs of civilization. God
works salvation within our souls, and
we are to work it out in deeds of help
full service for humanity AS a father
starts his son in business with cap
ital and sound business principles
and maXims, so God gives us saliva
ton within our souls, spiritual cap
ital, and instructs us to do our level
best with it, make the most out of
it. This does not mean that we are
to work for salvation as if to earn
or merit it by our good deeds. We
cannot work ourselves into salvation.
For the Bible says that we are saved
by grace, the unmerited favor of
God, not by works, lest any man
should boast. But being introduced
into Gods grace and salvation be-
cause of his great love for us, then
we are with this capital as his gift
to work with all our might to do all
the good we can, with fear and trem-
bling lest we fall short of our oppor
tunity, lest we be unfaithful. We
are created in Christ Jesus unto good
works. God ordains that we shall
walk in them. We are to be con-
formed into the image of His Son.
We are to bear the fruits of the spir-
it. Herein is God glorifed that his
children bear much fruit in love, pa
thence, self-denial, and self-control.
Salvation is instantaneous, progress
i've, character producing and finally
fully consummated. A careful study
of the Scriptures will show this.
We ought to fear and tremble,
watch and pray, never to be off our
guard, lest by our carelessness we
fail to achieve the very best possible
in our salvation. Many times we
waste what God has given us. We
are dispossessed of the powers and
opportunities he has given us, be-
cause unused they are taken away
from us. Nature enforces a terrible
penalty for idleness. Fish in the
Mammoth cave have lost the organs
of sight because of disuse. Nature
illustrates scripture truth in the
things of the soul. We must CO.
operate with God as individuals, as
churches and as a community. Our
souls must be fed daily with the
word of life in the study of the scrip |
lures. The going of Christian is
like the going of bicycle, when it
ceases to go it falls. We must be
about our Fathers business, to de-
velop and become strong in charac-
ter. We must continue constant in |
prayer to achieve the ideal of the |
text. We must work for God. Christ |
went about doing good,-he did not
wait for the opportunity to come to
him. Christ was an aggressive man, !
and how he shames us in our lazy !
Indifference as we wait for someone |
to come along, like Mr.. Micawber, |
waiting for something to turn up. |
Not only must we abstain from all /
evil, but from the very appearance |
of evil. This is the negative side OF
the Christian life. The positive side
is, that we must be active and do |
good unto all. Sacrifice is almost
lost grace in the church today. Christ
gave all for us, for our sakes became .
poor that we, through his poverty |
might become rich. There are some /
who are ready to do any and all
things in a religious sort of way, if
only you do not touch their precious 1
pocketbooks. We are to be a living |
sacrifice, consecTated TO our God. The
best way to grow in grace and in