Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-03-10


looking unto Jesus the author and per
fector of our faith.-Heb. 1871. .
There are two kinds of heroism for
which medals are awarded in this
country. Congress confers a medal
of honor" for distinguished services
ami extraordinary ber0isDa in war
The Carnegie hero fund in peace,
bestows medals and pecuniary recog
milton for heroic deeds performed in
preserving and rescuing human life,
and the first medal thus issued was
given to boy for rescuing another
boy from drowning.
!. Faith Defined, v. I. This is per
haps the most quoted and succinct
definition we have of faith. What fol
lows is but the Illustration and ap
plication of the fact. Faith IS an as
surance' {R. W. The ground of this
assurance and conviction is the word
of God. (See Rom. 10:17). The only
sure ground for a dynamic and intel
ligent faith is Gods word: put to the
/ acid test Of experience it never fails.
Faith is not fatalism. To believe God
is to rely upon him unhesitatingly with
an unfaltering assurance as to the ful
fllment of his promises. q John $40;
John 5:24; Act. 27:22; Rom. 4:19-21.
II. Faith Declared, w. 4, 5. Faith
had been declared and manifested by
! many Illustrations before the death OF
| Stephen
(a) Abel. at the risk of his brothers
/ r1T
earned his approval; his heroic. mar
tyred spirit still speaks to men ". A.
(b) Enoch, the diligent seeker after
God, in world of lawlessness lived a
life well-pleasing to him through d
faith that made his presence real wv.
5. g..
tc) Noah (v.D, lonely man of faith
(Gen. 6:5), chose the unseen God and
preached righteousness rather than
avoid the ridicule OF his neighbors.
Noah reckoning the invisible as tan
gible, continued to build his ark and
became blessing to the race.
Id Abraham and Sarah (8-12). Not
knowing whittier they went, by faith
these lonely pilgrims unerringly fol
lowed an invisible God to an unseen
country; but faith greater still led
them to dwell in the land" and not
possess it ". 10). Their faith re
deemed them from the mere emigrant
character They looked for city
which had foundations, whose buildel
and maker is God"
(e) Moses (23-28) showed his faitf
by right choice. He weighed values
and had respect unto the recompens'
of reward" His faith endured, a
seeing him who is invisible" Nose
saw by faith the "reproach of Christ
that which Christ suffered for the re
: demption of the world. as being O
greater riches than the treasures O
Egypt"
These, and others not mentioned
are summarized by their having a;
complished ten different things g;
40). They performed great deeds c
heroism (32-34) they endured grea
suffering and persecution (35,36). A
!, of this suffering was to issue in
greater reward with the glory tha
q was to come from. S:1S, II Cor 4: /
. 18). All these men Of faith 'obtaine
: a good report" These saints had wi
ness borne to them through their faitl
- Truly witnessing, their names an
deeds are recorded for our good, W
even they did not receive the promis
i e.. all that had been promised
= God had not been fulfilled in then
= Such promises were only fulfilfe
d when Christ the Messiah came. Som
'S thing better than they had receive
s came when he came, and without h
coming they were not made perfec
D They did not receive, but the promis
L of God had not failed. They will "
a receive his fulfillment when the re
8 of the heroes of faith is perfected, al
> we, together with them, shall
x made perfect" wv. SO, 400.
= III: Faith Demanded, 12: 1, 2. tt
= Holy Spirit has given us this long Ii
a. of heroes as an exhortation to stir l
9. those living to the performance
. their duty The roll call Of triumphal
heroes is not yet completed Ali the
= mentioned are witnesses, not onloo
= ers. These are they who have tes
i, fed to God and to the truth of h
- word. In tho light of this testimol
and on the same ground Of their te
Is timony, we are to do several things
IL 1. To lay aside every weight
! runner carries any weight beyond tn
" which is needful. Some things a
"a burdens that are not necessarily sir
Il Every such thing hinders our runnil
5S and should be laid aside.
y 2. "The sin that doth so easily bes
Cd US" Literally, that wrap themselv
* about US as an ill-ftting garment, al
oi which trip or impede the runner
IS progress. These sins (not sim a
Is those little devil habits and practic
III which must, for that reason, be Ia
IL aside.
y 8. Run with patience the race s
W before u.s." There must be steadfa
ID ness and endurance. If church me
OF bers were as faithful in following
; as the average business house is, '
ID would have less of lapsed church me
'f bers and fewer boys and girls W
drift away from the Sunday school.
4. Looking unto Jesus" This is t
keynote to this entire epistle and
: this category of heroes. He is 0
= ''fle-leader" and the perfector Of o
-, faith. Once we get our eyes off h
" we will stumble and fall in the RAJ
:. For the joy Qiterally equal failo
~ ship with God) set before him, ne {
= dured the cross" (Phil. 2:6-Sl. II :
would win the race, we must deaq!
the sin which lies in the path Of al:
lutte loyalty to God.
- The work of Jesus and tae bast0
. ing of the Holy Spirit who is alwa
with US, is the source. the author
our faith.
The Joy of Jesus was not self
!, joy, but the JOY Of accomplishing !
ri mission for which he came INTO II
. world.
Nj There is far too much easy goi
10 Christianity and too little seif-st
a render and almost no privstiou in O
- | modern church life