The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-07-14


he will not only
deliver them from guilt. but endue
them with the power 10 overcome sin
and lead a godly life. And yet for
all this they are halting, and trying 10
| decide whether To put their trust in
him and openly confess him or not.
What are some OF the reasons given
| for this indecision? Or, 10 put IL In
another way. what are some OF the
obstacles which the evil one is setting
before them TO hinder them In their
progress towards salvation through
! Christ?
Not long ago we were speaking OF
this subject from another point OF
view, and dwelt on two or three very
common objections such as that there
are hypOcrites in the church. or the
profit and pleasure that must be given
up If one becomes Christian. or the
! fear of not being able To hold out I'm
Christian life, etc.
But there are other objections than
| these. One is the remark, 81 am not
good enough 10 become Christian"
This sounds like humility, but IN real
ity is spiritual pride, for II is based
on the supposition that one can make
| himself good enough without Christ.
But IL so why need Savior, and why
! should the Son OF God have suffered
and died? II we can make ourselves
partially holy, we can make ourselves
! absolutely holy, and therefore the
work OF atonement was unnecessary
! and n crime. A convincing answer TO
this is the testimony OF our Lord him
self that he came not TO call the right
eous but sinners TO repentance.
The great Augustine prayed, 30
Lord, i am so great sinner, i must
flee into thine arms" !" That is the
place for the sinner to fee just be-
cause he is "A sinner.
(2) II do not know how to believe"
is sometimes put forth as a reason.
And yet believe" means simply ito
! trust" "to commit ones SELF TO the
! Saviour i'm order TO be saved. Indeed
| the difficulty is not so much I'm the
meaning Of the word, believe" as In
waiting for feeling TO accompany the
/ belief.
A woman once gave this excuse 10
! pastor who was urging her to accept
| Christ. And he said 10 her, "Do you
own the house you live int" To which
she answered, "Yes." And then he ndd-
ed, How do you know you dor After
| reflection she said, Because my title
| deed Is recorded In the Office Of the
county clerk"
She was not waiting for feeling to
! know that she owned her house, and
no more should we wait for feeling TO
| know that we are saved. II is record
| cd In the word Of God, that God hath
| given to us eternal life and this life
| Is In his Son. He that hath the Son
| hath life and he that hath not the
Son OF God hath not life" And IL is
written again. "He that believeth not
God hath made him liar, because he
beieveth not the record that God
gave his Son."
The sinner who Is waiting for feel
Ing before he believes that faith saves
him is not only doing himself the
greatest injury, but Is dishonoring
God.
3. Another common reason for halt
ing is no reason at all, viz, that
the time has not yet come 10 take
the step. II is the excuse Of Felix,
who trembled when, In his presence,
Paul reasoned Of righteousness, tenn
perance and judgment to come" and
who answered, Go thy way for this
time, when have convenient sNson
/ will call for thee"
II today this message is coming 20
one under conviction Of sin and feeling
the need Of Savior, God forbid that
he should put II off and say, "Go thy
way for thst Who knows wheth-
or the convenient season" will ever
Gomez "He that being often reprOved
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be
destroyed, and that without remedy"
There Is Law OF mental science
that impressions frequently repeated
and unhecded, lose their power TO i'm
press.
How often have you heard this In
yltatiOn and warning. and turned n
deaf ear TO it1 Does II influence you
as strongly today as IL did the first
day you heard itl II may be- doubted
IL 10 does, and that fact In itself should
sound the alarm causing you 10 hasten
from the impending doom.