Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1916-09-29
TO EACH HIS SOUL
Eternal Salvation a Personal
Matter Which Cannot Be
Left to Others.

do OF his good pleaSure.-Phil. 2 10, 10.
So far as our knowledge goes, Philip
pi was the first city in Europe to re-
ceive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1t
was city of some Importance, having
the position and the privileges of a
Roman colonyA 1t was situated in a
fruitful district, near some gold mines,
| and also near enough to the sea to be
depot for Asiatic commerce. The
congregation founded there was made
up of earnest and sincere people, and
is specially mentioned for its love and
care of the Apostle who first brought
them the Gospel.
Eleven or twelve years had passed
since the founding of this church. Paul
was prisoner in Rome. The
Epaphroditus arrived from the church
at Philippi, after long and dangerous
journey, bringing supplies for the
needs and comfort of Paul. He also
brought tidings of the condition of the
Philippian church, and assured the
Apostle of their love and their prayers.
This letter was In a sense a response
to the message and the gifts brought
by Epaphroditus, and it is no wonder
that it bears the marks of tenderness
and affection for these people who
loved Paul so dearly.
Paul begins to think that he will
never be able to come again to Philip
pi, and so he writes this letter to them
and tells them to continue the work
| tv, oh l..
ence. 1t is not always well to be I'M
der the influence of a commanding per-
sonality. The weaker is dominated
by the stronger and the cultivation of
our own judgment is neglected. So
Paul warns the Philippians not to look
to him in every difficulty, but to "work
out their own salvation in fear and
trembling" Does not this seem to
contradict some of the teaching of st
Paul?
Doctrine Of Salvation.
One of the fundamental doctrines
Of Paul was that salvation is a free
gift due to the grace of God. Remem-
Der that writing to the Philippians
Paul was addressing believers who al
ready possessed this salvation. But
while it is indeed gift of God, every
man must appropriate it to himself.
That is the work of the Holy Spirit,
to work In us that we may work OUT
into every fiber Of our being, into ev-
cry activity of life, the salvation
which God bestows upon us for Jesus
sake. q
A slave is set to work out his free
dom. He may be encouraged to do so
and even be assisted by his master.
But this freedom is to be won by his
own exertions, to be paid for by his
toll. If that were the sense In which
we are to work out our own salvation
1t would never be accomplished, for we
sinful creatures can never merit
heaven.
But let us suppose that the slave is
given his freedom, and then told that
for the sake of his own development
he must make himself worthy of that
great gift. He is to work out his lib
erty, not in the sense of buying it, but
In bringing out what Is in it, by using
it well. He is to prove himself free
by self-control, by proper employment,
and by self-culture. He is to work
out a freemans life. Thus 1t Is that
we are to work out our own salvation.
Salvation is personal matter. 1t is
our own salvation which we are to
work out. No one can do 1t for us.
Each man is an individual soul before
the throne of grace.
One Law Of the Universe.
Nothing is of value unless 1t Is In
dlvldualized. Light is universal. 1t
bathes the world In living spendor.
But each optic nerve must transfer
the vibrations of light to the brain
which interprets 1t In terms of color,
perspective, and proportion. The
world Is full of harmonious sounds.
There is music of the birds, the laugh
ter and the roar of the waves, the
whisper of the breeze through the
trees; but unless each auditory nerve
gathers up these waves of sound and
carries them to the approaching brain.
nature might as well be silent as the
grave. The air wraps the whole earth
round. many miles deep. There Is
enough for millions more than tread
the earth today, but unless each indi-
vidual pair of lungs draws in this life
giving air we might as well be In a
vacuum. A drowned man is brought
upon the shore. The air Is pressing
upon his body with a pressure of Is
pounds to every square inch. All
about him are crowds of people who
are breathing the air, but he might
as well be in some airless space of
the world, because his individual lungs
cannot draw 1t in. It is so with saliva
ton. 1t is free as air. 1t folds US
round like the atmosphere. 1t has a
positive pressure. 1t whispers, woos
and waits, and listens and longs for
entrance; but unless 1t be personally
admitted. all It's universally will count
for nought.