The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-02-01
Law Of Chrlst's Life.

e"a''y ~ $3.50 N'"NhhAh6t p"N w w hho
personallty--Who was he?
Law Of christ's Life.
As we study Jesus Christ In the brief
three years Of his active public life, we
find the law Of division prevailing. Now
and then, there would be an outburst
Of almost universal favor, but imme-
dlately there would be an outburst of
almost universal opposition. Quite lit.
orally. he seemed to have come to di.
vide men, even members of the same
family, father against son and mother
against daughter.
At this point, we may Inquire as to
the purpose of his coming. The pop
ular view Of the angels message that
q Savior had come to bring peace to
the earth, Is to be modified by the Sa-
vlor's W words that he came to bring
n sword, and while the ultimate result
Of the Savior's coming will be unlver-
sal peace, the road to that peace is one
Of conflict and human division. Jesus
did not come to originate division or
to instlgate 1t, but to make clear the
actual division that already existed be-
tween men, but which was obscured.
Jesus Christ simply caused the ele-
ments In humanity, that were really
an~tagonistic, and which were so
mingled that the lines of division were
not clear, to become more distinct. AS
n bringer of judgment then, we must
not look on Jesus Christ as he has been
caricatured as coming, with overmas-
tering rage, bent on revenge"
Division Of Doctrine.
The text is very clear that the dis
cusslon vas as to whether Jesus
Christ was the prophet predicted in
Deuteronomy 1915, Is, or not. To put
the matter broadly, was he the full
fllment of prophecy That might be
questioned by the Jews today, but
with the Gentle world the question Is
rather, Is that historic Jesus who he
claimed to be after he came to this
earthf There Is practically universal
consent to the character OF Jesus Of
Nnzareth-the Old-established and
orthodox churches, and indeed, many
of the modern religious faddists pro-
claim the perfect character Of Jesus
Christ, but the bone Of contention is
not reached by these. The bone lies
at the point where nan asks, Is this
Jesus Of Nazareth, the Son Of God,
not mystically, not potentially, not
morally, but essentially and really the
Son of God possessing divine at
tributes and manlfesting true deity?
Ultimately, that Is the question that
must be decided. and 1t is the di.
vlding line.
A mans inward conviction at this
point settles his relationship to God.
No man can say that Jesus is Lord,
but by the Holy Ghost. This is the
point ut which there should be set up
a marker indicating that all who stand
for the latter view ought to be sepa-
rated from those who deny the true
deity.
Division Will Continue.
The New Testament contains many
figures of speech that indicate two
classes Of men regarding Jesus Christ.
There are the wheat and the tares,
the sheep and the goats, the good and
bad fishes, the company on the right
hand and the company on the left,
the Just and the unjust, the clean and
the filthy, the man who c~onfesses and
the nan who denies. Dives and Laza-
rus, Abraham's bosom and hell. This
Astounding of contrasts Is not without
meaning and men should heed II.
Many Of these, Of course, belong to
the hereafter and Indicate that the
division will continue. Whether II
Is properly named or not. essential
is n popular doctrine of
today. One or two little denomina-
lions profess the doctrine, but multi
tudes in the denominations whose
creeds directly contradict It, really nc
cept 1t, and should be styled univer-
But we must take out a very
considerable portion Of the Bible, GER
all such passages as Matthew
:31-46. If we admit universallsm.
'or II we would not do that, what
guaranty have W. that we have q BIZ
Die that teaches us anything about
lnythlng. What would we do for the
historical Jesus? For the teachings Of
he Bible about these figures and divl-
lions are Just as well authenticated
Is the teachings about Jesus himself.
These things must be accepted as
'redenda, or the entire Bible must be
brown away, and with 1t goes all
hat we know Of Jesus whom practi-
ally everybody admlres.
Division Need Not Continue.
Fortunately, II the man Is not a be-
lever In the deity and Saviorhood of
'esus Christ, he can accept that be-
lief and go over to the other side.
1t is no difference what may be
mes prejudice touching Jesus Christ. ,
lie must take sides, he must net as
he people of Jerusalem acted in an
wer to Pilates question, "Thls mnn '
r BarabbasT 1t is, theoretically, a !
between two opinions, practl-
ally q choice between taking Jesus
s brother or Satan rs master-ln I
hort, 1t Is a choice ultimately between '
fe and death. lt