The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-09-08

| lllOuSAt VI Auuhyt
for 1t is not UNI
II AML - usual to hear
..amSa such an express
sion as the con-
version of the world. Sometimes men
argue that nations as such have moral
responsibilities and all the individuals
In the nations are involved nilly-willy
In whatever the nation does. In some
periods of the history Of the Christian
church, whole tribes and nations, have
been baptized and all the inhabitants
reckoned as proper members Of the
church. The Mohammedans as a rule
make proselytes Of people of large geo.
graphical districts, and, bringing the
matter down to the latest moment, it Is
very common to hear of the salvation
and the regeneration and redemption
of society. All this would indicate
that in the minds of many salvation is
by the wholesale.
At the present time, when men are
being sent into eternity In large num-
bers practically every day on the
great battlefelds, the question arises
as to whether each of these is saved
because he is personally related to
Jesus Christ by faith in him, or
whether he is saved because he Is
found side by side with others who
are together fighting for some great
principle Of national or world policy.
Those who accept this latter view, at
least some of them, are driven to the
establishment of some kind Of doctrine
Of faith, because faith seems to be de-
manded; that is, belief on the Lord
Jesus Christ as the only ground of sal
walton.
A distinguished writer in a very
prominent English periodical recently
spoke Of some men dying at the bat
tie front who had "a latent faith" O
faith that only came out in extremis,
just when 1t was needed before the
soul took Its departure. The same
writer speaks again of imperfect
faith" faith that did not take hold of
Christ personally at all, but on the
things for which Christ stood--honor,
righteousness and truth.
Peculiar Exegesis.
The same writer again speaks Of
freshly born faith" To find this
faith, there is certainly some very pc
culiar exegesis, which results In show
ing that the generous and chivalrous
acts Of men and women in times of
great physical danger are proper
grounds for salvation. Just how such
faith takes on Christ is mystery, and
to this category we might add faith
to be-" or faith that may be exercised
beyond this life. The fact is that all
these claims of wholesale salvation,
logically and perforce, eventuate in
universal salvation. The reach of
such community salvation is such that
it would eventually take In the vilest,
the most ignoble, the slackers and cow
ards among men, and even Satan him
self.
When dealing with such a subject
as ones personal salvation, the soul,
awakened to the realities of life and
the life to come, is not satisfied with
such speculations and guesses. Man
wants something authoritative. He Is
concerned about salvation because he
has read in a certain book that God is
great moral governor and will some
day call him into account. Thus far
he has Endorsed the Word Of God. This
being done he then logically and prop
erly asks: ''Does the book say any,
thing about the condition of saliva
toni" Most certainly, and this has
just as much guarantee and authority
as those things which cause the man
to be uneasy.
An Individual Matter.
Looking into the trouble of sinful
man, it is seen that it is individual.
''The soul that slnneth, 1t shall die;
"There Is none that doeth good, no not
one" We find also that the promise
Of the blessings in connection with sal
walton are to the individual. Him
| that cometh to me, will In no wise
cast out; :" Behold, stand at the door
end knock; IL any man will open the
door, will come in and sup with him
and he with me-" ''Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come We to the waters"
"Son, give me thine heart;" eff thes-
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus and shalt believe In thine heart
that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved"
This fact of the individualism in sal
walton gives tits salvation a peculiar
attraction. Think of the individual
having personal relationship with the
creator of the universe, the infinite
Godl YET that is precisely what the
Word of God presents. The logical
conclusion Of the whole matter is that
each man must see to it that he per-
sonally believes and repents and thus
makes sure of salvation