The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-08-16

I#SN Al in another way,
IHNMN A M| the shut door
- --- suggests the eff
forts men make TO keep Christ out of
their lives, and the fact that though
the door was shut Christ stood in
their midst reminds us of the futility
of their efforts.
Vast numbers of people persistently
and steadily resist the supreme claim
that Christ undeniably makes upon
them. Yet Christ stands in their midst
and demands from them a right intel
lectual judgment. His old question to
the Pharisees Is the question he puts
TO them: "What think ye of Christ?
Whose son Is he?" Now, no thinking
man can get away from these persist
ent questions; try as he maX they ever
recur, and inslstently do they clamor
for an answer. Christ is a fact and
not fabrication, and as such demands
an explanation. Dismiss him today and
he Is here tomorrow; turn him down
now, and he confrOnts you in the next
moment There Is no door thick enough
nor bolt heavy enough to shut Christ
out of the reason. Even now, as you
read these words 1t Is Christ who Is
asking you, "WhO say ye that | am"
! And what pray, Is your answer? Have
you passed your final and absolute in
you say "Now Then l answer, you
must, for Christ stands in the midst of
your reason, even though you have
shut against him that door, and con-
demns you to the task of explaining
him.
Resisting the Love Of God.
Men also shut the door of their affec-
tions against Christ. But even so, he
stands in the midst and asks the heart
question: Lowest thou me?' What n
blessed thing it is to be able to re-
spond, "Yea Lord, thou knowest that
love thee" But alas that is not the
answer of those who have barred the
door of their affections against Christ
His great love for them finds no re-
spOnse in their hearts. Yet the ap-
peal of Christ's love is there Just the
same, and If men are honest they will
acknowledge 1t, for all human hearts
are sensitive to love, and within is an
unsatisfied love and longing that can
never be satisfied without Christ. And
so, though the door be shut he stands
In the midst and In the Old Testament
word says: "Son, give me thine heart ~
Men shut as well against Christ, the
door of their will. ave will not have
this man to reign over us" Is the cry
they raise; as If he were some auto
cratic despot who desired their sub
servlency that he might crush them
under his iron heel. Not so, the King
4 of Kings and Lord of Lords longs
to have men subject to him that he
may have the joy Of setting them free.
He 1t Is, who with rapturOus heart said
"Whom the son makes free is free in
deed" Blessed liberty giving Christ
when men will to let thee have thy
way with them, thou dost make them
free; thou art the open door into lib
erty.
Men are so fearful of the restraints
of the Christian life and for some rea-
son seem to feel that will yielded to
the master means a life Of servitude.
To be sure, there is no true Christian
liberty without restraint to be freed
from sin is to be restrained from prac-
tIcing it. Christian liberty is not IL
cense; it is freedom from the domina-
ton of the powers Of evil without and
within and when one enjoys it, he is
set free for a richer, fuller life, wider
usefulness, a greater JOY. Such is the
idea in the word of Christ when he
says: 81 am come that they might
have life and have it more abundant
ly." Men do not really live, in the es-
tInation of God, until they have that
life which Christ came to give, Why
then do they not have 1t if Christ came
to give it? Simply because they shut
against him the door of the WILL aye
will not" he said to men of old, "come
unto me that We may have life." And
that is his word to men today.
Though he came to give life and will
give it abundantly, he will never give
It to any man until that man opens the
door Of his will to him. Other kings
may by sheer force make men subject
to them, but not so the Christ who
waits for men volitionally to admit
him into the throne room of their
hearts by opening the door of the will
'If any man hear my voice and open
, the door, l will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me-"
Becomes an Open Door.
While Christ asks you to permit him
to pass over the threshold of your will
into your heart that there he may
! abide he also says that he will, If you
do this, be to you an open door, way
of entrance into salvation and a way
of egress into service. 81 am the door
,, by me If any man enter In, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture" Open to Christ the door OF
your heart and he is then to you the
open door into safety and security and
the open door to fuller Christian life
Why longer then shut the door OF
your intellect your affection, your will
against Christ? Though you do, he
stands In the midst, the door being
shut; unrecognlzed by you, but there
Just the same; not to condemn, but tC
save; to give you
The freer step, the fuller breath,
The wide horizons grander view.
! The sense of life that knows no death,
The life that maketh all things new.