Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-30
Sunday School

studies in the Christian Life Tho
writer has often held, and his en-
deaVors I'm this column have been.
not so much To emphasize history,
geography dogmatism and tn"
other accomplishments usually found
with Bible study, but to doduce
from each Sundays lesson those
things which may aid some Chris-
tian to lead a more consistent ana
fruitful life. Too many Sunday
school clasSes devote tho biggest
part Of their time in thG class to-
the topics just mentioned. and too
little to the practical application or
the lesson to every day lie. The
historical and geographical points
OF the lessons ara decidedly useful
and often are important To the uu-
derstanding Of the lesson, but they
are not the main things TO
be studied. Dogmatism IN hard
to avoid, yet 1t is rather an
injury to conscientious Christianity
than a help for tho tendency
OF most Of us TO lay hold
Of a few truths aud fossili2e them
into a creed, and these crceds are
too often the, binders which pre-
vent us from having an open mind
for all the truth, It will therefore
be more than ever the endeavor Of
these lessons to get away from fos
SLICED theology and study what
Christianity" means to the every
day citizen.
In the first place, too many pco-
pie. both in ana out OF the church
fall down over the supposed ina
bility of humanity to gain access
to the heart OF Christ This is a
great error. lIc has sympathy
and means OF touching the man
in every walk of life and every tenn
permanent. The way is always open
to his grace. AS one writer has ex-
pressed il, the evil influences Of the
world may build a wall around your
soul to keep 1t away from God, hut
they cannot put on roof. The
way Is always open upward. First
OF all, the man must seek tho Lord,
and when he docs, the way will be-
come clear Witness the diverse
experiences OF LYDIA and the taller
The woman was already a prayerful
person, seeking the way OF 4 bet
ter life and lacking only the teach
er to direct her prayers. Her de.
sires for righteousness and IN,
preaching of Paul III in together and
clusion. Not so with the taller. We
have no reason to believe that n,
had ever considered the welfare OF
his soul until the demonstration OF
the earthquake which opened Tho
prison doors brought to himAthe con
lHiction that there was a power faI
superior to that of Caesar and the
gods OF Greece or Rome. Thes,
two contrasting conversions show n,
the comprehensiVencss OF Gods plar
of redemption and the power h,
had to reach all kind of people II
all kinds OF places.
But. while one was won by tn,
power Of love and the other awak
ened by sudden fear, the same Cos
pei was preached to them both. |
was repentance, faith and, baptism
| Fear as the prompting cause OF re
pentance and faith Is camparativel,
Il low, selfish motive, alongside @
the surrender dictated by love. ye
both play their part In winning soul
TO Christ. II you have not the low
! to draw you to the Savior, It Ia wei
Tor you that fear causes you to seel
the way to be saved. Too man
people are lost because they are to
proud to acknowledge even to them
selves the fear that is I'm them. NJ
man Is so far from a throne OF grac
as he who boasts that he has no fear
for the future and for the result!
of his sinful life. And the bigges
coward Is often the one who is mos
ashamed to let anybody know how
much he is afraid. Moses told Is
! raaI hfq hofAra
| you sin not" Such fear is whole
some and wise. There is n time wher
1t is proper and right to be afraid
| While that may sound like n selfist
motive, It IS better for selfish in
stincts to lead us to seek safety ir
the cross than to let pride keep Ii,
at distance.
But the conversion that II genu
Inc is never negative or passive. Too
many of us seek to slide through thii
world easy on a negative Christian
ity-a Christianity which consists
solely of avoiding evil. fear o
touching that which may defiie us
What would our evangelists and mis-
| sionaries ever accomplish II the,
went on this kind OF safety first
plan? The sinner would still be left
TO his sin and the filthy would never
be cleaned. This Is the kind oi
Christianity that holds IT'S skirt,
nway from the soiled woman whom
they might save for fear that some
Of the bad reputation may stick &c
their sanctimonious apparel ant
spoil their standing In high society
This is the kind Of Christianity tina
shuns the drunken sot whose sou
IL as precious as that of the presl
dent of tho United States. for feai
that we be classed as was Jesus, q
companion OF wine bibbers and so
cial pariahs. The very fact that We
have enlisted in the forces Of the
gospel should make us anxious to &c
out after the lost, as did our Mas
ter. The touch -me-not Christian Is
about as logical as would be a doc
tor who refused to go to the home Of
the sick, but 'oconflned his practice
to the aristocratic hypochondriac.
Passive faith is dead and useless
Faith without works in dead" In
fact, it Is not saving faith at all.
The Lord wants no droncs in his
kingdom. The salvation and grace
80 freely given to those who seek II
becomes a dead letter IL kept for
personal use only. 1t must be scat
tered out to humanity, The man
who is saved is in a hurry TO get 9th
ers saved. The pretended Christian
who cares nothing about the fate
OF other peoples souls has never