The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-10-18

|sEx8 EM6 emily. They are
called guerillas.
But guerilla warfare as rule Is in.
effective, demoralizing, and disreput.
able. 1t damages the very cause ii
tries to help.
In like manner there are some peO-
pie who claim to be Christians, but
who refuse to join the church. Like
guerillas, they unconsciOusly damage
the very cause they ought to help.
They cannot give single good reason
for their position, but there are many
reasons why every Christian should
join some church.
I. There he can render the most ef.
fectlve service. He is one Of many.
who are all working under one CON-
mander and for the same end, and
who, collectively. can accomplish hat
could not be done separately. If 1t Is
good thing to have churches in a
community, then Christians should
support them.
Remove the churches from town,
and property would depreciate, bust
ness would decline, and all good peo-
pie would move away. Sunday would
become holiday, life and property
would be unsafe, and the town would
soon have such a bad reputation that
no decent person would move into 1t.
For this reason every Christian owes
it to himself, his family, to society,
and to his God, to join and support
some church.
u. It Is the only consistent position
for Christian. In the church his in-S
fluence will help and not hinder; for
an outsider, who ought to be in the
church, damages the cause of Christ
Just as much as an insider who ought
to be out. A Christian who refuses to
join the church practically says to the
world that the commands Of Jesus are
true.
III. A Christian who does not Join
the church will soon lose his Joy, and
perhaps his hope. IL, knowing his
Masters wish, he refuses to comply
with 1T, he cannot be happy person.
He may be saved man, but he will
lose the joy of his salvation. And IL /.
he loses his JOY he will also lose his
power, for "The Joy Of the Lord Is
your strength"
w. To be a member Of Christ's
church Is the highest honor this world
affords. Its sacraments are the most
sacred, it's literature the most sublime,
and its fellowship the most sweet and
enduring. All lodges and other or
CARNATIONS are man-made affairs, but
the church Is divine institution,
founded by Jesus Christ, guided and
guarded by the Holy Spirit, having
for its mission the evangelizatlon Of
the world, and for its destiny eternal
fellowship with God and heaven.
v. If 1t be objected that there are
some hypocrites in the church, the an
swer is: eyes, it may be true, but
Jesus Christ is no hypocrite, and he Is
the life of every church."
Remember also that when the
church goes through the pearly gates
there will be sitting, and the hypo-
critics will be left on the outside Of
the gate, on your side, unless you obey
Christ, and you will have to spend oil
eternity with them. Would 1t not be
better to live with them a few years
In the church than to spend all eter-
nifty with them elsewhere? You must
spend some time with those hypocrites
somewhere. Where shall it be?
VI. The Christian who refuses to
Join the church, dishonors Jesus Christ.
1t Is like proposing a secret marriage.
He Is willing that Christ should die
for him, but he Is not willing to live
for Christ, or even to acknowledge his
relation to him. He desires to be
saved, but he is not willing to serve.
He wants the benefits of Christianity
without the sacrifices, whereas the
sacrifices constitute nine-tenths of the
benefits.
The meanness of 1t is well illustrated
by the following story: Doctor Lorimer
once asked man why he did not join
the church. The reply was that the
dying thief did not join the church
and he was saved. "Well,"- said the
doctor, IF you do not belong to a
church, you help support missions. of
courseT"
'No," said the man. "The dying
thief did not help missions, and he
was saved, was he not?"
Eyes," said the doctor. II suppose
he was, but you must remember that
he was dying thief. whereas you arD
living one."