Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-10-18


cerned on having the Lord on his
side than about being on the Lords
side.
Inc natural tendency of man is to
seek his own or the things of human
1ty, rather than the things of the Lord,
and man is simply asking what some
particular course will bring to him, or
what 1t will bring to his time. The
chief end of man in these days is not
TO glorify God. In this, grievous wrong
IS done. When course of action is
before one, the chief question should
not be, How will it affect me?" nor,
indeed, ''How will it affect nv neigh
oor:' but How will it affect God?'
The great need of the day is a new
sensing of God-God at the beginning,
God in the middle, God at the ending.
The right thing for man is to ask
where God is, and to go where he is.
1t man would do that many of his
great theological questions would be
settled. God manifests himself
through his Word, and if men would
go to the Word of God with these
questions they would soon be substan-
TALLY correct on all Of them.
The text suggests the question, "Who
is on the Lords side?" or rather,
What man or woman has a right to
say that he is on the Lords side?"
In the particular case before us, tho
people had made a golden calf and
were worshiping it, To do that was
to break the first two commandments
of the Decalogue, and it became open
idolatry. 1t is inevitable that man
worship. If he does not worship God
he will worship some thing, or some
one else. Nor can a man be on the
Lords side if he does those things that
the Lord hates.
If a man would know his duty to the
Lord he should seek to know what the
Lord thinks Of certain things, and here
again he must take the Lords judg-
ment through his Word, for he cannot
know what the Lord thinks unless he
knows his Word. AS to particular &C
tons, a man may be left to his own
judgment, but as to the great princi
pies that lie at the root of things, the
Lord makes clear declaration in his
Word. Does the Lord love liar, bru-
tality, deception? The remnant OF
Gods image in man says at once, "No
Mop Does the Lord favor truth, lib
erty, kindness? That same remnant
of Gods image says, Eyes! Yes!" An6
consequently, the duty is clear, and he
should stand for these things. We
might sum up everything by saying
Eye cannot serve God and mammon."
The scene connected with our tex
, was probably this: There wa:
golden calf and people were
dancing about it. Moses stood aloo
: and made the cry, "Whoso is on tn
! Lords side, let him come to me-" Ac
cording to the constitution and natur
of man we make appeals to him as t
. his conscience, to his sense Of duty Q
privilege, and he must make choice.
' What is it to be on the Lords side
:. 1t is a natural inheritance from gu
: SHINING first parents that we will eithe
2 be Indifferent to Gods commands O
we will positively refuse to ODE
them. Fundamentally, the issue is tn
;. same. In the case before us, the VOL
shipper of the golden calf either COZ
= tinued his dancing and worship, c
d just endeavored to be neutral A ma
must "come across he must take
positive stand. The position of a mel
trail is the position of the enemy {
in
IS country now as to Germany. Politica
e, ly we were neutral until the presider
% said that a state Of war existed, bl
l. now the neutral is pro-German. W
l. must be out and out for the Unite
)? States of America. A mans religion
obligations could be illustrated by tai
ing the two sides Of an imaginary lin
and to an imaginary line there can
a a only two sides. 1t is one thing or it
e; the other. We must be positivel
r. clearly, professionally on Gods sid
en- or we are against him., In the day
le, which we are living the ideals and N
tives are to be more sharply define
st than in former days.
e. An eloquent man said very recent
that heretofore men were living
- make money, and now they are dyil
to preserve righteousness, a IRENE
- dous reversal Of form. Precisely
\ IF a mans actions; if their chara ct
Is to be determined by whether tn
are right in the sight of God rath
than whether they have been perso
ally or socially beneficial, man will 8
rive at the realization of the purpo
of God and at the realization OF
own greatest happiness.