Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-25
BISHOP GAMBLERS MESSAGE

governments of the world, they pro-
pose very undemocratic thing. We
in the United States have been pro-
ceeding ON the theory that every
nation has the right to choose it's
own form of government, and the
nations of the earth are not ready
to book orders with our reformers
for ready-made governments sup
piled in job lots.
The individual men and women of
the world who are not disposed to
conform to the laws of God in their
lives are the only creatures in the
earth who need reconstructing, and
they can not be reconstructed except
by converting grace voluntarily &C
cepted in penitence and faith. They
can not be redeemed in mass and by
the operation of programs. Jesus
Christ did not proclaim such a meth
cd for the renovation of the race.
He commanded His disciples t6 go
into all the world, but it must not be
forgotten that he directed them "to
preach the gospel to every creature"
thus clearly indicating that the sal
walton of the individual was the,
process by which all mankind was
to be saved The Master seems
never to have considered saving the
world in bulk; least of all did He
never talk of Notwithstanding the So.
Slol SISIIl, Whatever ludI MEANS,
if it really means any thing. Souls,
not systems, are the subjects of con-
version, according to the teaching of
Jesus
5 The preacher, or the church, who
will do most to reconstruct the
world will be the preacher, or the
church, who does most to convert
individual souls. The conversion of
individual souls will renew all sys-
TENS; for the systems of men are
the opponents of the souls of men.
To turn away from duties to in
reconstruction Of the world re-
veals certain worldly ambitious
ness. Thereby vain men think to
become ecclesiastical statesmen,"-
type of man not found in the prim-
tive church,, wien the greatest Of
preme work Of calling sinners to re-
pentance by preaching Jesus and
the resurrection" One of our mod
ern "world-reco lstructionists, liv-
ing in that day, would have pursued
quite different methods from Paul
and Peter and the rest of the apos-
tlesi he would have devoted his en-
ergies to reforming the government
and social system Of the Caesars.
Why not? Nothing less would have
been worthy, of broad minded,
foreward-looking" man Of the first
century. The fact of the resurrec-
ton he might ignore, or even doubt,
holding 1t not essential to the Chris
tan life, but the reconstruction of
Roman institutions by programs and
platforms would have been in keep.
ing with the dignity of his states
manship.
Before the day of Pentecost the
eleven apostles retained some car
NAL notions about the restoration of
igion-political system, and in
at this time restore the Kingdom of
Israeli? But Jesus warped them
away from matters that were too
high for them, and commanded them
to leave World-movements in the
power of God, where such things be-
long, and to seek the spiritual power
required for their own work and OBJ
legations. When they received the
power from On high, they went
forth to bring Ethiopian treasurers.
Roman Centurions like Cornelius,
jailers like the man of Philippi and
they made the beginning of g new
world.
But they never prated about IRE
constructing the world with world
ly forces and by worldly programs.
In fact, they seemed not to have had
own, but did rather depend tacn day
for divine direction in doing daily
duty as it appeared. Paul went out
of Asia into Europe, against his own
plan, in obedience to what was re-
Yealed to him at Troas as the will
of God concerning him.
In fact, from Abraham down
through all the ages, the servants of
Cod have gone forth under the di-
vine leadership not knowing whittier
they went God gave Abraham no
blueprint of the Land of promise"
nor map of the journey by which
he should go to his inheritance
Moses led Israel out of Egypt, not
by. any route dictated by military
science, but by the way along which
the pillar Of cloud led. Similarly