The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-18
The True Defender
of the Faith

Christmas lesson and review
/ we cannot revert too often to the
/ glorious event which transformed
/ the whole history OF mankind, when
Christ was born In Bethlehem. S,iIl.
/ that is only incidental tu the scheme
| OF salvation. Tho matter of most
! import to us is that lie died on the
/ cross and gave Hts life a ransom
| that We might be redeemed from tn a
| thralldom OF sin that had he'd us Ia
| us grasp ever since our first parents
yielded 20 the voice of the tcmptor.
| We are moved to rejoice. along with
the angels aud the shepherds nui
the wise men At the coming to pas,
I OF the long fOretold coming " tn,
Messiah. Yet that Is not the part
| that pertains to our conduct. Tho
main thing was that God hnl glvcu
His only begottcn Son that whose.
over believed ON HIM might have
eternal lie. Il i3 well that we OBJ
serve these terms; the scripture docs
not say that "" should" nave
eternal life, but that We might
have II, the rest OF the bargain rest
ing with each OF us human being
as individuals,
Free Moral Agents.
II Is hard TO have patience wftn
would insist on the doctrine OF pre-
destination to the extreme OF be-
licvng that the Lord has chosen His
own and that Il Is folly for the rest
OF us TO have any hope for the futur,
life. II God had gone TO that cX-
tent In His plan, the whole schcm.
OF salvation would have been unnce-
essary--and God never does any.
thing. nor does He ask us to do any
thing, that Is unnecessary Il o. atsi
hard to have patience with those
who preach that God Intends 10 save
everybody In the ultimate and that
our trials and tribulations are onty
a schooling to better lit us for
glory II is true that God plans to
save "whosocver will" ana tha' NJ.
desire Is that no one should perish;
but We must concede that, unless we
are free agents and can ether ac-
cept or reject His mercy OF our own
volition. our striving TO achieve
Christ-like life is vain The LORD
knows His own from birth, no doubt
but He requires each child OF His 10
br ng forth fruits meet for repent
ance and lie has made no promise ,r
save any being who does not strive
to I've life In obedience to HIS
commands.
Examine Your Own Heart.
Thcre are yet people Who'll Her
cd would sacrifice the Messiah In tho
effort to- advance themselves in thIs
world; there are those who would
murder the infant Christ to prevent
His influence from interfering with
their political or social or business
ambition; there are people I'm Tulsa
today whose hearts are no better
hat I,I H.. IL.
and who dcnouuce any phase OF
which would cost them n |
dollar or prevent them from accom- |
plishing the purposes of their sin
ful hearts. Herod was very wicked, !
but before we condemn him too bit |
terly let us examine our own hruits /
and see II we are willing to give up [
every earthly interest that intcrferes /
with the fullest fidelity TO this Jesus. F.
our Savior. Unless we can make an
surrender and ac-
cept the salvation offered Mt what
ever sacrifice is needed. we are at
heart no better than Hcroa.
Defender OF the Faith,
We nave Just closed n quarters
study of the work OF Paul. and this
- the logical time to review these
lessons. Men have claimed, for the
sake OF popularity and political ef-
feet, to be the defender of the
faith" In Paul we find the real de-
fender of the revealed teachings. |
saws Or. Eaches. Knowing them |
thoroughly. defending them valiant |
ly, he unfolded the doctrine of tho |
person OF Christ in the fullest way |
When Colossian false teachers placed /
angels between the soul and Christ |
Paul affirms that Jesus is the only |
access to God. When Galatian false !
are needful for saliva
tion, he taught with emphasis that |
Jesus saves apart from circumcision, |
baptism, church, or any outward |
rite. In the Reformation Luther |
used this letter in enuu-lting tho |
doctrine Of justification by faith |
alone. When leading teachers I'm ,
Asia minor denied a future resurroc-