New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-04-11
LOYALTY TO GOD
IS PASTORS TEXT
Rev. Missirian Asks Congresa-
ton Pointed Questions

1ty Methodist church yesterday morn
ing, Rev. C. NJ. Missirian preached as
follows:
Jesus saith unto him the third
time. simon. son of Jonas, lowest tho,.
Me- John 21:17.
There are three possible founda-
lions upon which you can build a re-
ligion: The instinct of fear of the
supernatural; the instinct of seif-in-
terest: the instinct OF loyalty. which
is the highest and noblest sense in
the human soul. The Christian relig-
ion is built upon the instinct OF 10y
atty, and the kind of loyalty upon
which Christianity ia built is loyalty
to a Person---God in Jesus Christ
This personal loyalty to Jesus, in
other terms being a true Christian,
will manifest itself in four ways:
IL This loyalty acknowledges all
the personal claims of Jesus. OF
course his claims that are preserved
in writing. arc found in the New
Testament, and it is our business as
His followers to find out what they
are. Did he claim to be the Son of
Man? Then I will accept Him as the
ideal man, since His life convinces me
so. Did He>claim to be the Son of
God? - ...e
Then i will adore Him as tho re-
yealer of the divine character, finding
in Him full satisfaction for all the
aspirations in my soul loyalty
which doubts or denies the claims OF
Jesus Christ. as those claims are stat
ed in the New Testament, is not gen.
timely Christian. The thorough 10y
atty of heart which Christ demands,
says with Peter. Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God He bows
before Him in holy reverence and
says with Thomas, My Lord and my
God ..a .... t---e
"2. Loyalty will accept all that
Christ offers us. He offered men one
thing. and it is summed up in one
great word. Some men take the Bible
to try to find system of government
for the church, some to find a system
of philosophy and: theology, and some
find a system of social order, but all
these men are disappointed. Jesus
Christ did not come to offer men sys-
TENS of government or sociological
by single sphere of life. because he
proposed to dominate all, by films
them with life. 1t was life that
Christ offered men. i am comes He
said, that they might have life. and
that they might have it more abund
antly.' No man has received Christ's
offer until he has received the life
which He only can give. / do not
care how orthodox a person may be.
/ do not care how well-informed he
may be, I do not care how zealously
even he works in the church, if he
has not received life. he has not yet
received Christs great offer to men.
-. Loyalty to Christ will mani
fest itself in a life of perfect obed1-
ence. Christian life weakens through
disobedience to the divine will, just
as a chain loses its strong function
when several links or rings here and
there are broken. Did Jesus say,
Take up your cross and follow me?'
Loyalty demands of you to be faith
full to the end, no matter how press
ing and heavy your cross may be. Did
He say, Go out into the highways
and hedges and compel them to
come in?' Loyalty should make you
restless and uneasy until you do all
you can for the salvation Of your
neighbor. Did He say, Go into all
the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature?' If I am loyal, /
must go. Probably not very far from
my own home. I will go in spirit. in
devotion, in service and sacrifice.
This il the loyalty which He is ask
ing for today
-. Finally loyalty will manifest
itself in the Incarnation of Christ 5
spirit st. Paul states 1t more beauti-
fully and more pointedly than / can,
when. he says: IF any man has not
the spirit OF Christ he is none of His.
And this spirit is not unknown to us.
! All his perfect submission, his faith
full service and his unconditional sac
rifice, were permeated. saturated ana
dominated by the spirit OF love.
"a loyalty of heart which will &C
cept all His claims, obey all His COM
mands cheerfully, receive all that He
offers, and incarnate his spirit. this is
the supreme demand upon all who
profess Christian religion, whether in
dividuais or nations. Disloyal Chris
tians are the greatest obstacles for
the establishment of the Kingdom or
God on earth. Christianity is fai
more than simply a well-ordered NOR
al life. 1t is gospel truth inwrought
by the Holy Spirit into the life, so
| that it becomes a vital principle OF
thought, or purpose and action. This
is the life loyalty that constitutes one
! a Christian Creeds are no more
Christianity than Euclid is mathe-
mates, or botany, plant life. A man
may subscribe to the best and fullest
| creed and yet not be Christian.
Just before His ascension into
| Heaven. Jesus asked Peter thrice this