The Clio messenger., 1921-05-12

&# .EWX But after man
~ - =" has done all he
can do he finds himself convinced
that by his own work he has not OBJ
tanned what he sought. Do what he
will he cannot find salvation until at
last, like the jailer. he cries, what
must l do to be saved?' (Acts 16 :3O).
The answer today is the same as
when this question was first asked,
viz: Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved' (Acts
16 :31).
The sense of condemnation rising
heritage of all men. To find relief
from this sense of condemnation man
turns to various expedients, but the
more he tries to rid himself of 1t
the more he feels condemned. But
when he turns to the Word Of God
he finds written in Jno. BIS. HE that
believeth on the Son is not con-
demned."
The possession of eternal life comes
over the same pathway, that of faith
I'm Jesus Christ. 1t is not for the man
who works but, "He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life" (Jno.
:36).
If 1t be question of justification
before God, 1t is simple faith and not
works of any kind that brings it, for
we are told In Acts 13 80, "By Him
(Christ) all that believe are justified
from all things from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses"
No wonder, then, we hear Jesus say
ing to- those who asked Him what
they should do to work the works OF
God. "This is the work of God that
We believe on Him whom He hath
sent" Ono. 6 :29). Faith In Christ Is
the only medium by which we may Sc
cure gifts from God, but He has nc
gift that may not be ours in answer
TO our faith in this great object OF
faith, Jesus Christ. 1t is not there
fore my good life or works, not my
church or religion, not my integrity
Of character or honesty of purpose,
nor anything that l can do. which is
the object Of my trust, but it is what
Christ has done and Is, that must be-
come the object of my faith.
Many have vague ideas about faith
and think of 1t much as a pagan
might think of some fetch. But II is
not the faith but the object of faith
that holds the power and brings the
blessing. Noah's faith took him into
the ark because he believed that safe
ty from the judgment about to fall
was to be found only there. Thus it
was the ark, the object Of his faith,
that saved him. So the believer to-
day finds his faith takes him to
Christ, the object of his faith, who
saves him.
A man may have splendid faith, but
II the object of his faith be unworthy
the faith Is useless, however good II
may be In itself. For illustration: A
man may place his money In a bank
and by doing so prove he has splendid
faith in that bank. If the bank falls
and the man loses his money, 1t Is be-
cause the object of his faith was un-
worthy, and not because there was
anything wrong with his faith.
Again, a man may have good faith in
a boat and prove his faith is good by
entrusting his life to that boat. But
If 1t goes down at sea and the man
loses his life, 1t Is not because his
faith was not Of the right kind or
that there vas not enough of 1t, but
simply because the object of his faith
was bad.
Today there are many men and
women trusting their future welfare
and their hope of salvation to good
works or upright living or honesty of
purpose or sincerity, who will lose
their souls not because there is any.
thing wrong with their faith, but be-
cause any Of these things however
good In themselves, Is an unworthy
object for faith. All Of them put to-
gether could never save a soul. Moth
ing but Christ can be worthy OBJ
ject for faith which brings salvation.
A man may be moral, praying,
church going man, as Nicodemus was,
and not be saved; may be an upright,
clean, almsgiving man. as Cornelius
was, and not be saved; may be q zeal
Gus man, blameless before the law,
as Saul Of Tarsus was, and not be
saved; but none can be believer In
the Lord Jesus Christ and not be
saved, because the Word of God still
declares. Believe In the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts
16 :31). 1t is Christ, the supreme OBJ
ject for the sinners faith, who can
and will and does save all who put
their trust In Him. The aviator In
the air has no other stay or hope
than the machine in which he rides.
II the machine proves good the man
Is safe, but IL the machine is bad 1t
Is just the reverse, for he has no
other stay-he has put his faith in II.
So to be believer on Christ means
that a man has no other help or stay
or hope than the Lord Jesus Christ.