Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-05-25

that by his own work he has not OBJ
talned what he sought. DC what he
will he cannot find salvation until Mt
last. like the Jailer, he cries, what
must 1 do to be savcd?" (Acts 16:30).
The answer today IS the same rs
when This question was first asked,
viz: believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts
10:3n.
The sense OF condemnation rising
from conviction of sin Is the common
heritage of all men. TO lind relief
from this sense OF condemnation man
turns to various cXpcdicnts, but tho
more he tries TO rid himself Of 1t
the more he feels condemned. But
when no turns to the Word OF God
he finds written In Jno. 3 :1S, ale that
belicvc.h on the Son Is not con-
delnncd"
The possession of eternal life comes
over the same pathway, that Of faith
In Jesus Christ. 1t Is not for the man
who works but, "lIc that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life" Ono.
8:36).
II it be question of justification
before God, it is simple faith and not
works of any kind that brings 1t, for
we are told IN Acts 13 :39, "By Him
(Christ) all thai believe are justified
from all things from which ye could
not be justified hy the law Of Noses"
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
ye believe on Him whom He hath
sent" (Jno. 1920. Faith In Christ Is
the only medium by which we may 80
cure gifts from God, but He has no
gift that may not be ours In answer
to our faith In this great object of
iaith, Jesus Christ. 1t is not there
Gore my good life or works, not my
church or religion, not my lDtegrity
OF Character or honesty OF purpose,
nor anything that l can do, which Is
the object Of my trust, but 1t 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 it much rs pagan
might think Of some fetch. But # Is
not tho 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 tho Judgment about to fall
was to be found only there. Thus 1t
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
If the object Of his faith be unworthy
the faith Is useless, however good 1t
may be in itself. For illustration: A
man may place his money in bank
and by doing SO prove he has splendid
faith in that bank. If the bank falls
and the man loses his money, it Is be-
cause the object of his faith was un-
worthy, and not because there was
anything wrong with his faith.
Again. Il man may have good faith in
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, It Is not because his
faith was nui Of the right kind or
thnt there vas not enough Of 1t, but
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 IN unworthy
object for faith. All Of them put to-
gether could never save a soul. Moth
ing but Christ can he 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 n Zenl-
GUS man. blameless before the law.
as Saul Of Tarsus was, and not be
saved; but none can be a believer in
the Lord Jesus Christ and not bo
saved, because the Word Of God still
declares. "Belicve 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 mir has no other stay or hope
than the machine In which he rides.
If the machine proves good the man
Ia safe, but If the machine Is bad 1t
Is just the reverse, for he has no
other stay.-he has put his faith In 1t.