Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-09-21

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Verify, verify say unto you, he that
aeareth my word and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life
and shall not come into Judgment"
(John 5:24). There is therefore now
40 coming into the condemning judg-
ment to them which are in Christ
Jesus"
The sense of guilt or Of dread is
proof of abnormality of the soul.
All distressfulness about one's self Is
cured In Christ, for In Him Is the COW
Bering for every offending thought,
word and deed.
2. Spiritual normally cannot be
without spiritual life. No more Is 1t
possible to substitute the electrifying
processes of pleasant words and man
ners for spiritual life, than 1t would
be possible to produce business pros
perity by polishing the knobs and
hinges Of all the bank safes. 1t is
abnormal for soul to be dead In
trespasses and sins"
3. Spiritual normally cannot exist
without prayer. 1t is not that a man
has to pray In order to be saved. For
salvation he has simply to trust. But
being "alive" unto holy God and
knowing that all his goodness or sue
cess Is in him, how should he not
ask and receive answers from him q
Surely being at home In "the house
hold Of faith" he will be saying "our
Father" A prayerless life is either
captive of vain self-sufflciency, or
else of the gloom of despair, and all
such is abnormal.
4. Spiritual normally has spiritual
delights. You must expect man to
prefer fieshly delights If he has never
been born again. He does not know
what spiritual delights are. AS well
might man born deaf or blind be
| expected to know what music and sun
sets are. If he could step instantly
put of the barrenness Of a northern
winter into the fruitfulness of mid
summer it would be no more In con-
.rast than for him to step out of or
1inary delights good times and laugh
ter into "the Joy of the Lord" And
to rejoice in the Lord Away" is
spiritual normally.
5. Spiritual normally Is profitable.
1t can always render an account show
ing assets clear beyond liabilities. AS
in commerce business is not considered
normal when it verges on bankruptcy,
50 the soul Is not In normalcy unless
the person Is spiritually prosperous.
What is this we read about 'The
Riches of Grace? 1t is not the fair
amount Of grace, not an encouraging
proportion OF grace, not, If all goes
well there will be enough grace to
prevent spiritual bankruptcy, but 1t
Is ''The Riches of Grace in Christ
Jesus"
And what is this we read? "All
things are yours" All, the soul In
normally. must never be pictured with
hat In hand standing at the curb of
the broad way asking aims Of
doomed age. Rather he is so rich that
he broadcasts the gold of Gods grace
as he runs to relieve his lost fellows.
6. Spiritual normally has will but
it is not self-willed. Its will merges
In the will that holds the worlds in
their orbits. To say, II will do thus
and so because wish to, and may
the Lord bless me in it," Is to be abb
normal. Normally is never possible
without yieldedness to God The way
to render a normal account to God is
to surrender. All in all, spiritual nor
malcy to the world appears exaggera-
ton, but to saved man 1t Is the Spir-
TITLED life.
Z. Normally Of spirit does not refuse
the battle. 1t makes sure Of the ar
NOR and the weapons. It, fights the
good fight of faith" but it Is sure
Of victory. Wars greatly disturb COM
mercial normally, but spiritual nor
malcy never is SO evident as when the
war wages hottest. When the day of
peace comes its evidence will not wane.
Forever with the Lord" will be eternal
normally. But how strange that poor
little word Normally" sounds when
applied to the exalted triumph Of the
soul In glory! Strictly speaking the
world belongs in the sphere Of mathe-
matics: and to tell Of the triumphs
Of grace, figures fall utterly.