The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-29

John 2:15-17-"LoVe not the
world, neither the things that are
in the world. II any man love
the world. the love OF the father
is not in him. For all that is in
the world. the lust Of the flesh
and the lust of the eye and the
pride OF life Is not of the father
but is OF the world. And the
world passeth away and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the
will Of God abideth forever"
Men today do not distinguish Al
sharply between the love OF the
world and the love OF God as they
once did. There was a time II
Christianity's history when there
was n sharp distinction between tn,
1secular life and the religious life
The secular life was for the many
the religious life was for the few
And 40 monasteries and convent,
and hermitages were built that mel
might leave the world and the
things that are In the world and
live apart, where one would not be
tempted by the lust OF the flesh and
the lust Of the eye or the pride OF
life. In that way they thought they
were doing the Will OK God.
But we have outgrown such O
medieval idea. We believe that
this is Gods world, that there 81
nothing essentially bad with lit
Is only people who make II bad-ws
believe that II is our duty to live
in 1t TO make IL better. We are 10
be in the world but not OF the
world.
Now this is n much more diff
cult thing 70 do than to desert the
world and live apart from II. The
monks OF the middle ages, while
thinking that they were doing the
more heroic thing. were really TAX
ing the easiest way. To live in tbs
world and yet be unspotted by II
10 be subject to the temptations oil
the world and yet never to yield tt
them. to appreciate the beauties OF
the world and yet not be dependent
upon them-this Is by far the most
difficult course. II calls for a on
tinual fight. II demands the best
and the strongest in one. But II IL
the way marked out for the Chris
tian. Love not the world, neither
the things that are in the world
II any man love the world, the love
OF the father Is not In him"
What Is the world that we should
not love? And why is It forbidden
These are the two questions fol
which we are TO find an answer
this morning." And that answer
must be based not upon specific
instances but upon certain definite
principles. There are many things
which bigotry condemns which arr
not harmful, and on the othel
hand there are many things which
laxity permits which are far from
innocent. Unless we can find som'
principles, some standard. som,
form, we will go on vacillatlng mis-
erably as most OF us do between
piety and worldliness, between be
ing too strict and too easy-going
And so we seek this morning 4
discover that governing principle
for a life in the world but not o
the world, and we address ourselveI
TO these two questions-what liz tn,
love OF the world which is forbid
den, and why Is II forbidden? Thu
best way to approach this Is to de
termlne what love Of the world !
not forbidden.
Manifestations OF God.
90 The love OF the world OF ma
ture Ia not forbidden. when st
John writes Love not the world h,
does not mean the beauties OF ma
ture-they are but the vesture o
our invisible King, Philosophers In
their speculations as to what mat
ter Is have defined II as the per
manent possibility OF sensation
sight, sound, color, weight - bu
what matter IL itself they do no
Know. Religion goes farther. l
says that back OF sight. sound, color
weight is God. The material worl,
Is the outward manifestation Of tn
being OF God.
Does any one ask why manklni
was created by God, why we haY,
existence as separate splrits? Co
made us so that there would b'
some n to see the invisible worl'
which r. the manifestation OF III
glory. Have you never stood OF al
evening under the starry hosts NOR
man the sands OF the sea in mum
PER- Do they speak only to you o
night waves or do they speak I,
You OF God? Does the lightnlnI
streaming across the sky tell yol
or Gods power or only of cleo
tricity? DO the flowers Of the fiel'
which SOW not, neither do the.
spin, tell you only OF botanica
ela~ssitications or do they reveal 4
you something OF Gods beauty
gThs world OF nature Is the roya
Iobe OF Gods being. and II is 70
Us TO behold the King In His beauty
no, II was not the world OF natur
10 which st. John was referrin.
when he said Love not the world.
90 Nor was II the world OF hu
manity. There have been religion
people who thought that TO Low
one's fellownten was hostile 20 IN
rove of God. so the Pharise
thought, They considered them
selves superior TO others and woul,
nave nothing TO do with the Pub
means and sinners for fear Of con
Eliminating themselves. and no
oeing clean before God, "Oh God.
me Pharisee prayer. II thank The
.nat am not as other men are
oI even as this publican" II wa
d Ale aann anGrlf Chat, A.. tha rntAAI