Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-24

There are two ways to walk, the way
Of the spirit and the way Of the flesh,
was a statement made by the Rev.
V. B. Nelson of the church of the
! United Brethren in Christ. in his Sum
day morning sermon. If mankind fol-
lows the first he will not fulfill the
lusts of the flesh, he said. His sermon
follows:
although Jesus had come forth from
the grave the first fruits of the resur-
rection and had appeared to the dis
ciples several times. proving that he
was alive. yet the full situation had not
dawned upon them. They were still
slow Of heart to believe all the
prophets had said concerning Him. The
days before this first Easter tide, had
been days of peculiar observance of all
that had happened to their Lord. They.
had seen His wonderful miracles of
grace; they had hung onto His mes
sages of power; they had seen dimly
into His future prophesies and had
seen Him labor on up to Calvary and
all come to sad end with the cross.
Now. they were like ship without a
rudder.
Back to Old Life
''The question arose what shall we
do:' Peter suggested they go back to
the old life. He said I go a-fishing.
The other disciples said. We also so
with thee There was nothing else in
view The strain of the past was to be
replaced with the old life. they had been
accustomed to before they met Jesus.
OF course they could not be just the
same again: nobody is who has met
Jesus; but the old life was calling them
and they yielded.
Little did these followers of our
lust ahead of them. Even back at
their old occupation the Lord was not
far from every one Of them beholding
their night of fruitless toll. He al
ready stood on the shore ready TO help
life to be n success and not failure.
He was to meet host of them in this
Galilee country and open up to them
yistas of the future never dreamed OF
before. They were later to receive
His final message and benediction from
Olives brow. Then, 10 days later
Pentecost. O blessed day for Peter.
when he should receive power over the
self life and power for service. No
longer was he to deny his Lord and
ask questions but to confess Christ
and answer questions.
Opens Closed Doors
Then Peter was to open doors that
were q long time shut. the door of
the grace of God for the jew. then
later for the Gentle. These disciples
did not continue to follow the old life
after this first Easter. Jesus called
them to a life of service. sacrifice and
victory. Easter did not end devotions
for them, but the beginning of the
operation of grace. 1t was not let
up but steam up.
''All this service as an allegory for
us. We are apt to precede Easter
with special services. abstinence. de-
votions observance of Passion week
and a great Easter rally. then after
that there is tendency to go back to
the old life. l wonder whether there
is not danger of losing what follows
Easter of communion, fellowship, power
and service: Then again does the
word of God anywhere justify us in
living any better at one time than an
other?
"There are two ways to walk. the
Spirit way and the flesh way If we
walk after the Spirit we shall not full
fill the lust of the flesh. The Spirit
and the flesh are contrary one to the
other. They that follow the works of
the flesh shall not inherit the kingdom
of God.
Sin Is Exception
"Iohn says, He that is born Of God
does not go on practicing sin He
may sin, but sin is the exception and
not the rule of his life. This gives
us at no time license to fulfill the
lusts Of the flesh, not even after
Easter.
"One other point is suggested by
our text: That the old life without +!
Jesus is failure. It becomes a night |,
Of fruitless toll. If we need all this |
observance about Jesus before Easter !;
we need the abiding presence of Jesus |,
after Easter. After Lent what? The |
answer is, laying hold on that which !
we have been laid hold on by Christ !
Jesus. He is standing by the shore
Of this post Lenten season; may we
through the mists behold Him and |
come to Him to be warmed and fed"
Crops raised in single year on land |