The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-04-25
Sermon on
Christian Citizenship
Rev. +. 5. Reaves. ID. d., Speaks Sun
day Morning Upon This Vital
Theme.

Rev. r.. >. Reaves. ID. d., Speaks Sun
day Morning Upon This Vital
Theme.
Rev. f. S. Reaves, d. D., pastor of
the First Baptist church, delivered a
sermon Sunday evening on Christian
Citizenship, taking as his text Philip
ton be as becometh the gospel of
Christ" In part the speaker said:
"The text is a notable example of
the growth in language by which a
word comes to mean less or more than
it originally did. When the King
James translation was made the word
conversation" had reference to the
whole manner of life. In it's deriva-
tion it gives the picture of one turn
| ing here and there as he makes his
way through a crowd. 1t is used to
translate the Greek word from which
our word politics is derived 1t would
| not be amiss to translate the text
| "Only behave yourselves as free citi-
zens as it becometh the gospel of
Christ" This text is my warrant for
discussing citizenship.
| There is need for such discussion
because we are so prone to forget that
discharge the duties of citizenship 1t
is to the discredit of our Christianity
that we have made our influences Sc
little felt in governmental affairs. In
the vote of the Christian citizen is tc
be found the remedy for all our polit
ical ills.
Are there peculiar evils today? Yes,
and for the reason that we are now
in the backwash of the great war. The
history Of wars is that in their wake
there is let down of morals and a
deluge of crimes. l do not think that
our community is the worst in the
state and we are fortunate that we
have had in our midst no great shock
ing crime. But there are evils among
us which ought to be corrected. We
need to make diligent inquiry into
many conditions. What about the
scarlet woman ply her trade in our
midst? Is liquor sold in our town?
| have no idea that l could buy any
but what about the man who wants
| it? Are our laws with reference tC
Sunday selling enforced? Could you
| have made purchases today contrary
to the plain provision of the law?
These are questions which we need to
| face and to answer.
What has state or city the right
to expect of it's citizens who are
| Christians?
|. That they shall be law abiding.
Others may violate the laws but thu
Christian can not do it if he would
be loyal to his Lord. Christ, by eX
ample and precept, taught obedience
and respect for law. The same duty
was cnioined by the apostles. 1t i.
not light thing to set law aside. Sec
Rom. 1871, 2. l Peter 2:13. You car
not set any law aside and violate i
without thereby weakening all law.
a Christian is never justified in being
a member of mCb
=. That they shall respect and sup
polt, in their official capacity, the mer
who hold olce Again we have thr
ex; mple of Christ He was the law
abiding citizen and yielded obedience
|'and respect to those who held pub
lie Office The same duty is taught
| w tie Apostle Paul. See Tim 2:1, 2
| The officers, many of them, were no
| to. :ously corrupt, but the duty of
support and respect are enjoined al
| the same.
This does not preclude the right Of
| protest when the officer of the law
roes wrong. 1t does not deny the
right to petition. The right to petit
| ton and the right to protest are in
alienable rights and are entirely JUS
tifiable when done in reason and with
Iuc moderation.
3. That they shall act worthily of
he gospel of Christ when they come
% cast their ballots.
The use of the ballot is a sacred
privilege and ought to be exercised in
| kccping with ones profession as a
| Christian. Our use of the ballot
ought not to contradict all of the
| ~ospel which we profess to believe.