Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-09-06

our stand at the
Cross of Christ
and insists that all other standards OF
living are vanity. Is such position
tenable? Can we persist in the claim
that this is the standard Of Truth?
Does the empty boast of our ambitions
and attachments become fully exposed
there? If this Scripture alludes to
apostate Judaism undertaking by vain
oblations to buy the boon of Gods fa-
vor, then, with greater certainty, any
standard we might propose with like
purpose must be classed as discarded
tradition" and a vain manner OF
life" II men can buy redemption, 1t
Is too cheap to be Worthwhile. II,
say men can, by expanding money or
time, or toll, buy it, redemption is
neither what the Bible declares 1t to be
for the present life, nor can 1t be "eter-
nal redemption" The idea that we can
earn 1t discounts the very nature Of
God. Since God provided redemption
of His own will, so graciously because
GOD so loved" how manifestly vain II
is for man to propose to bring price
his little gathered up and unwashed
fragments-an act denying his need to
receive gift so unmerited and free. as
Gods grace How like an unclean
thing, like filthy rags must it be in
Gods sight How basely wrong Is
every grade and shade of religious
teaching which affirms that we can, by
any or all means, buy the least fraction
of our redemption AS bubble 1t must
soon burst and reveal its absolute
emptiness.
Let the signal be unobscured so that
all may read the warning, beware of
the traditions of men. In false philoso-
phies that claim, on the basis Of rigid
materialism to account for all that is,
and that deny outright that standard
of morals can be reasonably estab-
lished; in poetry which, while rich and
splendid in diction and in sentimental
attractiveness, speaks not the essential
and only Truth, in rules of conduct or
namented with courtesies and tokens
of chastity, which neither root nor
fruit in purity of heart in schemes of
human comfy that assert goodwill
and fair play but eschew the call to a
surrendered will to God, which can
alone produce fair play--thus do we
meet today these delusive traditions.
Some of them are hoary with age and
some of them scarcely out of their era
dies Confronting them, shall we not
brand them as the output of apostate
Gentilism? They persist In rejecting
the Cross. They insist upon the value
of what they can do. Their call is
often enticing and charming, but If we
follow it let it be understood that we
have chosen the vain manner of living.
Our piled up exhibits Of generosity and
pluck cannot prove otherwise. All
must be classified either as the cross
or as vanity.
No wonder that this surfeit of tradi-
lions cannot pacify the nations, har-
monize capital and labor, or fortify the
home, much less save the soul. It has
no heart. And nations are constituted
of men who have hearts; laborers and
capitalists are men with hearts home
is the place or hearts.
In contrast with the "vain manner
of life" behold life based upon this:
"Forasmuch as We know that We were |
not redeemed with silver and gold, but |
with the precious blood Of Christ, as of |
a lamb without blemish and without |
spot" How came this Lamb to be Of
fered? A heart Of love offered it. Why
does that offering SO avail? "God so
loved" But does it surely avail for
me? "Christ loved me and gave him
self for me-" If / believe this what
effect will be produced in me? "The
love of God is shed abroad in our
henrts by the Holy Spirit given unto
u.s." Yes, Christian redemption has a
heart. And that heart is none else than
the pure, stainless heart In which
deathless love has its source.
Once you really see the Cross by
faith you no longer marvel that "man
by wisdom knew not God" You no
longer imagine that philosophy "false-
" so called" can possibly save a soul,
Or that 'excellency of speech or mans
wisdom can make human discord into
harmony or cure human sin. You have
seen by faith the holy, unfailing, eter-
nal heart Of love. You have seen that
from that heart came the paying of the
price that set the sin-bound slave free.
You have seen reality; in its presence
low hateful is vanity. And the Lamb
will be Sin the midst of the throne"
when all mans vain schemes tumble in
failure
The revised version renders "con-
Jersation' manner Of life" in this Sc
ectiop Of Scripture.