The Nevada County picayune., 1923-04-05

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 oVM A VAV they were sub- ject to many temptations he feared most of all that which is always the grave possibility in Christian experi- ence, the subtlety of Satan in corrupt ing the minds of Christian believers from the simplicity that is in Christ. The apostle knew that through science, falsely so-called," or "philos- ophy and vain deceit" the mind of the Christian might be corrupted and the joy of salvation, and the powerf for testimony be lost.
 This fear was caused by the pres ence of those to whom the apostle refers In the 18th verse of this chap ter, as "false prophets; deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ, and no marvel. for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" Therefore 1t is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of right eouSnesS.
 There was in Paups day and there Is in our day, righteousness proclaimed, which is not "the righteousness of God" but a poor, cheap, inefficient substitute. The first peril of the Christian lies in the possibility of his mind being corrupted from the sim- plicity that is in Christ in reference to this matter of righteousness. God provides righteousness for the Christian believer in His Son, who Is made unto us righteousness. This righteousness alone is valid before God. It was this that the apostle had in mind when he said, Mot hav- ing mine own righteousness but that which Is of the faith of Christ. the righteousness which Is of God by faith" Concerning this same matter John Bunyan wrote: '.The believer in Christ Is now, by grace, shrouded under so complete and blessed . righteousness that the law from Nit. Sinai can find no fault nor diminution therein" This righteousness in its scope and operation may be regarded
 as the sum total of all that God commands. requires. approves and pro videe. No wonder the apostle feared that Christian believers might be cor rupted from the simplicity and sufa- ciency that Is in Christ, hence the warning lest their minds be led astray.
 The mind of the Christian believer must be carefully guarded against error and falsity. In other words, the mind must be renewed day by day. The Word of God Is the means of this renewing. The great essential, after a heart experience of Gods saving grace, Is a mind well informed in Bible truth. There Is measure of peril in being spiritually minded with out being scripturally intelligent Not without significance does the apostle use the figure of helmet in speaking of salvation, and not without great cause and abiding anxiety on our part does he bid us put on "the helmet of salvation" if we would be strong to stand against the foe.
 The simplicity of the Christian faith and it's sutficiency to save to the utter. most all who believe, is the result of our Lords work at Calvary. The sin ner's boast is a crucifed Savior. Every truly saved sinner knows this Christ crucified Is to the believer the wisdom and power of God. It Is the great and outstanding peculiarity of Christianity. It is the one great solu- tion of all problems, for every problem in the world Is traceable in some way or other to the problem of sin. the sin of the individual heart. But this boast, this glorying in the Cross is not the dominant note in the religion of today, and herein lies the danger | of the believers mind being led astray. | From much that is written and said one would think that it made little diff | ference whether Christ was crucified | or not. Some speak lightly and even s!ightingly of individual salvation through faith in crucified Savior. Others seem to think that humanity can best be handled in bulk. In re- ferring to the salvation of ones own soul recent writer speaking of Christ. says: "In his vision of the l Kingdom of God the petty, selfish con- ception of individual salvation dwin- | dles into comparative insigniticance. He that seeks thus to save his soul | here or hereafter shall lose it." Such n statement Is absurd in the light of