The Nome nugget., 1924-02-16
SALVATION

On this question Of salvation. Christ's purpose is plain and his teachings are clear: first. "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost" To be lost according to Christ was to be lost to a consciousness of God. and an ! of his claim upon {; the life of man. his righteous duty i! toward himself and his fellow man. ! To be living outside Of the purpose a nd His kingdom is to be missing the mark of life. To be saved was to be saved from waste and failure and sin. To give ones best and to serve his best is made very plain in the 1 teachings of all great systems of philosophy, both ancient and mod ern. This is made very plain. es- recially in the teachings of Christ and is summed up into three parables os grace. The lost sheep is lost be- cause it is outside of the fold and no longer serves the shepherd. The coin is lost because it is useless and means loss 10 the housewife. The boy is lost because he is throwing his life away and is breaking his fathers heart. Sheep. coin. boy, all are miss ing the true mark--their use in the Kingdom.
 Secondly: The Son of Man seeks to save the whole man according to Gospel record. Jesus worked for the whole life of man and never made any distinction between work for the soul and work for the body. In fact he spent large part of his time ministering to what men are pleased to call temporal and material needs of the people. think I may safely say that the Church has too often given these words an almost holy. spiritual and inward applica- ton and in so doing have perverted the plain teachings of the Master nnd has hidden the power of His ex- ! body, mind and spirit; he came to save man for this world, and for every world In fact, ne never said
 q word about saving the soul. though
 It was always implied. Save your life," was his constant and impress
 i've charge. There are several in h, hn
 "soul" is used but every student knows that the Greek word is loose Ky translated and should be trans
 lated life" Save your life. This
 was His charge to man. And, there
 fore, 1t may be said that the saving
 of the whole life is larger and more
 comprehensive work than the saving
 of the soul. To save the life is to
 save the whole man. body, mind and
 spirit; to save the life is to save the
 man in all his capacities and powers;
 to save the life is to unfold life's potencies, and to realize its possibili-
 ties. Suppose the Son of Man were here today and saw men giving their lives to the gaining If large fortunes, coming their time and talents into
 sold and yet counting all the time
 upon having their souls saved al last
 Would he not say: What shall it
 profit man if he gain the whole
 world and loses his own life?" Sup
 pose Jesus were here today and saw men and women living frivolous and sensual lives, never trying to unfold the capacities of their beings and letting their powers run to waste in 1 the mistaken notion that it mattered little.
 Have care for your life, let your whole life be saved for the kingdom and it's uses. Do not waste your life. yourself in purely accidental and in- cidental things. Do not allow your mind to lay dormant and your pow CTS rust unused. Save your body, unfold your powers. use every one Of your talents Man is called to give his life to the kingdom and it's work. What would you give in exchange for your life at it's close if it has been well spent? What would you not give if misspent to live it over again.
 What can man offer as substi- ute for a misspent life? No wonder the salvation of the life was the ob- ject of Chrst's efforts. It is as though he taught that if man saved his body. soul and spirit for the kingdom with all it's capacities and powers through conservation and faith in Jesus Christ. that salvation would. be the natural consequence and needed no further assurance.