Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-01-29

e4A - ava ART NiVet " hF
Rev. Jobnc pan. ttevers" dds
ciples." follow
ers" and Christians" Here in the text
they are described as 'they who have
believed God" This indicates not
merely a general belief in God, but
belief in Him as He has revealed Him
self In Christ, the God Of redemptive
grace and power God has given to
this world a testimony. to which the
apostle John refers ia the fifth chap
ter and the ninth verse of his first
epistle IF we receive the witness
Of men. the witness Of God is greater;
for the witness Of God is this. that he
hath borne witness concerning his
Son. He that believeth on the Son Of
God hath the witness in him: he that
believeth not God hath made him
liar; because he hath not believed in
the witness that God hath horne con
corning his Son. And the witness is
this, that God gave unto US eternal
life and this life Is his Son. He that
hath the Son hath the life; he that
hath not the Son of God hath not the
life They that have thus believed
God should be careful 10 maintain
good works This is the argument OF
the text.
The word careful" is word of
admonition and warning. Il is a word
Of common usage today. In the face
Of possible danger mother warns her
child TO be careful. When the son
leaves home for some distant field Of
learning or Of labor this same word
Of caution is frequently spoken AT
the beginning of some business ven
ture, when the savings Of years are
to be invested in some new enterprise.
how often the thrifty wife will say to
her husband, "Be careful" So here
in the text God speaks to His children
in the familiar words. BE careful"
"They who have believed God must
be careful TO maintain good works"
The word maintain" means TO keep
to the forefront" The full force Of
the admonitiOn is seen when we read
the text in the light OF its true mean
ing. "They who have believed God
must be careful to keep to the fore
front good works" We are always
confronted with the possibility Of mis-
takes, failures, misuse of time and tai
ent. This involves serious loss. hence.
the necessity of this admonition given
to all Christian believers.
There is a reasonable basis for this
requirement First. good works are
the expression of true faith. God jus
titles us by faith. We must justify
Him before the world by good works.
The one is the necessary result Of the
other. AS Luther declared, we are
justified by faith alone. but justifying
faith is never alone. Paul and James
both agree to this. emphasis in the
one case being placed on faith. and
the other on works. ITO him that
worketh not but belleveth on him that
justiheth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for Righteousness" "As the
body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead Also No
amount of profession will in itself
suffice: the world wants to see the
real thing. Concerning our Lord Him
self, II is written that He went about
doing good" The world rightly ex-
poets this kind Of life from His fol-
lowers "They who have believed God
must be careful to maintain good
works" because they are the practical
expression Of a living and saving
faith.
Good works not only express faith,
but they lead to its perfection. This
is a New Testament argument found
in the epistle of James. Abraham's
faith was tested when he was called
to offer up his son. He stood the test
and was obedient to the call Although
Isaac did not actually pass through
death. be was truly and fully given
up by his father. Abraham had the
consciousness of obedience TO God and
that sense of the divine approval
which always follows obedience. In
this act Of obedience his faith was
made perfect or brought to maturity.
Abraham is the great example of
faith. but his life was full OF good
works.
Once more. we must be careful to
keep good works to the forefront be
cause through them God is gloritied.
LET your light so shine before men
that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in
heaven" The world wants to see as
well as to hear. We speak In Bible
terms of the great truths of our Chris
tian faith. but many there are who do
not understand our speech. There is
need to translate truth into language
that can be understood. the language
of good works. of human sympathy
and kindness. OF helpfulness and
Christian love. This is always I'M
derstood Men see the truth operating
IN action and glorify the Father who
is in heaven,