Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-05
Sunday School Lesson

week. The apostle tells US that when
he commenced his evangslistic work
in that pagan city, which resulted In
the establishment OF the church, TO
whom this letter was sent. Paui de
termined to know nothing among
them but Christ and Him crucff1ed.
Love Creates Love.
This was the secret of his success as
= missionary. His motive was porn
In the cross OF Christ. The basis OF
Christ's authority. and the vital cen
ter of all His power over men
hearts by which He transforms their
loves and lifts those which are EN-
bedded in selfishness up to the Won
drous heights of self-denial. Is to he
found in the fact that He died on the
cross for each of us"
The love of Christ upon the cross
stirs our love. 1t prompts us to live
right and do for Him. While Jesus
revealed His love in His incarnation.
His matchless life and His philan.
thropic service for men, we are horn
again az a result OF His atoning blood
shed upon Calvary's cross. Jesus trans
forms our outlook upon life and gives
Va a spiritual impulse to show our
love for Him by sharing His gospel
with others. Our Lords love. when
1t becomes the center of our life, in
spires our sacrificial service and
thrills US by giving us a part in the
glad ministry OF sharing the good
news with others who do not know
OF His death. resurrection and ruler
snip In the affairs of men. by impart.
ing unto them the story Of Gods grea
love.
Paul, who introduced christianity
and modern civiliZa ton into Europe
II Ia said, was an overzea lous and
ardent reformer: for he had no rev.
erence for antiquity: he was fun only
OF a new order of things which was
70 supersede all that had gone be
Tore. He expected TO make clean
sweep OF old faiths. systems, and
thoughts. The changing OF the old
and the creation of the new made the
new faith to be considered a class re.
iigion by many people. who saw in its
democracy a purely political and so
While the advancement of Chris
tanity has resulted in the era of de.
mocracy. neither Paul nor Jesus
placed the social and political changes
nrst. They are incidents that have
tolioWed the regeneration of men,
whose lives have been transformed by
the love or Christ. who died in His
ehort TO bring salvation to sinful
men. so that they could be reconciled
to God. Christ was not seeking the
obstruction OF the old, but its trans.
formation through it's spiritual exist
ence. Life becomes fuller and freer
each day to the one who has been
porn again and IL being guided by the
spirit into the fullness and freedom
OF the spiritual life. The program for
the social regeneration the Master
planned to effect by the renewal and
regeneration into a new creation of
every believing soul. To this end
Paul believed that every Christian
t nsd Seen appointed an ambassador
Ambassadors for Christ,
The commission OF an ambassador
shows that he Ia a personal repre-.
sentative OF his sovereign. He has
no individual authority except to
carry out In a diplomatic manner his
message. Every Christian has been
appointed an ambassador of the Lord
Jesus and his commission shows that
he has been selected to persuade the
world to be reconciled to God. The
Heavenly Father has no need to be
reconciled. but man. who has Sinned
has need to be, II ne la to be saved
Humanity by its iniquity had alien
ated themselves from God. We. as
ambassadors have a message OF pea ce
and hope to proclaim to men. Our
message is one of reconciliation made
possible by the death upon the cross
OF the Lord Jesus. who demonstrated
His love for us by taking our place
and providing a complete salvation
for all who will become reconciled
through repentance and faith.
The nature OF the an1ba sxa dArix
business is such that he is given pre-.
cedenoe % that he can expedite the
business OF his government. We
ought to recognise the high calling
God has conferred uDon us which calls
for us to make every effort to expedite
the good news to men. The ambassa.
dor cannot delegate his task to some
one else. Foreign missions have not
been advanced az it should because
during the centuries too many Chris.
tians have forgotten their duty and
obligation to preach the gospel of
reconciliation to men.
When modern followers of the Lord
Jesus. recognize their responsibility
to the extent that the early Chris.
tians did, we will girdle the globe in
our effort as ambassadors to persuade
men everywhere to be reconciled to
God through the acceptance of the
offer of salvation, given them by the
Lord Jesus.
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