Evening star., 1928-11-10
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

Arrnistice day finds us studying an
appropriate lesson. The day, wnloh
commentaries the end of hostilities in
the World War, finds us still engaged
| in the difficult task of winning peace
and goodwill among men" and nations.
| Replying to the claim OF promlnehV
(, Mohammedan in Beirut at the open
| ing of the World War that ChriStian-
| ity had failed, the writer stated tnat
the religion of the Lord Jesus CnrlSt
had never been tried. The nations
! that were united in winning the war
have found 1t more difficult TO WIN
the peace than they did the war, pc
cause they have not tried Christianity.
While this letter was written to the
| beloved of God, called to be saints,
| living in ancient Rome, 1t contains
| principles of life that are essential 10
| our peace. We have just concluded
political contest that has divided IAN,
! lilies. friends and fraternitieS, as Wen
as churches, by its intensity to such an
extent that in the heat OF the cam,
paign the ties that have been sacred
| have been severed or strained. II IIleSe
are to be restored, then the principles
OF ethics taught by Paul IN TINS week 5
lesson must be applied.
"a
as election should for all Americans
bring an end of differences. We, WIN
the citizens of all nations, must make
practical application OF the teachings
of Christianity in removing the antag-
oniSmS of strife and war from among us
and the men of the world. If peace
and goodwill among men" is to become
a reality. then the people OF all nations
must get completely away from the
old war psychosis by cultivatlng the
mind and will to peace" In ACCORDANCE
with the message of Paul contamed IN
our lesson. In his practical appHca-
ton Of his theological principles 1or
bitter yiyalries he substituted every
where, frAternal solidarity and for in
terT,d conflicts organic unity.
SAlIl was writing to men VINO mao
r;r0fessed the Christian faith. He de-
Ynands that they prove their profession
bv exhibiting the evidence OF possess
inv q vital religious life Sandburg calls
for conservation to the Lords service
bv our citizens when he writes:
"sIn God we trust; it is so written.
"The writing goes onto every silver
dollar. -
made us all.
I'VE is YOU and me and all Of us in
the United States of America.
And trusting God means we give
ourselves. all of ourselves, the whole
United States of America, to God, the
Great One"
Peace's Spiritual Foundation.
No one who studies American history
can doubt that we as a people owe our
present position among the nations 10
the blessings of the eternal and ever
living God. If ever there existed a
people that ought to serve the LORD IL
IS America. Paul argues with the Ro-
man Christians that because OF the
mercies of God" which he has men
toned in the preceding chapters, ne
calls upon them to consecrate tner
bodies to the Lords service, as liVlng
sacrifice. This believers ought willingly
to do as an evidence OF their appre-
citation and gratitude for being re-
deemed by the blood of the Saviour.
The sacrifice of Christ having made
possible our salvation, we should pre-
sent our bodies, as reasonable service,
to Him. The sacrifices offered Jehovah
under the Old Testament diSpensatlon
were slain before being presented. but
the apostle demands that we give the
Lord our bodies, full of life and power,
for service. He has use for all. that we
are and we ought to glorify God with
our bodies as temples OF the Holy Ghost.
Our bodies are the most precious pos
sessions that we can give to God for
His service. If we do this we will live
as we ought before the world and teach
learned of Him.
The Christian Is not 70 be governed
by the precepts and practices Of the
world. He is to be made like the Lord
Jesus. He must be changed so that he
is different from the men of the world
by having his mind, that controls his
body, transformed by the renewal of
the mind, to search out what Is the
intention of God" We need to be filled
daily with the Holy Spirit so that we
may possess the mind of Christ and seek
first the kingdom Of God and His right
eousness in all our daily duties and
work. We can only do the Fathers will
and carry out His program by doing all
the time and IN every way the service
Christ has called us to perform in ac-
cordance with our fellowship with God
as our Father and our relationship to
men as the representatives of the Lord
Jesus in thought and deed. Christ act
ed upon the basis of love. When men
substitute love for force they will be
following along the way of peace and
good will among men" and nations by
their promotion Of and practice of the
principles Of Christianity. If peace is
to be fastened, we must seek to under
stand one another, acting upon love for
one another, free from Selfishness and
fear.
The Peaceful Spirit.
When Christ was born in Bethlehem
His advent was ushered in by the angels
singing Of peace on earth to men of
goodwill. The coming of the Lord has
made possible new world, where peace
will be revealed by the presence of a
peaceful spirit among His people. One
of the most recent evidences of His
influence was seen In the signing of
the Kellogg treaty to outlaw war. If
war is to be made thing of the past,
then We must help develop in our rela-
tions with one another and with other
nations a spirit of peace based upon
love and good will. Our love must be
true, free from hypocrisy. There must
not be heart of hate behind the hand
of courtesy"
Our greatest peril, according to Paul
will be found within our own lives
Few people are aware of the amount of
Selfishness, which is destructive of love,