The Coolidge examiner., 1936-09-11

GOLDEN TEXT-For ye, brethren,
We're called for freedom; only use
not your freedom for an occasion to
the flesh, but through love be
servants one to another.
PRIMARY TOPIC-How to Settle
a Quarrel.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How to Settle a
Dispute.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TOPIC-What Is Christian Living?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
TOPIC-How to Live as Christian.
Although the first council at
Jerusalem (Acts I'D had decided
that "to the Gentiles also hath God
granted repentance unto life'' the
question did not stay settled, for
there were persistent Judaizing
teachers who now contended that
even though the Gentiles could be
saved, they had to come into the
church by way of Judaism and
fulfill the Jewish rite of circumci-
sion. This raised the vital and
fundamental question of
/. Grace versus Law (Acts 15:D.
The entire future of the gospel
ministry was in a sense depend
ent on the solution of this problem.
Christianity is the only religious
faith in the world that presents
justification by grace, all others
follow the path of works. The
question now was, shall works of
the law be mingled with grace -
can Jesus Christ alone save men,
or is salvation through Jesus
Christ, plus something else? How
was such a serious question to be
settled? Should argument al nd
strife be permitted to go on until
the stronger party prevailed? Bet
ter judgment indicated the desir-
ability of
III. Council Rather Than Contro-
versy (vv. 2-2D.
There may be times when it be-
comes the duty of the Christian
worker to take an uncompromiS-
ing stand for the truth of God and
refuse to be moved, come what
may. But certainly there should
be no such spirit in dealing with
differing interpretations of Scrip
ture on the part of sincere and
earnest Christian brethren. How
much would be gained in the
church today if, instead of mag
nifying differences and permitting
personal desires and ambitions to
intervene, men were willing to sit
down in the spirit of Christ around
the tables of Christian council and
brotherhood, presided over and
directed by the Holy Ghost (see
Acts 1929.
The question was honestly and
carefully considered by the second
council at Jerusalem, with the re-
suit that there was
iii. Vindication of the Preachers
of Gods Grace (Acts 15:22-29; Gal.
81, 2, 9, 10).
After presenting a plain disavow-
al of those who had troubled them
and subverted their souls (What a
serious thing it is to teach error
concerning Gods WordD, tn e
council being of one accord gave
recognition to Paul and Barnabas
as men who had "hazarded their
lives for the name of the Lord
Jesus"
No man should think more highly
of himself than he ought. Humility
is a Christian grace which we'll
BELTS sinner saved by grace. But
the Bible abounds with admonitions
to honor one another, to recognize
the laborer as being worthy of his
hire, to give recognition to those
who are over us in the Lord. How
long is it since you or your church
comforted and encouraged some
faithful teacher, preacher, mission
ary, or other Christian worker, by
giving such recognition as the
council at Jerusalem gave to Paul
ana bdTndDdS!
The final decision of the council
is sent not only by Paul and Bar
nabas, but also by a committee
from Jerusalem, gracious gesture
of fellowship. Courtesy is not out
of place in dealing with even such
difficult things as controversies on
Christian doctrine in fact it
should be most in place in such
a situation But as a matter of
record they also sent
Nv. A Letter Which Brought
Great Joy (Acts 1928, 81.
After addressing the Gentiles as
brethren" this letter, which has
been we'll called 1.-The Magma
Charta of Christian liberty" re-
viewed briefly the history of the
matter. disposed of the subverters,
commended Paul and Barnabas,
and then without mentioning cir
cumcision at all puts upon the Cen
tiles mo greater burden than the
necessary things" And what were
these? Purity of life, as those who
were enjoying Christian liberty.
The law of Moses need not be kept
as a ground of salvation. They
were saved by grace. But grace
can never be the cloak Of careless
living, nor can liberty in Christ
be interpreted as license to live in
sin. We are set free in Christ, not