The times-news., 1936-12-03

perform lnc Uuty ne layS upon
them. Paul here illustrates and
emphasizes the two poles OF duty,
the one negative and the other
positive: Avoid and attain. p|
Avoid greed. There was then as
now wrong view of godlineSS as.
"a source of gain" OF as "a pay
ing concern" AS a matter of fact
it does pay but not necessarily in
worldly goods. GodlinesS is highly
Gaintul when contcEtment accom-
panicS IL. The contented spirit is
satisfied with food and clothes
since we brought nothing into the
world and can carry nothing out
of II. Certainly we are penniless
before birth and after death. On
the other hand, "thoSe who are
eager to be rich get tempted and
trapped" through many foolish,
harmful cravings that plunge peo-
pie into destruction and ruin. Let
the love of money take root in the
heart. and it will bear evil fruit
of all sorts in the life; for out of
IL grows, not all the evil in the
world. but all kinds of evil known
to sinful men. Let the man of
God fly from these things, shun
them. and escape the poison they
exhale! (2) Attain godliness.
The heart is rcgenerate by the
grace of God and now redeemed
personality must be upbullt in
character and conduct. Several
things are here suggested. First
Aim at, strive for, run after,
uprightneSS or integrity, godliness
or piety. faith, love. stedfastncs
or fortitude, and gentleneSS. Sec
ond - Fight, keep contendmg,
struggle your hardest in the good
contest for the faith Third
Take or seize hold of eternal lite|
TO which YOU were called "and
hast professed a good profession
before many witnesses" Fourth
Keep Gods commandment as en-
bodied in your commission and IN
the whole of revealed truth
duty. Keep it before God who gives
and maintains all life. Keep 1T
before Christ Jesus who made his
great profession at the bar of Pom
titus Plate. Keep il StainlesSly
and without rcproach. Keep it un,,
Ill the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ which will be brought
about in due time as appointed by
him "who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man
/ can approach unto; whom no man
hath seen, nor can Sce-thc bless
ed and only Sovereign, the hln%
] of kings. and Lord of lords. To
him be eternal honor and universal
dominion,
DELIVERANCE e Timothy ~
The Lord Will Deliver those
who trust him for salvation out OF
this life into the better life TO
come. Hear the Apostle IN his
swansong describe his arralgn-
mcnt before the Emperor at Rome.
He tells how, ut his first appear
ance. he was totally without wit
ness or attorney; though he pray
ed that the detection Of those who
should have stood by him be not
chargeable to them. But while ne
was man-forsaken, he was not
forsaken by the Lord and was so
strengthened divinely that he was
able 10 proclaim the gospel mes
sage at Jerusalem and Caesarea.
For a time he was delivered out
of the mouth of the liOn,' met
aphorically, or actually, since
many Christians were thrown into
the arena and devoured by the
hungry beasts. But the deliver
anec which he valued most was
the deliverance from every evil
work and the deliverance into the
heavenly kingdom forever
Thus Paul in the last lines from
his pen proclaimed and demon
strated the deathless life. Rethink
with him three things about 1t:
| fll Il is the forgiving life. May
not be laid to their charge They
| forsook the Apostle at a critical
| hour. He needed their help then
as never before. But he harbored
no spirit of revenge. He fully for
gave. (2) 1t is the proelaimlng
life. THAT all Gentiles might near.
Wherever Paul was--in synagogue
| school. marketplaee. or in court
he stood up for Christ. When an
raigned at Rome he gave the gos-.
mel in his defense. The road OF
fife is ever in sight of Calvary.
| I3) II is the saved life. "Will pre-