The Coolidge examiner., 1936-09-18

me.-Galatians 2:2O.
PRIMARY TOPIC - How Jesus
Wants His Friends to Act.
JUNIOR TOPIC - Paul Explains
How to Act.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TOPIC-What Is Christian Living?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
to Live as a Christian.
AS a fitting conclusion to a three
month study of the spread of
Christianity to the gentle peoples
of Western Asia, we consider the
teaching Of the great apostle to
the gentiles concerning Christian
Living"
The early chapters of Paul S
epistle to the Romans present the
greatest exposition of profound
Christian doctrine ever written.
But even as it is true that the
fruit of Christian living can grow
only on the tree of Christian doc
trine, it is equally true that the
knowledge of Christian truth should
result in Christian living. Faith
without works is dead"
Our lesson pointedly presents the
true Christian life as being
1. A Life Yielded to God (Rom.
l2:1-3.
A recognition and deep apprecia-
tion of the mercies of God leads
to a yielding of body and mind in
living sacrifice to God. If we are
Christians our bodies are the tenn
Piles of the Holy Spirit. We must
not lend our bodies to activities
which destroy their usefulness or
hinder our service for God but
rather yield the body with all its
abilities to God!
But after all ''it is the inside
of a man that counts" The pre-
senting of the body in living sacri-
fee is possible only when there
has been the inner transformation
by the renewing of the mind. One
cannot live physically without be-
ing born; it is equally impossible
to live a Christian life without hav-
ing been born again.
The Christian life is yielded to
God not only for its own peace
and satisfaction, but it is to be
III. A Life of Service (vv. 9-15.
We are not saved by serving but
we are saved to serve.
In the first place the Christian
serves the Lord. He abhors evil,
but his life is not merely negative,
for he cleaves to that which is
good. He is not lazy, but diligent.
His spirit is agloW with zeal for
God and his cause. He is full of
joy and hope, patient under trials,
man of Steadfastness in prayer.
Such a man will not fail to serve
his fellow-man. He will really love
the brethren, not merely make
hypocritical show of loving them.
He will seek the honor of others
rather than his own glory. He
will be given to the almost lost
art of hospitality. He will be ready
to stand by his brother, in the
day of joy or of sorrow. He will
60 even further, for he will bless
those that persecute him.
The measure is not yet full for
we note next that the Christian
lives
III. A Life of Humility ". 16).
In these days when we are urged
to assert ourselves, to demand our
rights, to succeed" at any cost,
and when men are measured by
their worldly achievements, it
sounds rather old-fashioned to talk
about humility, about condescend-
ing to lowly things, of not being
wise in OUR own conceits."
But humility is still the crowning
grace of a truly Christian life.
Those who follow the lowly Jesus,
in fact as well as in profession,
are still strongest when they are
weak, and mightiest for God when
they are humble.
Note also that we follow a vic.
torious Christ who calls us to
~. A Life of Victory wv. 17-2D.
1t is possible to talk much about
the victorious life-to discuss it at
length as Theological question
and have little real victory.
Paul speaks plainly. The Chris
tian is honorable in all things. He
meets every obligation. He is a
man of peace. He is not con-
cerned with avenging himself upon
one who has done him wrong. Spite
fences, boundary disputes, family
quarrelS, are not for him. Evil
is not to overcome him. God gives
the victory.
A great lesson, and one that we
cannot study without some dis
quieting thought. Christian, how
does your life and mine appear as
they are held up to the mirror of
Gods Word? Let US make a cove
nant that by Gods grace and
power we shall go forward in real
christian living"
On Being Just