The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-04
Cites Present
Need for New
Men in World
Minister Points to Christ's
Power to Rejuvenate
Existing Beings.
BY S. GRUNDY FISHER

Minister University Park Christian Church
New Years Lay has just passed.
What explains the feeling of re-
lease, relief and new interest in
life? Down in our hearts we know
that things are not SO much differ
ent from last year. Same old debts,
same old problems, same old harass-
ments. Never the less, we do re-
joice in the New Year.
Some of us celebrated crafty
enough, but some more soberly. All,
unless very old in spirit, rejoiced.
The explanation is that deep in
stinct of adventure-the love of sur
prise, OF possibly finding something
better than what we have had. New
fashions, new books, new houses,
new cars, new lands--We love the
new.
The Apostle Paul had something
better than all these: "If any man
is in Christ Jesus, he is a new crea-
ture. Old things have passed away;
behold they have become new" He
knew what the old creature was:
Selfish, blind, dying while he lived.
But he knew also, what the Gospel
of Christ could do for and in a man.
He knew himself to be new.
Love Replaced Selfishness
He was new in his motivation.
When he came into fellowship with
Christ, old and selfish motives, often
camoufaged as virtues, were re-
placed by one great constraint, the
love of Christ. He had been zeal
GUS for the law, for his nations
existence and glory, and he had let
this zeal make him cruel, bigoted,
arrogant.
Christ entered his life and he en-
tered into fellowship with Christ,
and he became tender, forgiving,
compassionate, loving, humble. Old
things had passed away, indeed. He
was new creature. He had some
thing new to live for. A new goal
called him. And, most wonderful
of all, new power-a power not
of himself, making for Righteousness
took possession of him.
What he had experienced in his
own life, he had seen in others. And
what he had seen in others, mas
been the ever-recurring miracle
across the ages. This very New
Years Day we have had in our
midst men and women from far
sundered lands, testifying to the
power of this Christ to make new
creatures, and proclaiming their
faith that these new men and
women will eventually make a new
world.
Need Is For New Men
What other hope have we of a
world order fit for men and not a
pit in which we shall fight and de-
YOUR one another? New men!
For these thousands of years we
have been governed by men who
have thought that the interests of
their clan were to be advanced by
exploiting their neighbors who were
weaker, not Civilized" but 'back-
ward" Do we not need new men?
For these same thousands of years
these governing groups seem to
think only superior force can keep
the peace, and that not for long.
Do we not need new men? For
these old ones have not learned any,
thing and seem incapable of learn
ing. They must be replaced with
new men.
The Communist will say: "Sure,
let's chop their heads Off" But the
Christian will say, mo. Let's make
new men of these old ones. Make
them new by winning them to Life
with Christ. For you can not get rid
of cruelty by being cruel. You can
not destroy selfshness by selfish &C
ton. But you can expel hate by love,
cruelty by kindness, and selfshness
by sacrifice,