The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-02-09

LESSON TEXT-ActS Blu; 4:o-lz
GOLDEN TEXT-Then Peter said, Silver
and gold have I none; but such as l have
give to thee.-Acts 3:6.
Is Christianity on trial? Answers
would differ, depending on varying
points of view. Assuredly Christ is
not on trial. He is the Son of God
and the only Saviour of men, and
we are "on trial" as to our attitude
toward Him. 1t is also certain
that the true Christian faith is not
on trial. Even the liberal and So
called modernistic leaders confess
that it is the only faith that has
proved itself in the crucible of daily
experience.
There is a sense, however, in
which Christianity as whole is on
trial The Church which processes
to represent Christ on earth has
failed most miserably at so many
points that the world is looking at it
with the same cold suspicion with
which the Church was viewed in the
time of Peter. The question which
one can feel on every hand even
though it is not asked in words, is,
"What have you that will meet the
unprecedented need of the individu-
al-the social order-the whole of
humanity" There is a sufficient
and a satisfying answer, but it is
not found so much in the temporal
realm as in the spiritual. We have
something to offer that is better than
silver or gold-the salvation which
is found in none other than Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
/. Better Than Silver and Gold
e: 1-8).
The lame man had long since
abandoned hope of anything more
than the coins that he could beg as
he sat at the temple gate. He is
typical of our hardened and cyni-
cal age which is interested only in
what it can get in cash, and in what
that money will buy. Even Chris
tan people seem to have forgotten
that ga mans life CONSISTENT not in
the abundance of the things which
he possesseth" duke 12:15).
God has for us things far better
than silver and gold-deliverance
from the power and penalty of sin,
glad liberation from the limitations
of spirit which hold us down and
make us content with the paltry
aims of men. Where are these
things to be found? In Christ. How
are they ministered? Through His
faithful servants. Peter and John
were the kind of men who, though
busy, had time to pray ". y. If
you know men or women like that,
cultivate their friendship, look in
tently to them in faith wv. 4, 81, re-
ceive their help ". y, and above
all, believe in their Christ ". g., and
you will receive that which is bet
ter than silver and gold.
God healed this mans body, but
what is more important, He healed
his spirit ". 81. We need that kind
of healing for the spiritual cripples
of our day. The weakened, lame
ankled, and spirit-darkened individ-
uals in our churches and communi-
ties need the touch of God. Perhaps
you may be used to bring them His
message of deliverance and power.
III. Wonder and Amusement e:
9, 10Y.
1t has been suggested that one of
the weak points in the ministry of
the modern church is the lack of
such miraculous deliverances from
sin as those which caused the I'M
believers of a generation or two ago
to look with wonder on the ministry
of the Word. After all there is no
testimony just like that of a re-
deemed and transformed life. Men
may argue with our philosophy,
question our theology, but a re-
deemed life is a walking testimony
in community that no scoffer can
refute.
There are two reactions recorded
in the context of our lesson which
reveal the possible attitudes of men
toward such experiences. Some
were amazed and believed in Christ.
go. Others hated the cause of
Christ (4:16, 17) and they cast the
preachers into prison alb. Did
this discourage them? No, indeed.
They knew that they owed allegiance
to God rather than man (4:19, 2O),
and consequently used their very
trial as an opportunity to proclaim
III. The Pre-eminent Saviour a:
8-12).
Note here again that the speaker
was a Spirit-flled man. That is
the absolute prerequisite to effective
proclamation of the truth. Observe
also the care with which Peter
makes known that he and John are
to have no personal credit or glory.
They have something there" that
might well be applied to present
day religious activity when many
men must either have all the glory,
or 60 off and start a new work
where they can have it.
Let us make much of the clear
teaching concerning the person and
work of Christ which is found in
these verses, particularly stressing
His place of absolute pre-eminence
as the one and only, and, at the
same time, the all-sufficient Saviour
of mankind. Let us not forget that
there is none other name under
rf;ryaY,