The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-04-23


be my disciple.-Luke 1927.
Learning by talking with Christ
as they walked from place to place
such was the training for service
which the disciples received. That
was the greatest school this world
has ever known, for while it had
no great buildings, no beautiful cam
pus, no learned faculty, it had the
Son of God Himself as preceptor
and teacher. With all due regard
for our fine colleges and seminaries,
we say this is still the outstanding
need of Christian Workers-to walk
and talk with Christ.
On the day of which our lesson
speaks the subject considered was
how to be saved, and who should
be saved. Several trends of thought
emerged, but all pointed in the one
direction of a diligent following of
Gods plan. In order to be saved,
we learn, man must
l. Make an Earnest Effort wv.
22-24).
The question regarding how many
were saved received no direct an
swer for our Lord wished to direct
attention to the far more lmpor-
tant question-Are you saved? Get
that settled and the other matter
will care for itself.
Here some who assume that 1t IS
an easy thing to be saved will re-
ceive a surprise, for our Lord says
". 24) that it is something one must
agonize" over, for so may the word
"strive" be translated The door
into eternal life is so narrow that
no man can pass through it with
his sins-they must be taken away.
Seeking is not enough ". "a, one
must "strive" to enter in.
ii. Enter While the Door is Open
wv. $500.
The door stands open for all who
will, to come in. (What a friendly
thing is an open doorD But men
idly ignore it, or definitely reject its
opportunity Or they seek it, but do
not strive to enter in, and all at
once it is closed. Then in a frenzy
they seek to enter, but it is too late.
What an appalling thing-to be eter-
nally too late!
Note their claims Of acquaintance
with the Lord ". 26). One is re-
minded of those who think they are
Christians because father or mother
belonged to the church, or because
they attend an occasional church
supper or listen to a sermon by ra-
do. Unless we know Him personal
ly as our Saviour, He will have to
say to us, Depart from me, ye
workers of iniquity" ". 2O. Let us
make that matter very clear to
those to whom we minister, lest
they be eternally lost.
III. Follow the Fearless Christ
wv. 1889.
To know the high and unWavering
character of ones leader is to go
forward with real confidence. What
about the Captain of our salvation?
Here we find Him facing the indirect
threat of a powerful and wicked
earthly ruler, in perfect calmness,
with the very poise of eternity upon
Him.
Christ, conscious of His divine
mission and with determination to
do the Fathers will (Heb. 10:O,
knew no fear of man. AS we are
in His holy will as Christian men
and women, we too may boldly
say, The Lord is my helper and l
will not fear what man shall do unto
me" (Heb. 1850
Consider the rebuke to Herod ".
32). There is probably no place in
Scripture where our Lord spoke with
such singing contempt of any man.
1t is almost as though the black
cloud of eternal judgment already
had settled around the head of this
man who was so sly and crafty that
the tenderhearted Jesus called him
a fox" One wonders of how many
He would have to say the same in
this our day Of supreme and mali
cious WickedneSs.
We find one more vitality impor-
tant thought here. Our Lord offers
Himself. He calls sinners to re-
pentance, but they must
~. Respond to His Invitation wv.
"a, 35).
To fail to accept His profered
love is to be left desolate. To re-
iect Him as Saviour (either by neg
lect or by definite acN is inevitably
to bring judgment. To the Jews
this meant loss of their national
home-their leading city, but to us
it means the loss of our eternal
souls.
There is terrible suggestiveness
in the two statements in verse "a,
4 would, 'Ye would not The whole
secret of Jerusalem S desolation and
destruction is found in the words,
'Ye would not The whole secret of
the loss of the individual soul is
found in the words, 'Ye will not
(John 5:4O)" (John w. Bradbury.
This lesson presses home to the
individual reader the question, Are
you saved? What is your answer?
1t also affords the Sunday school
teacher an excellent opportunity to
seek to lead the members of the
class to d definite decision for
Christ The Sunday school is a good
rlsce to give an invitation