The midland journal., 1944-12-29
THE BASIS OF COURAGE FOR
THE FUTURE


LESSON TEXT-Matthew 16:13.20: II Pc
ter 3:14-18: I John 3:1-3.
GOLDEN TEXT-Wherefore. my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast. unmovable. al.
ways abounding In the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is
not vain in the Lord.-I Corinthians 1888.
A significant year-1944. But now it
is gone. We look into the future and
ask ourselves, what next? Shall we
enter the new year with fear and
trembling, or may we face it with
courage?
If mans knowledge and dependa-
bility are all we have to stand on,
we had better be afraid, but there Is
a real basis for courage and assur-
ance if we look to God, and to His
Word. We have:
I. An Unfailing Christ (Matt. IS:
1920.
It is not enough that men recog-
nize Christ as a teacher, a moral
leader, or a man willing to die for
His convictions. He must be more If
He is to deliver mankind, and, thank
God, He Is more.
Peter, speaking by the guidance
of God, declared Jesus to be "the
Christ, the Son of the living God"
"Is this what Christ is to you? There
are so many shabby, inadequate, in
accurate, limiting views of Christ to-
day. Men will give Him praise, but
refuse to give Him the honor due
to Him alone. The only Christ that
ever really lived is the Christ Of the
New Testament, and that Christ is
the omnipotent and eternal Son Of
God. Any Christ less than that is q
false Christ, a Christ of mans
imagination. The Christ of the New
Testament can save, but no other
Christ is the saviour Of men" (Pel-
oubet's Notes).
This Christ, the unfailing One,
established a victorious Church,
built on the acceptance of Him as
God. That Church marches on into
1945, as it has entered every other
year, assured that as it follows
Christ, and breaches Gods Word,
there is reason for encouragement
and joy even in this awful day.
III. An Uplifting Faith (II Pet.
3:14-18).
Christianity is not just a set Of
rules and regulations. It is life.
1t must grow, and it does grow. The
really born-again believer cannot
stand still in his spiritual expert
ence. He has a faith which must
move him forward and upward for
the glory of God.
This experience is called growing
in grace, which means that each day
of this new year we as believers are
to become more like our Lord. We
are to have stronger convictions,
and at the same time we are to be
kinder and more loving. We are
to be more forgiving, tenderer,
more eager to serve Christ.
Christian, have you made any
spiritual progress in the year 1914?
If not it is because you have failed
to take Gods provision for your life.
You have let the enemies Of your
soul mislead you ". ~. You have
not been diligent in your Christian
life ". 14).
God does not want any believer to
live defeated life, not growing in
grace and in knowledge. And there
is the secret-study Gods Word in
1915. Learn more about God, and
you will grow. That's something to
look forward to.
Then note that this is to be in
the light of the promised return of
Christ ". 14). He may come in 1945.
III. An Inspiring Hope Il John
3:1-3).
We have already touched on the
great hope of the Church-the COM
ing again of our Lord Jesus, and
here it is presented as the inspira-
ton to holy living.
Sometimes the world points a fin
ger of scorn at Christians, ex-
posing their weaknesses and fail
ures. It makes us ashamed and
we resolve to do better, but we are
not discouraged. The world doesn't
understand spiritual truth or Chris
tian experience. We believers are
''the children of God," born again
through faith in Jesus Christ.
All that is involved in this new
life does not yet appear. 1t is hid
den under the imperfections and the
failures Of our lives. But it is there,
and one day when Jesus comes
again it shall be made known. 1--WE
shall be like him." All, that makes
one square his shoulders and lift
up his head to meet 1945 with as
surance.
Observe that this hope of Christ's
return is not just a theological doc
trine to discuss, or a religious slo-
gan to proclaim. It has a tre-
mendously practical application.
The one who expects Christ to come
back seeks that holiness Of life
which is spoken Of in verse 8.
He is coming. must be ready to
meet Him with joy. So my life-yes,
the details of my daily life-must be
right. What an incentive to real holy