The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-01-26
LOYALTY TO THE KINGDOM

permission.
LOYALTY TO THE KINGDOM
LESSON TExT-Matthew e:3s; 7:12. 1929.
GOLDEN TEXT-Seek We first the King
dom Of God, and His righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.-
Matthew $685.
In the kingdom of Christ there
must be unquestioned loyalty. II
then He is the King of our lives, we
as Christian men and women will
want to live in accordance with
His blessed will.
Loyalty to Christ leads to the best
kind of living. It surpasses any ex-
perience of loyalty to cause or a
human personality. Instead of him
dering or limiting our development,
it opens wide the grand vistas of a
life altogether worthwhile. It is a
life:
1. Well Ordered (6:33).
Much of the distress in which men
and women find themselves is
caused by the fact that their lives
are not well ordered. They live in
a constant furry of uncertainty, in
decision and disorder. They have
no proper center for their lives, and
consequently they are lopsided and
lacking in real usefulness.
See how delightfully."- right is the
experience and activity of follow
er of Christ. He is the center. The
interests of His kingdom are the
first in thought. His righteousness
is the rule of life. Other things?
Well, all that is necessary, God adds
day by day.
When the center of life is right,
everything else is right-when that
is wrong, all is wrong. Is your life
conferred in Christ?
III. Kind (7:12).
Spiritual principles apply to daily
living, to our attitude toward our
fellow men. Here we have the so
called Golden Rule. It is not the
way of salvation; it is summary
of the teaching of the law and proph-
cts. But it does provide us with
splendid principle Of daily conduct.
Our active concern each day and
in every touch with others is to be,
"How would like them to deal with
me? Let me do thus to them"
That is higher standard than you
think until you really try it. Only
Christ can enable you to do it.
iii. Fruitful (7:16-20).
Two fruit trees or vines may look
almost alike until the fruit appears,
and then we learn the true char
acter of each-whether good or bad.
Every life brings forth some kind
of fruit, and in it's outward manifes-
tation the life speaks of the inward
condition of the life. Unclean and
profane speech, hatred, dishonesty
and undergraduates come out of an
evil heart. Righteousness, pure and
kindly speech, thoughtful actions,
honest and Straightforward dealings
these speak of the good heart.
The one whose life is conferred in
Christ (see above) is a vine after
Gods own planting. His roots strike
deep down into the grace and mercy
of God, and his fruit is the Christ
like grace of Christian character
(see Gal. 5:22, 23).
Nv. Genuine (7:21-23).
Lip service will not do ". Ply.
Even an imitation of the real serv-
ice of Gods people, but rendered
without the backing of a life of faith,
will result only in disappointment
and our Lords own disavowal wv.
%, 23).
The opposite of that is equally
true. The real child of God works
for Christ; he speaks of his Lord,
and calls on His name. But in
and through it all there is the evil
dent ring of sincerity and genuine
ness which marks it as the real
thing.
One does not hear much mention
these days of hypocrites in the
church. Perhaps we are too polite
to speak of them, or it may be that
we think them too obvious to need
pointing out. But they are there,
going through the motions of a
Christian life, talking the language,
and initiating the works, but COM
pletely dead spiritually.
". Well Grounded (7:24-29).
The figure of speech changes. In
stead of being likened to fruit trees,
mems lives are said to be like
houses, with their various kinds Of
foundations and superstructures.
The figure is an interesting and
instructive one. There is only one
foundation upon which one can build
a Christian life. "Other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ" Il Cor.
3:1D.
Therein lies the folly of the mod
ERNST or liberal. He has denied and
rejected the only foundation-and
yet tries to build a house of Chris
tan character. When the real prob
lens of life strike, he goes down in
ruin.
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