Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1945-01-26
LOYALTY TO THE KINGDOM

LESSON TExT-Matthew $3.50: Tia.
1929.
GOLDEN TExT-Seek ye first the
kingdom Of God. and His righteousness:
and all these things shall be added unto
you.-Matthew 6:33.
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. 1t surpasses any ex-
perience of loyalty to a cause or
human personality. Instead Of him
dering or limiting our development.
1t opens wide the grand vistas of
life altogether worthwhile. 1t is a
life:
/. Well Ordered $3.50.
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 a follow
err 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
centered in Christ?
ii. Kind CID.
Spiritual principles apply to daily
living, to our attitude toward our
fellow men. Here we have the So
called Golden Rule. 1t is not the
way OF salvation; it is a summary
of the teaching Of the law and proph-
cts. But it does provide us with a
splendid principle of daily conduct.
Our active concern each day and
tn every touch with others is to be,
How would | like them to deal with
me? Let me do thus to them.
That Is a higher standard than you
think until you really try it. Only
Christ can enable you to do it,
iii. Fruitful t7.16-2W.
Two fruit trees or vines may look
almost alike until the fruit appears,
ard then we learn the true char
acter Of each--Whethe good or bad.
Every life brings forth some kind
OF fruit, and in its outward manifes-
tation the life speaks Of the inward
condition of the life. Unclean and
profane speech, hatred, dishonesty
and trickery--these 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 centered in
Christ (see above) is 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).
". Genuine t7:2l-23).
Lip service will not do ". 2D.
Even an imitation of the real serv-
Ice Of Gods people, but rendered
without the backing Of life of faith,
will result only in disappointment
and our Lords own disavowal wv.
q, 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
liant ripg of eircaritv and genuine
Noss n,hjoh n4arks as he res,
tbir,
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