Arkansas State press., 1947-09-12
~ WILLIAM CULBERTsoN. D. d.
q M Needy Bible Institute, Chicago

IT = true that the Christian life
! gives offense on occasion. Wher
. controversy exists between men
and God, the Christian has no other
course Of action than to align him
ssk on Gods side. Al he takes
his stand In such cases. he should
10 Il In love. but nevertheless with
Ormness.
The Bible nowhere commsnds q
critical spirit or 4 perverse attitude.
1t rather emphasizes the necessity
II hrmness In the course Of right.
. Armness that loses nothing Of its
antsnsity through being tempered In
he Ares Of love.
The Christian beyond all others
sAsuA give himself 70 . life mani
esstine sympathy. kindness and
eharitableness. Thus he will open
avenues Of opportunity, Of Wit
nsss. anA sf service In which The
LsrA may b greatly magniiaed.
]. Contributing Factors 10 the
wArring q Good VIII prov. $50.
u: 1924, Is; 25:l8; 1920. 2D.
VARIANCE and strife mar good
will prov. $3.50. 81. Notice rat
this strife IL unoccasioned. When
ws strive with men to no purpose;
when men have not harmed US, and
With bitterness Of spirit we turn
upon them. we Of course forfeit ev-
cry opportunity to influence them
for good.
The man Of variance similarly
sheuld be passed by. We are mot
- emulate him; We are not to
envy him; We are TO choose none
81 hin ways.
A wrathful spirit also mars good
VIII prov. 22:24. 25. A man of
anger il not to be followed by the
child Of God. This passage enjoins
~ to have no friendship with such
individuals. for there Is danger
that We shall learn their ways and
their ways will then be a snare to
our souls.
Another way In which we mar
good will 10 to be the purveyors of
untruth prov. 25:l8). The false wit.
ness Is characterized as a large
hammer or q sword or q sharp ar.
row. for he wounds his neighbor,
eften grievously.
Ia man or the woman who In
gossip has maliciously wounded
saether loses all opportunity to
1nGuencc him for God. The cult
vatie9 Of good will involves the
aDeaking Of truth.
Let ~ with all diligence. with
the help Of God. Danish from our
hearts and minds all Of these
attitudes which hurt and mar.
n. Contributing Factors 70 the
o1aking Of Good Will.
In THE hrst place. the soft answer
= Of the controlled spirit will estab.
1sh good will prov. 1871. l0. The
Soft answer does turn away wrath.
Tho man who Is slow to anger ap.
peases strife.
Let us not confuse q soft answer
WITH IN unconvincing one, or with
hat mealy-mouthed procedure
ehat We commonly call double
talk. Happy is that man who
knows how TO present the truth
csnvincingly. who can make men.
despite his opposing standards,
understand that he has their good
% heart. OF course, there Is one
absolute requisite 10 such . tes-
timony. and that Is . life wholly
lived for God.
Another factor in making good will
d the act of kindness prov.
a5:2l, ~. This passage. you win
remember; Is quoted in Romans H.
Here, 10 the opportunity for US. In
IN matters Of personal injury. to
place our case in the hands OF God
rather than to seek revenge. BY
such acts Of kindness, as we trust
God. we shall be obeying the Lord;
and who. knows but that our enc.
miles may thus be turned to him.
A third contributing factor in
making. good will Is that OF making
peace Matt. 500. So often this
business Of attempting TO make
peace II . thankless task, but that
Shanklessness Is only from human
sources. So far as God 10 con.
0srnsd, he has placed his seal Of
approval upon every child Of his
U1ho seeks to lead men into peace
MN God and 10 make peace be.
tween men.
\ 0od speaks Of them a. being
scallsd" sons Of God. II 10 one
lAAng 10 be q son of God; II 10 an.
peser thing 10 be acknowledged ss
b sen Of God.
N. The Source ss Good VIII
themes SID.
THAT wisdom win be character.
= hsA BY purity, peacesbleness,
gso1leness, spproachableness,
nercy. and will b without par.
tla1ity and without hypocrisy. This
wisdom which II from Above I.
guaranteed 10 those who know
him who has been made unto u.s.
OAuA0vp1 N Cor an