Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1953-08-19

some things that God will not do
in the world apart from us, until
prayer has produced the atmos-
phere in which God is prepared to
act, or cleared the way for the
Spirit to make his presence known
in greater measure.
Further Paul adds the word
thanksgiving; Paul says we
should offer thanksgiving for all
men including those whom we
hate and those who are our per-
sonal and our national enemies. II
nothing else we can thank God
that they too are Gods sons. prod |
igal sons il may be, but still Gods
sons. objects of his love. whom he
wishes to be saved, and whose de-
fences he is constantly seeking to
penetrate. In most cases there will
be many other things for which
we can thank God in regard to
those TO. whom we pray. And il
VIII help us to see them in better
perspective, to sec more clCarly
wha; God would have us to do,
and therefore TO allow God him
self TO come more fully into the
situation. into cur hearts and
theirs.
''Fo" all men" does not mean
every man individually, but for
all types and conditions Of men.
certainly excluding none on
grounds of dislike. And this in
cludcs men in high positions. That
means we are to pray for the
President of the United States and
members of the Congress, both
Republicans and Democrats, for
the Governor of our state and the
members of the legislature, for
the mayor of our town and the
| members of the town council. We
are 10 pray particularly for them,
| anG Tor many others who exercise
authority III our own day, because
they possess the widest power for
evil and for good.
God desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of
| the truth" Paul speaks here of
two different things. A man can
not be saved without some know
ledge OF the truth, but being saved
| does not guarantee n full know
| ledge of the truth. AS a matter of
fact, all of us fall short in some
| important respects. However, il
is basic truth of which Paul here
speaks. the fundamental truth of
the gospel which we must pro-
| claim Tor the salvation of men.
First Paul emphasizes that there
is one God for all people. We do
not live in goddess world, indif-
ferent to moral values, regardless
OF human needs. The God who has
created the world is not an I'M
known God. He is rather a God
who himself has opened the way
by which men may come to him
for aid.
This brings us to the second
point emphasized by Paul. There
is one mediator between God and
men," Just one. There are many
who have caught glimpSes of the
truth, many who can give us help
as we try to find our way TO God.
But there is only one mediator be-
tween God and man. No one but
he could say, he who has seen me
has seen the Father. 1t is he and
he alone who by his life and death
mas freed us, ranSomed us. as Paul
puts 1t, from the diabolic powers
which held us in their thrall.
In verse sight the apostle has
something to say about the manner
OF prayer. In Paul'S day congrcga-
lions ordinarily stood for PRAYER
and those who led in prayer rails
eel their hands heavenward. Paul
makes 1t very clear that this must
be something more than a gesture
II prayer is to have its greatest
effect. Those hands which we
raise to God, those same hands
which we employ in the home, in
the shop, in the daily routine of
! lie, must be holy hands, that is.
1 N'>N W NIONl. III our PRAYERS
are To mean most to him and TO
us. And in particular we must
have purged our hearts from ang-
er. A quarreling congregation can
not be brought into the presence
of God. A man cannot worship
God acceptably, effectively. if his
heart is alienated from his fellow
| man.
The fact that our hands are
soiled from contact with the world.
that our hearts are not completely
purged from hate and bitterness.
that so often we do no know what
we should ask for ourselves or
others discourages us at times. In
Romans 8:26-67 Paul SAYS. Like
wise the Spirit helps us in our
weakness, for we do not know how
to pray as we ought, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with
signs too deep for words" Paul
does not indicate that we can