Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 268, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1913 — WINNING CHRIST, LOSING ALL ELSE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WINNING CHRIST, LOSING ALL ELSE

The Prize of All Eternity God Is Now Offering, What Winning Christ Means —It Signifies More Than a Reformation of Life and a Pursuit of Righteousness. More Than Merely Believing ]p Jesus as Our Savior—lt la Preceded by a Devotion or Consecration of Our All to God —And God’s Acceptance of Our Consecration—Then the Race Begins—lts Outcome Will Determine Whether or Not We Win Christ—BL Paul an Exemplar—Sainta From Every Nation and Denomination Winners—Their Matchless Reward.

Brooklyn, N. Y:. November 9.—Pastor Russell gave two addresses here today. We report one, from tbe text, •‘-Yea, doubtless, I count all things but los9 for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, * * * that I may, win Christ.” —“Philippians 3:8.

The Pastor said that even saintly Christians seem but imperfectly to grasp the New Testament teachings respecting membership in the Body of* Christ. Some assume tMt it is to be had pn a basis of favoritism, and trust to be of the Elect. Others vaguely hope that they belong to the right Church and will attain whatever the others get Errors of the Dark Ages absorbed in childhood have been responsible for these vagaries and for our general neglect of proper Bible study. Conversion Not Winning Christ. What is'ordinarily termed conversion is not what St. Paul refers to as “winning Christ.” Conversion signifies “a turning about.” It implies a change from a wrong course to the right one. The wrong course is the sinful one, which brings injury and injustice on others. Conversion is merely the opera sane mind in turning about from things recognized to be injurious. Many are converted without real knowledge qf Christ’s Gospel. They merely k new that they were going in Hip wrqng direction. and turned about so fake fbe proper course. Only strong characters can successfully pursue a right course, and these are In the minority. But whether strong or weak characters, great aid will be experienced from a knowledge of Christ’s work and teachings. “Present Your Bodies”—Sacrifices. The Pastor then showed how one might reform his life, have knowledge of the future life secured by Jesus’ death, and of the fact that we reap what we bow, and yet not be a Christian, in the Bible sense. Reformatory steps are necessary, however, before anything further can be attained. Next the speaker discussed Christianity from the Bible standpoint. The Scriptures assure us that a Christian Is a New Creature—not merely a civilized person. To such, “old things have passed away; all things have become new.” Old ambitions and prospects, however honorable and good, give place to new ones. This is what the Apqstle had in mipd in our text What Winning Christ Means. t The Pastor then briefly outlined the Gospel, an appreciation of which is necessary to the understanding of our text The Divine Plan for human recovery from sin and death God first declared to Abraham: “In tby Seed shall all the families of tbe earth be blessed.”—Galatians 3:8. Later on, God revealed the fact that Abraham’s Seed would constitute a Kingdom class to rule all nations for their uplift When Israel, by failing to keep the Law, failed to prove itself the hqly nation, God declared that He would send a special Messenger of the Covenant, through whom the holy nation would be established. At His First Advent, our Lord laid the foundation for this work by dying for the sin of the whole world. Then He began to select tbe Kingdom class. This election has been the work of the entire Gospel Age, everything else being secondary. Soon tbe work will be finished, and the overcomers will share In the First Resurrection—Rev. 20:6. w “Abraham’s Seed, and Heirs.’’ Next the Pastor demonstrated that this Kingdom class will be the foretold Seed of Abraham. Jesus was of Abrahamic stock through His miraculous (birth. After His resurrection He became Abraham’s Seed on the spirit plane-:a New Creature. His Church are to be on the same plane, To Abraham’s earthly seed belong certain earthly promises; but these cannot go Into effect until tbe Spiritual Seed have been perfected in the First Resurrection. St Paul tells us that this Seed of Abraham. Jesus and the Church, are unitedly The Christ Using the human body as an illustration, be points out that . Jesus is tbe Head and the Church tbe Body of Christ. Thus we see that St. Paul fas anxious to win membership in tbe Body of Christ, uot the probationary one of the present but the actual Body of the future. No wonder St Paul counted all he had sacrificed as unworthy of mention, when contrasted with the blessings which had come to tbe Gospel Church!