Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 110, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1914 — THE SPECIAL CALL OF THE GOSPEL AGE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SPECIAL CALL OF THE GOSPEL AGE

Whoever Heirs This CHI May Respond to It she Church of Christ Jeaua the Head. The Church the Body—Anointed to Bo Kings and Priest*—Speoial Train, ing For Office—Who May Qualify For Election—Terms and Conditions to Bo Met—Patient Continuance In Well-Doing Character-Likeness to Christ the Necessary Qualification. Buffering With Christ—Three Classes That Entsr the Race For the Prize. Only One Will Be Successful.

May 3. —Pastor Russell, whose free PHOTODRAMA OF CREATION is being produced daily iq many cities, preached today from the text. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.”— Matthew 16:24;

First the Pastor showed that God had foreseen the entrance of sin and death into the world, and had purposed in Himself before the creation of the world a great Plan for man’s recovery from sin and death conditions, to be accomplished through a Kingdom. This great Kingdom will differ from all others in that its monarch win be a King and a Priest For this reason Christ is said to be “a Priest after the Order of Melchlzedek.” who was a reigning priest The Pastor then explained that God had foreordained that whoever would be appointed to this office of King and Priest must first demonstrate his worthiness by manifesting obedience to the Heavenly Father, even unto death. The first to be given opportunity thus to qualify for this great honor was Jesus, who offered Himself at His baptism. For three and a half yean He was thoroughly tested to demonstrate His loyalty to His consecration vow. When on Calvary He cried, “It is finished!” He referred to His sacrifice of Himself, His demonstration of obedience to the Father’s will, even to the death of the cross.

The Gospel Call. Continuing his argument, the Pastor demonstrated that although more than eighteen centuries have passed since God raised Jesus from the dead to be a Prince and a Savior, yet the world Is still unsaved. Meantime, he declared, God has been calling out a special class for a special purpose. Those who bear this Gospel can are privileged to become, upon certain conditions, members of this - class which God is selecting—this “Body of Christ, which Is the Church.” Not until this Body, of which Jesus Is Head, Is completed will God’s Plan for the world’s salvation be carried out

The Pastor then stated the terms and conditions of eligibility to membership In this Body of Christ God extends the Invitation, and nominates those who accept it; but each must elect himself by compliance with the terms of the calk This call is a desire to come to God. Some have it from birth; others get it at their mother’s knee, or through a hymn, a sermon, etc. Whatever points to Christ as the Way to God constitutes an invitation.

Walking In the Narrow Way. To those who turn away from sin and accept Christ as their Redeemer, the Savior says, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” The Pastor explained that to deny one’s self Is to give over one’s self-sufficien-cy, one’s desire to do one’s own will, and to accept Instead the Divine will. Whoever does this dies to earthly ambitions, hopes and desires, and in their stead receives Heavenly ones.

The Pastor then showed that to take up the cross Is not always understood by the one starting In the narrow way. Gradually he perceives that it Is the crossing of self-will with the Divine wilt But if his consecration is genuine, the child of God will learn to rejoice in every trial. The Heavenly Father will cause the way to open before him, and will with every trial provide the way of escape. To follow Christ signifies patient continuance in cross-bearing. Each one in the narrow way must thus demonstrate his loyalty to God and to the principles of righteousness. This does not mean that the flesh must be perfected, but the New Creature—the new will The unintentional weaknesses of the flesh are covered by the robeof Christ*a righteousness. Therefore the New Creature is privileged to grow in Christilkenesa. The Church, Whioh la Chriet’a Body. Whoever takes these stere cornea Into

the spirt t-be£rotten Body of Christ, the Church, declared the Pastor. This spirit-begetting took place at the moment when, having presented their bodies living sacrifices, they were accepted of Cod. Then they became members of the Body, all of whom have the same anointing as had their Head. This anointing came npon Jesus at His baptism On Pentecost it flow ed down to the Body, the Apostles being the first members. Since then, each one coming Into the Body comes under this anointing. Those who press on faithfully unto death will become members mX the Body of Christ tn glory.