Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 241, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1914 — The Walk of the Chinch [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Walk of the Chinch

Br REV. WILLIAM EVANS. D.D.

DiinW <1 B*k Comm

TEXT—“One God and Father of mU. who is above all, and through all, and la you all.” Ephesians 4:8.

The Epistle to the Ephesians falls into two divisions: The High Calling and Glory of the Church (ch. 1-3), and The Practical Walk of* the Church in View of this High Calling (ch. 4-6). We are now considering the secon d divis i. 03 which may no summed up in three ways: First, the walk of the

church, which should be characterized by unity (4:l-16Ju aeocond, the ' walk of the individual Christian, which should be a walk of purity (4:17-6:21); third, tha walk of the family, which should ba characterized by loving submission and service (6:22-6:9). The difference between the two main divisions of this epistle may be stated, thus: to the first, the church is presented as an organism which God alone sees; to the second the church is set forth as an organization such as God would have the world see. Looking now for a moment at the church as characterized by unity, we notice three trios of unities. First there are those specific virtues which secure and maintain the peace and unity of the church: they are lowliness, meekness, long-suffering and forbearance, and love. The lowly man is one who is not * always clamoring for his rights bat is willing at times and where occasion requires to yield those rights for the welfare of others; he is, in other words, the man of humble and lowly spirit. Where this spirit is found to any church, unity prevails; its absence means friction. The meek man is the man who thinks as little of his personal claims as the humble man does -of his personal merits; he gladly gives place to others and is willing to take the lowest room. How many seeds of strife and roots of bitterness would be destroyed if this mind were in us all. Self-importance and love of office, and a craving for applause and leading places, mars the unity and peace of the church. * -The long-suffering man is he who is not harsh or censorious or Impatient in his dealings with those who are weaker than.himself and who have not yet reached his attainment. He is forbearing with the weaknesses and faults pf others and does not cease to love or Interest himself to'his neighbor, even though he has faults and weaknesses. There Is next presented to us those fundamental unities on which the unity of the church is based, namely, one body, one spirit, one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God over all, through all, in aIL The church Is one body. Thin In the teaching of Scripture. At the time of his conversion every believer was baptized by the .holy spirit into the body of Jesus Christ. One spirit, the holy spirit, permeates all its members. Indeed, only spirit-quickened men belong to the real church which is the body of Jesus Christ. There Is one hope of onr calling, that is, friendship with Christ who is the one object and inspiration of pur hope; one object, to realize, likeness to Christ; one prize to win, the crown of life. Are we not totog to the same heaven, and looking for the same Lord? The oneness of aim of believers makes unity and fellowship a glorious reality. Then the church Is- to reality one, and church unity is really a fact. There may be many denominations, yet one body; many stars, and one sjpr differing from another to glory, yet one radiant sky; many regiments, each Its own uniform and colors, but one great army; many folds, bat one flock; many creeds,' but one faith; many accents, but oae common language; many ways of doing things, but one motive. Here then is a true unseen unity which binds together all believers to the Lord Jesus Christ, and shall we say that an outer unity of organization is impossible? Who will dare say that? We would be sorry to see the handwriting of the church affixed to such a conclusion. Shall we deem impossible an enterprise which secular societies are accomplishing every day? Tell it not in Gath, publish it hot in Ascalon, that a unity which the order of freemasonry and the brotherhood of locomotive engineers have succeeded to attaining by voluntary effort and under no stronger force than sympathy and a sense of common need—that such n unity has been declared impossible to the church of Jesus Christ! The vision may come. If it tarry, let us watt for It, but meanwhile let us rest assured of one thing, that the real church of Jesus Christ is one body, is permeated by one spirit, and has one hope of Imp railing. ■