Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 190, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1915 — What It Costs Not to Be a Christian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

What It Costs Not to Be a Christian

Br REV. HOWARD W. POPE

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TEXT—For what shall It profit a man If ha shall sain the whole world and loea his own soul?—Mark 8:38. People sometimes refuse Christ because of the sacrifice involved. It

costs too much, and they are not willing to pay the price. Yes, it does cost something to be a Christian, but it costs far more not to be a Christian. Let us see what It costs to live and die without Christ. 1. Not to be a Christian costs the sacrifice of peace. “G re a t peace have they which love thy

law.” “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind_ls stayed on thee.” This is the portion of the Christian. He has peace with God, and the peace of God, and the God of peace besides. The Chrlstless soul knows nothing of this, for “there is no peace, salth my God, to the wicked.” He knows that he is disobeying God, and he is aH the time fearful. “Who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Besides, he is conscious of an unseen force which is continually working against him. “The way of the transgressor is hard,” we are told. Yes, God makes it hard, in order that the sinner may weary of it, and turn his feet into the path of righteousness. “Behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will make a wall against thee.” As surely as all things work together for good to them that love God, so surely does God work against the sinner. The same love which prompts him to send blessings to the righteous, leads him to send hindrances and warnings to the sinner. The sinner calls it bad luck, but'he suspects that it is something more, even the deliberate purpose of God. 2. Not to be a Christian costs the sacrifice of the highest joy. I do not say that the Chrlstless man will have no joy. He may know the joy of health, and friendship, and domestic life; he may acquire money, and power, and fame. But there are nobler joys than those which he loses. He cannot know the joy of sin forgiven, or the comfort and companionship of the Holy Spirit, or the joy of becoming like Jesus Christ. It is God’s purpose that all his children shall be joyful—full of joy. “These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be fulV” How different the feeling of the Chrlstless soul! A visitor who was calling on the great Bismarck expressed the hope that he might live many days, and this was Bismarck’s reply: “There is only one happy day left for me. It is the one on which I shall not wake up again.” 3. Not to be a Christian costs the sacrifice of the highest success In life. Everyone wishes to make the most of himself, but this is impossible unless he yields his life to Christ. God has a plan for every life, and this plan alone assures, the highest success. Does not God know what is for the creature’s good better than the creature himself? It is folly to think that one can live in God’s world and achieve success, and yet disobey the laws of God.

Remember that money and popularity and power do not constitute success. One may have all these and yet be a consummate failure. The true object of life is to know God’s will and do it, and the Christless soul misses that completely. 4. Not to be a Christian costs the loss of heaven. The penalty of having one’s own way here, is to be consigned hereafter to a place where everyone has his own way, which is hell. That is what makes it hell. Heaven is a place where no one has his own way, but all delight to do God’s wilL That is what makes it heaven. The Christless soul has no hope of heaven, and even if he had, he could not enjoy it. Heaven would be hell to one who is not heavenly minded, to one who does not love Jesus, and who does love sin. The Christless soul must prepare to part forever from all his dear ones who have chosen Christ; his mother who taught him to pray, his faithful wife, his children whose little hands have long been beckoning, to woo him home to heaven. When Dwight L. Moody died he looked up and said, “Is this death? If so, it is glorious. Earth is receding, heaven is opening. God is calling me.” Instead of this welcome, the Christless soul will hear the sad words, “Depart from me.” Yes, it du£s cost something to be a Christian. It may cost you ths sacrifice of som* pleasure, some companions, some money, but not to be a Christian will cost you the loss of peace, joy, and real success. It will cost you the loss of your soul. It will cost you heaven. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the world world and lose his own sou!?”