The Offer Of Spiritual Resources

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1949, Page 4

The Offer Of Spiritual Resources

The modern emphasis that C'hristiahity was a iifb tb; be'liVed, ahd hbt primarly a professipn of faith br attention tb rituals and sfervlcbs, Was a good emphasis. The New Testament made it quite clear that a mhn's Christian faith was to be jud^ed by his life. These comments were made by Rev. A. Saihio&d, preaching in -Bt. Ahdrbw's PreSbyterihn Church, Lbvin, yfesterd'ay. "But what a man rfeahy thihks in, his heart is the inebning of life and its* ullimate purpose, and determines the. spirit 'and the quaiity of his way of livihg,". he ' added. A 'Christian b'elieved that in iJesus.Christ God had made quite felear for ai'l time what the f'eai hhfposo of life was, and the' ■ Christiah life was a life liWed ih the firm * convictibn that . ih Jes'us, God had revealed His purpose for the woild. By accepting God's revelation in Jesus Ghlist We learnt what we ourselves could nevier discover. "Every man sooner or later reaiises that in life knowledge alone is not sufficient," continued the prdacher. "The Gospel is heally good news because it declafes that in -Jesus Christ not only d'o we learn the true purpose of lifte, but that God in Jesus Christ supplies all the spiritual resources which are. needed for . the achieving of that pufpOse-. Though it is Pften done, tb ad'vise a man Whb is strugglihg ih a swamp of moral 'corfuptibh ahd failufe to tr;y to 'creep'b'ack to the solid ground of decency a'gaih is wbrthless adVice. That is not the Gospel. Theo Gospel invites all mefi .to come into a Father's Home, where they will fihd eVelything to make 'therh clean and worthy agaih. ( •. "The pride of many a -human hjeart," cpn'cluded Mf. Salmbnd, "is b'ften Willing to acce'pt a revelation of a high purpose and dfestiny for human liffe. It is unwillihg to face the..simple conditions by which spiritual resources may be obtained to realise that life."