‘A STUDY IN CONTRASTS’

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 5

‘A STUDY IN CONTRASTS’

i i The following is a briof summary of a sorniou delivered by .Mr L. H. Usmar at the return-to-religion campaign in the Sont-li Dunedin Church of Christ:— In Matthew vii.,, Ki-] I, Jesus Clirist contrasts two possible ways of life. “10liter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because, straight is the gale and narrow is the* way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 1 ’ Two gates are contrasted. The wide gate appears very beautiful and is easy to enter, but actually is narrow because it allows no room lor purity, goodness, beauty, or truth. The straight gate, not so at-

tractive, excludes sin and self-righteous-ness. In the noblest sense it is wide because Christ requires from each only what all can bring, not position, possessions, or personality, but self-surren-der. Two roads are contrasted. The broad way is the. gospel of “ Do as you like.” Nearsighted people travel here. The other is narrow, the gospel of “ Do as you ought.'’ The Christian life, like anything else worth while, is necessarily a straightened way. Two groups of travellers are contrasted. Many obey the dictates of mob psychology and go the way of the crowd. Hut it is the chosen few who fight the Lord’s battles. The majority is not always right. Two destinies await these travellers. The former leads to destruction and the latter leads unto life. Jesus said; “ J am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”.