HAVE COURAGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 664, 17 October 1933, Page 6

HAVE COURAGE

THE TASK OF YOUTH

HYPOCRISY IN MODERN LIFE SUBMERGING TRUE . PRINCIPLES ' ADDRESS BY REV. J. C. YOUNG A strong appeal to youth to have courage, not only to profess Christianity in church, but in its daily life was made by Rev. J. C. Young, preaching in St. John's Presbyterian Church on 0Sunday evening. At a special service for young people. The preacher uncompromisingly condemned a great deal of the modern hypocrisy toward Christian principles and the reluctance to acknowledge Christian beliefs and live up to them in everyday life. ~r

' We are living in an age of lies and dishonesty, of moral cowardice and religious hypocrisy," said the preacher. "Outwardly this is an age that ptofesses to be definitely Christian, but inwardly it is full of deceit, impurity, unreality and unhappiness. "Why should this be when there is so much organised religion in our midst? This is the root of the whole trouble. Christianity. has been left to function in bulk, through institutions instead of through the individuals.

"The Church as an mstitution proclaims the ideals of Christianity; its function is to teach the young the truth of Christianity and set young lives on the road of service for Christ, but it is' the individual's responsibility %to apply his or her Christianity out in the world. Christian discipleship is a personal responsibility and was never meant to be anything else. Far too many people join the Church from unworthy motives. They have not the faintest idea what is expected of them and they have absolutely no intention whatsoever of giving up a single thing for Christ. Must Suffer From Beliefs "I firmly maintain that unless a man or woman is prepared to suffer scoffing, persecution and even vietimisation -for Christ, he or she has no right to profess allegianee to

Christ. There are Christian men and women of every creed and class who have, through their wordly living, dragged the home of Christ through the mire. "They have weakened the work of the church and besmirched her holy name until the world blames her for her ghastly failures. "Let men and women rise up and speak the truth. Let them confess how they themselves have countenanced every form of wordly indulgence. Let them tell the story of their own home life, how they have conducted their business; how they have done their work. Let them describe in detail their life of pleasure; their abuse of themselves and of others. See the truth as any student of human life must see it; and does the picture not cause you to blush with shame? That is why I said at the commencement of my address — we are living in an age of lies and dishonesty; of moral cowardice and religious hypocrisy. No Moral Stamina "There is no moral stamina and J because there is no moral stamina we j are not making any personal moral contribution toward the life of our day. "We need to deelare ourselves more than we are doing. But we •need, above all, to know that we are definitely followers of Christ. So the question that f aces us to-night is : ■ How may I know I am a Christian? . . . What is the acid test whereby we may prove oux* profession of Christianity of what sort it is? The Acid Test "I may know if I am a Christian by the way I am liying my life. Our Lord got into serious difficulty for probing too deeply into the private life of the scribes and pharisees and I am fully aware of the delicacy of the subject I am discussing, and^ I can only hope that you are as desirous as I am for some drastic change in human life and conduct that will make the world a happier world for all. You will remember how our Lord exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees by declaring: 'Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup and dish, while within they are full of greed and selfindulgence. Blind pharisees, first wash clean the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside may be clean also.' (Mtt. 23, 25/26). Many Hypocrites "And it is not necessary to pick upon church people when we wish to speak of hypocrites. There are hypocrites in every walk of life. After all, a hypocrite is only an actor or a pretender, one who is not what he or she appears to be. Apd this is the glaring tragedy of modern life — its pretences; its dishonesty; its lies; its camouflage; its hypocrisy. It washes clean the outside of the cup and dish, while within it is full of greed and self-indulgence. "There is a strange similarity between the protective markings and colouration as found in certain animals and hypocrisy as found in hu/man life. Both are used for the purpose of bluffing. While it is true that it is unnecessary for man to unveil all his thoughts and f eelings it is likewise true that it is unnecessary for him to wear a false face. "The great ambition of' many people in society is to keep up appearances irrespestive of cost and consequences, and in clamouring to be somebody, when they are nothing, men and women fling Christian principles to the wind. "Tailor-made suits and pretty evening dresses are no criterion of the virtues of the wearers. Against Hypocrisy "Because there are people in the world who want to be pretenders or hypocrites all their days, the teaching of Christ is ridiculed. When men and women decide to live the Christian li-fe they should recognise that they are to become ardent protesters against every form of hypocrisy. "Here is something for young men and women to do if they wish to make i some personal contribution towards world betterment, deelare war against hypocrisy. If you are a Christian that is your task. But begin at home Meet the foe in your own life. When

you have won a moral victory in your own life, live as if the salvation of the world depended on you. "This is the acid test of Christian discipleship. We may know if we are Christian by the way we are living our life. The cause of much modern hypocrisy is moral cowardice. Here is something that does definitely concern the church. Men and women who join the fellowship of the Christian church should remember that it is no place for cowards. If a Christian's discipleship means anything it means that he is not afraid 'to nail his colours to the mast in any drawing-room or at any social gathering in the community. "I know of nothing that is doing more to dishonour the name of Christ to-day than moral cowardice. There are Christian men and women who partake of the bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and go out into the world to betray Christ and hand Him over to idolators and scoffers. Christians to-day are afraid of crucifixion. It may certainly be more pleasing to be called a 'good sport,' than to be ridiculed a 'wowser,' but that is the acid test of one's Christian discipleship. Are you a moral coward? "I may know if I am a Christian by the way I am living my life. I may know if I am a Christian by the way I am treating other people. If Christianity means anything it is an open challenge to us to play the game towards others around us. This is the acid test. =Tt tests Christian djiscipleship as it is found in every walk of life. It tests statesmen and politicans; it tests business and professional men; it tests employers and employees; it tests husband and wives; it tests parents and children; it tests our recreation and our sport; it tests the church and its own fellowship. How are we treating others with whom we come into daily contact? Christian discipleship is an in1 dividual responsibility. "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of tbe least of these, my brethren, ye 'have. done it unto Me'.' (Mat. 25, 40). And this is the acid test. Bad Examples "Men and women in their draw-ing-room debates and discussions may heap many a fierce invective against the Church for her failure here and her failure there, but what about the individual Christian who sets a bad example in his or her own home, or at the shop and the office? What about the individual Christian -who influences another life towards evil, who wrongs little children by telling them to do what he makes no attempt to do himself? "The modern world has grievously wronged the children and will yet pay for its unpardonable folly. " 'Whosoever is a hindrance to one of these little ones who believe in Me,' said Jesus, 'better for him to have a great miilstone hung round his neck and be sunk in the deep sea. Woe to the world for hindrances!' "And if the young men and women of to-day wish to make any personal contribution towards world betterment, then let them help to rid the world of hindrances, everything that is marring human fellowship and brotherhood. This is definitely the Christian's task. And if you know of anything in life in the form of practices and indulgences that are not in the highest interests of hanhood and womanhood, then set to work and clear the decks. "Let us ask ourselves to-night what our life has meant to others.. Have we by our example influenced any life to live better, or have' we by our example caused someone to debase his or her life? This is the acid test. How may I know that I am a Christian? By the way I am treating others around me. "Young people! Ask Christ tonight how He was able to resist every form of temptation and to live such a wonderful life, and He will tell you that He was always true to God. 'I do always those things that please Him.' (Jn. 8, 29). "Ask the hero Paul what was the success of his courageous Christian life and he will tell you — 'my loyalty to Jesus Christ.' "T am not ashamed; for I know Him who I have believed._ This is the supreme test of our discipleship. Are we loyal to Jesus Christ? Think it over."