PATHWAY OF POWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 649, 29 April 1929, Page 10

PATHWAY OF POWER

JOY OF CHRISTIAN FAITH GRANGE ROAD ADDRESSES Following on the very successful revival meetings conducted by Mr. Andrew Johnston at the Grange Road Baptist Church, the Rev. A. S. Wilson commenced a new series of addresses on Sunday morning. These are entitled “Morning Talks on tlie Pathway of Power” and are concerned with the teaching of the deeper Christian life on the lines of the Keswick Convention. Mr. Wilson’s text on Sunday was Psalm li:12: “Restore unto m« the joy of Thy salvation.” The church, he said, had in its hands a most wonderful power and that was ihe attractive power of joyousness. Gladness and Christianity should go together, and in fact did so where Christians recognised Christ’s call to a fuller life. How often young men and women of the churches, because of a lack of joy, sought it in substitutes of the world. If the Church had the real thing and manifested it there would be no need to employ the entertainment straw to tickle its young people, neither would they want or seek after worldly pleasures. Christianity in its deeper experiences had joys with which the thrills of the world could not compare. When God had all his own way in a Christian life there came an anointing of gladness which sometimes was described as the joy of the Holy Ghost. But it was clear from the experience of so many that salvation could be possessed and still not be enjoyed. So often it was found that really converted people were not happy and all their expectations at conversion had failed. The true Christian felt this was not as it ought to be and God did not wish it so to be. On Calvary Christ had made provision for full happiness, and the Church had lost its power by losing the glory of this deeper experience. What was needed was to awaken the people of God to a knowledge of the wonderful gladness in the Lord which was for them in the Gospel. Christians failed to enjoy salvation through a lack of surrender and consecration, and when they did not enjoy salvation they misrepresented salvation. A great evangelist had once said: “Every hour we live without enjoying the fullness of Christ’s love we dishonour Him.” Nothing had such an effect on the world as the Christian’s joy. Happiness was a magnet. In conclusion, Mr. W T ilson urged the audience to allow nothing to come between them and God, and to accept

sanctification by faith. These addresses will continue each Sunday morning:.