And
your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Eph. 6:15.
We are
living in the midst of an "epidemic of crime," at which thoughtful,
God-fearing men everywhere stand aghast. . . . Every day brings its
heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human
suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies
to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic
agencies are at work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt
the mind, and defile and destroy the body?
And while
the world is filled with these evils, the gospel is too often presented in so
indifferent a manner as to make but little impression upon the consciences or
the lives of men. Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which
they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a
power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give
health and life and peace.
The
gospel is a message of peace. Christianity is a system, which, received and
obeyed, would spread peace, harmony, and happiness throughout the earth. The
religion of Christ will unite in close brotherhood all who accept its
teachings.
The peace
of Christ is born of truth. It is harmony with God. The world is at enmity with
the law of God; sinners are at enmity with their Maker; and as a result they
are at enmity with one another. . . . Men cannot manufacture peace. Human plans
for the purification and uplifting of individuals or of society will fail of
producing peace, because they do not reach the heart. The only power that can
create or perpetuate true peace is the grace of Christ. When this is implanted
in the heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension.
The faces
of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They
are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of
God has begun.
The Lord
is soon coming. Talk it, pray it, believe it. Make it a part of the life. . . .
Gird on the Christian armor, and be sure that your feet are "shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace."
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