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Show ; Spiritual ::; Normalcy By REV. H. OSTROM, D. D. Extension Depsrtment, Moody j; Bifol Instiluts, Chkno. ;j; TEXT-Ood li not the author of ton-fusion. ton-fusion. I Cor. 14:33. By normalcy Is meant a condition not extreme. Now when Is the soul In mm a condition not extreme? ex-treme? A lost soul is abnormal. . Salvation Sal-vation Is normalcy. And Its character-, character-, Istks are not dim-, dim-, cult to trace. . Spiritual normalcy nor-malcy has not, and It fears not Judg-1 Judg-1 ment unto coudeni- nation. If your I sins have been remitted re-mitted then there is no Judgment unto un-to con ilcmnatlon for you. "Verily, verily I suy unto you, he that heareth my w.jnJ and helleveth on hlrn (hat sent me, hath everlasting life nnd shall not come Into Judgment." (John 5:24). "There Is therefore now no coming Into the condemning judgment judg-ment to them which are in Christ Jesus." The sense of guilt or of dread Is a proof of abnormality of the soul. All dlstressfulness about one's self is cured In Christ, for In Him is the covering cov-ering for every offending thought, word and deed, 2. Spiritual normalcy cannot he without spiritual life. No more Is It possible to substitute the electrifying processes or pleasant words and manners man-ners for spiritual life, than it would be possible to produce business prosperity pros-perity by polishing the knobs aud hinges of all the bank safes. It Is abnormal for a soul to be "dead lu trespasses and sins." 3. Spiritual normalcy cannot exist without prayer. It Is not that a man has to pray In order to be saved. For salvation he has simply to trust. But being "alive" unto a holy God and knowing that all his goodness or success suc-cess Is in him, how should he not ask and receive answers from him?. Surely hflng at home lu "the household house-hold of faith" he will be saying "our Father." A praj erlss life is either; a captive of vain self sullldency, or else of the gloom of despair, aud all such is abnormal. 4. Spiritual normalcy has spiritual delights. You must expect a man to prefer fleshly delights if he has never been born again. He does not know what spiritual delights are. As well might n man born deaf or blind be expected to know what music nnd sunsets sun-sets are. If he could step Instantly, out of the barrenness of a northern winter Into the frultfulness of mid-KKiumer mid-KKiumer It would he no more In contrast con-trast than for him to step out of ordinary or-dinary delights, good times and laughter laugh-ter Into "the Joy of the Lord." And to "rejoice In the Lord alway" Is spiritual normalcy. 5. Spiritual normalcy Is profitable. It fan always render an account showing show-ing assets clear beyond liabilities. As In commerce business is not considered uonnnl when It verses on bankruptcy, so the soul Is not In uormalcy unless the person is spiritually prosperous. What Is this we rend about "The Riches of Grace"? It is uot the fair amount of grace, not an encouraging proportion of grace, uot, If all goes well there will be enough grace to prevent spiritual bankruptcy, but It Is "The Riches of Grace lu Christ Jesus." And what Is this we read? "All things are yours." Ah, the soul In uormalcy must never be pictured with hat in hand standing at the curb of the broad way asking alms of a doomed age. Rather he Is so rich that he broadcasts the gold of God's grace as he runs to relieve Ms lost fellows. C Splrltuul normalcy has a will but It is not self-willed. Its will merges In the will that holds the worlds la their orbits. To say, "I will do thus and so because I wish to, and mny the Lord bless me in It," U to be abnormal. ab-normal. Normalcy, is never possible without yleldeduess to God. The way to render a normal account to God I to surrender. All in all, splrltuul normalcy nor-malcy to the world appears exngKcra-tlon, exngKcra-tlon, but to a saved man It Is the Splr-It-tllled life. 7. Normalcy of spirit does not refuse the buttle. It makes sure of the armor ar-mor and the weapons. It tights "rhe good fight of faith." but It Is sure of victory. Wars greatly disturb commercial com-mercial normalcy, but spiritual normalcy nor-malcy never Is so evident as when the war wages hottest. When the day of pence conies Its evidence will not wane. "Forever with the Lord" will be eternal normalcy. But how strange thnt poor little word "Normalcy" sounds when applied to the exalted triumph of the "til In glory! Strictly speaking the world belongs In the sphere of mathematics; mathe-matics; and to tell of the triumph of grace, figures ftill utterly. |
