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sage had been suppressed. But this
is the very generation that shall see
that message fulfilled. It is God's
time for that message of WORLD
HOPE to be again proclaimed in,
POWER , worldwide. When one
knows he has a part in giving a
dying world its real and only hope,
it is indeed a gratifying experience.
That's what radiates that inner joy
you see here."
"But how can this be? How can
one explain it?" the professor asked.
"Well ," responded the minister,
"it begins with the story of the ap–
pearance on earth of the REAL Jesus
Christ more than nineteen centuries
ago. It's the story of His message
from God to mankind. It's the story
of the founding, the history and the
mission of His Church. It's the story
of the suppression by hostile world
powers of Christ's real message-of
spurious and counterfeit teachings
deceiving the whole world for nine–
teen centuries- and, finally, of
God's rejuvenating His people with
His Spirit and vitality to carry that
message of sure HOPE to this present
world's last generation."
"Yes , " observed the visitor
thoughtfully,
"J
can believe that
must be true."
Why
Unique
These people are members of the
Church of God , known in our day
as the Worldwide Church of God.
This Church is unique in practicing
Christianity as A wAY OF LIFE, as
well as a faith- even as it did origi–
nally in the days of the first-century
apostles.
Its members are motivated by a
supreme goal, inspired by knowing
the transcendent human potential.
They know the true values. They
have found THE wAYthat makes life
truly meaningful, rewarding, abun–
dant! It is the way the whole world
ought to be living. What
is
that WAY
OF LIFE?
lt is the WAY OF LOVE-the way Of
outgoing concern for the good and
welfare of others equal to self-con–
cern.
Jt
is the way of cooperating,
serving, helping, sharing- of consid–
eration and patience.
More important, it is the way of
humility and of obedience to, reli-
The
PLAIN TRUTH December 1978
ance on, and worship solely toward.
God.
It
is the Goo-centered way.
The world in general lives the way
of " GET." It follows the SELF-cen–
tered way of vanity, of greed, lust,
envy,j'ealousy and hate.
It
exalts the
self.
It
sets its heart on self-gain and
material possessions.
lt
lives the way
of competition. strife, unconcern for
the welfare of others. It always seeks
to get the best of every deal, indif–
ferent to the fact that the other must
take the worst.
In this world the successful are
considered to be those who have
piled up the biggest fortunes in ma–
terial goods, not those who have
given
the most in spiritual gifts for
the happiness of others. And yet
there is the promise that
if
one seeks
first the righteous and unselfish way,
then material prosperity shall fol–
low. Material possessions may add
to happiness already attained, but
they are not the SOURCE of happi–
ness- they cannot produce it.
Actually, what almost none-in–
cluding those who profess Christian–
ity-seem to realize is that this
"GIVE" way is based in an invisible,
yet inexorable, spiritual LAw in ac–
tive force and motion. It is a law as
real, as inflexibly relentless, as the
physical law of gravity. It governs
and regulates all human relation–
ships. Traditional Christianity
seems to have forgotten that this law
is summarized in the Ten Com–
mandments, which are the basis of
the Christian wAYOF LIFE.
And the lives of these people who
were enjoying the convention in
southwestern Canada are a living
demonstration that the teachings of
Jesus, which He carried out in the
example He set by His own life here
on
earth- living
the principies of the
Ten Commandments-are in truth
THE wAYof practica!, rewarding and
joyous living-and neither impracti–
cal platitudes nor a burdensome
yoke of bondage. This
w
AY OF LIFE
is paying off among Church of God
people in joyous happiness, success–
ful living, and abundant well-being!
This Goo-centered way broadens
and expands one's horizons. Self–
centeredness constantly shrinks
one's mental and spiritual outlook.
It is, to most who profess Chris-
tianity .today, astonishing to learn
that Jesus, Peter, Paul and all the
first-century apostles taught obedi–
ence to this inexorable spiritual
law- the WAY OF LOVE. l t is surpris–
ing to most to learn that the Bible
plainly shows that the religion of
Christ- the only
true
Christianity- is
a wAY OF LIFE as well as a living
FAITH.
This spirituallaw was set in living
motion as the loving gift of human–
ity's Maker to CAUSE every desired
GOOD. Yet humanity in general has
been living a diametrically contrary
way of life. There can be no law
without penalty for violation. All
the evils suffered down through the
stream of time by humanity have
simply been the PENALTIES
caused
by violation ofthat law.
How Knowledge Was Lost
How did mankind LOSE knowledge
of the PURPOSE of human life- of
WHAT manÍS, WHY he is, WHERE he
is going- his transcendent poten–
tial- of THE WAY that is the only
possible CAUSE of peace and happi–
ness and everything good and desir–
able?
First, we might illustrate the
world's sickness this way: A manu–
facturer sends along with his mecha–
nized product an instruction
manual. The instruction book ex–
plains what the product is, what it is
intended to do, how to operate it to
accomplish its intended purpose.
In like manner, man's Maker cre–
ated a human mechanism far more
perfectly designed than any man–
produced product. And our Maker
a!so sent a!ong
His
INSTRUCTION
MANUAL. In it He reveals
what
we
are,
why
we are,
where
we are going,
and above all , HOW to operate this
human mechanism to accomplish its
intended potential in peace, happi–
ness and abundant well-being.
But the more perfectly designed
Goo-MADE human mechanism is
not functioning well. Human society
is sick- filled with unrest, discontent,
unhappiness, suffering. Human so–
ciety does not know the way to
PEACE. Crime and violence are
rampant and on an accelerating spi–
ral. Morals have skidded into the
(Continued on page 43)
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