Romans 12:1-2 "1 beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,....'
A number of years ago I ran across this snippet of history about "Ivan the Terrible.” Ivan was one of the great rulers of Russia. He was so busy trying to annex territory to his country that he had no time for social life. His advisers become worried because he had not married. Ivan suggested that they find him a wife and he would accept their recommendation.
They searched far and wide for a girl who was beautiful, intelligent and a king's daughter. They found her in Athens, Greece. Her name was Sophia, the daughter of the King of Greece. Ivan asked the King for his daughter's hand. The King demanded that Ivan join the Greek Orthodox Church. This he did. He had gone to Greece with , five hundred of his best soldiers and when Ivan joined the church they desired to join also. A catechizer outlined the articles of the Orthodox Church creed to every one of them. They gave ready assent to every article except one. One of the articles stated that if they joined the Orthodox Church they could not be professional soldiers.
They asked the catechizer to give them time to think the matter over. They pondered the problem, "How can we join the Church and remain in the army at the same tine? They concocted a plan. When they were to be baptised they marched into the water. The five hundred soldiers were accompanied by five hundred priests. (They were to be baptised by immersion. How else could a Greek Church baptise them, since they know the true and only meaning of their word, "baptizo"?)
Shortly before each priest plunged his candidate under, each solder grabbed for his sword and lifted it up in air. Each one was baptised; except for his fighting arm and a gleaming sword that jutted out of the water. Those who witnessed the mass baptism spectacle said they saw five hundred dry arms and five hundred glittering swords sticking out of the water. It seems the he soldiers had come up with a compromise. 'We will join the church with our bodies, but we will allow our fighting arm to remain in the possession of the state."
The application of this little historical episode is self-evident. In his Roman letter Paul gives a clear call for a complete committal to Christ by all who call themselves brothers in Christ. But it seems that in our day many are not willing to yield themselves completely to Christ.
Writing fifty years ago, evangelist, Angel Martinez, had this to say about conditions existing in his day, "The curse of the hour is the curse of partial surrender. We can never have power with God or with men until we have given ourselves wholly to God. God does not want scraps or leftovers. God doesn't need much of a man, but needs all there is of him. The price of spiritual power is complete surrender.” What would he say about the great falling away that has occurred in the meantime.
A number of years ago I ran across this snippet of history about "Ivan the Terrible.” Ivan was one of the great rulers of Russia. He was so busy trying to annex territory to his country that he had no time for social life. His advisers become worried because he had not married. Ivan suggested that they find him a wife and he would accept their recommendation.
They searched far and wide for a girl who was beautiful, intelligent and a king's daughter. They found her in Athens, Greece. Her name was Sophia, the daughter of the King of Greece. Ivan asked the King for his daughter's hand. The King demanded that Ivan join the Greek Orthodox Church. This he did. He had gone to Greece with , five hundred of his best soldiers and when Ivan joined the church they desired to join also. A catechizer outlined the articles of the Orthodox Church creed to every one of them. They gave ready assent to every article except one. One of the articles stated that if they joined the Orthodox Church they could not be professional soldiers.
They asked the catechizer to give them time to think the matter over. They pondered the problem, "How can we join the Church and remain in the army at the same tine? They concocted a plan. When they were to be baptised they marched into the water. The five hundred soldiers were accompanied by five hundred priests. (They were to be baptised by immersion. How else could a Greek Church baptise them, since they know the true and only meaning of their word, "baptizo"?)
Shortly before each priest plunged his candidate under, each solder grabbed for his sword and lifted it up in air. Each one was baptised; except for his fighting arm and a gleaming sword that jutted out of the water. Those who witnessed the mass baptism spectacle said they saw five hundred dry arms and five hundred glittering swords sticking out of the water. It seems the he soldiers had come up with a compromise. 'We will join the church with our bodies, but we will allow our fighting arm to remain in the possession of the state."
The application of this little historical episode is self-evident. In his Roman letter Paul gives a clear call for a complete committal to Christ by all who call themselves brothers in Christ. But it seems that in our day many are not willing to yield themselves completely to Christ.
Writing fifty years ago, evangelist, Angel Martinez, had this to say about conditions existing in his day, "The curse of the hour is the curse of partial surrender. We can never have power with God or with men until we have given ourselves wholly to God. God does not want scraps or leftovers. God doesn't need much of a man, but needs all there is of him. The price of spiritual power is complete surrender.” What would he say about the great falling away that has occurred in the meantime.
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