Well, now, as I indicated last Friday evening at the end, we are in a position to start looking at and examining in detail the first two verses of the 12th chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

Last Friday night, I explained how this great last section of the epistle is concerned with our life and our conduct.

Doctrine, first 11 chapters, speaking generally, from here on to the end, the practical application in life and in conduct.

And we also gave a kind of general analysis of the whole of the teaching from

here right away through to the end. Now, I indicated in doing that that the first two chapters

of this 12th chapter constitute a kind of general introduction to the whole of this great section of the epistle.

And I gave you some reasons why we should not only read it and study it, but why we should

delight in doing so. This tremendous, important point of the balance of Scripture,

not looking at one side or the other, but taking

together these things that must never be separated.

Now, these two verses, in other words, are a most important statement.

They are a most important statement from many standpoints, but their chief importance lies in this,

that they lay down for us the great principles which govern Christian conduct and behavior.

Now that's a tremendously important subject.

The Bible gives great attention to it, as I was

reminding you last Friday night, and there is no doubt at all, but that at the present time

it is a most important question for this reason, that there's a good deal of misunderstanding

about it. But apart from that, and this is my chiefest reason for emphasizing it, I believe that there

is nothing more important from the standpoint of evangelism at the present time than the

life lived by Christian people.

You know the world, it's been saying it for years, it's always said it. But it's saying it particularly at the present time. Easy to talk, they say. But how does he live? How does he put it into practice and into operation? And I am certain that amidst all this confusion in life at the present time, there is one thing that still speaks to people in a way that nothing

else does, and that is to see a life live, a quality of life. People are always ready to listen

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