| Things to Live For |
Chapter 9 |
Page 7 |
Then let us be, with unrelaxed endeavor, Just, true, and right; That the great law of recompense may ever Our hearts delight.”
There is one other phase of this teaching. The final harvest that comes from our sowing is in our own character. It is not a reward to be put into our hand in heaven that is promised – something that is to be given to us. The reward will be in us. It will consist in likeness to Christ. So the requital for wrong doing will not be punishment inflicted upon the wrong doer, but he evil itself wrought into permanence in his life. The punishment for finally unforgiven sin will be eternal sinning. Very solemn are the words in the Revelation: “He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still.” The truest reward for a good life is goodness wrought into the character; the surest, realest retribution is to be left to sin forever in the ways the sinner has chosen and learned in this world. Familiar but terribly true are the statements:–
“Sow a thought, and you will reap an act;
Sow an act, and you will reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you will reap a character;
Sow a character, and you will reap a destiny.”
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