Page:Southern Presbyterian Journal, Volume 13.djvu/463

 Test Check List For Elders

The one to be used before the Judgment seat of Christ may not be very different from this one.

By Roy LeCraw

Attorney

Elder in North Avenue Church, Atlanta, Ga.

These 6 For Yourself:

1. Are you absolutely sure, beyond doubt, that you, yourself, are born again? John 3:3. (There may be some session members missing in "that day.")

2. Is your faith foundationed upon Christ Himself or upon anything less? 1st Corinthians 3:11. (True faith is not concerned about where it is going. It only wants to know who is leading.)

3. Are you hot, lukewarm or cold? Revelation 3:15-16. (The most despicable term "spue thee out of my mouth" is applied to the lukewarm church-members.)

4. Are your prayers mostly petitions for you and yours or are you calling upon the Lord in a sincere effort to discover His will? Jeremiah 33:3. (The prayer that brings joy in heaven is "Lord show me what you would have me to do and I'll do it.")

5. Are you living a "separated" life or are you conforming to the world? (Could you be picked out of a lineup as being Christian?) 2nd Corinthians 6:17.

6. What kind of a sermon does your daily life preach? Ephesians 4:1. (The minister preaches to the congregation with words but the Elder's sermon is preached with the life he lives and the service he renders.)

And These 6 Concern Your Attitude Toward Others:

7. Are you the Priest, the Levite or the good Samaritan? Luke 10:30-35. (Some Elders "pass by on the other side," but remember, our every act is "for the record.")

8. Are you setting an example to the congregation by Tithing? Malachi 3:7-10-11 also Luke 11:42, (God's Finance Plan is the minimum Tithe. An Elder's non-tithing could cause a "brother to err.")

9. [low about the simple duties such as prayer meeting and Sunday night attendance, visiting the sick, working in the Sunday School, etc.? Revelation 14:15. (One thing we do take with us when we leave this earth—the record.)

10. Mow about the second great commandment to Christians. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"? Matthew 22:39. (This is a vital test. Are you meeting it?)

11. Rate yourself honestly as a criticizer and a self appointed judge of others. Read carefully first that searching verse Romans 2:1.

12. Can you give yourself a passing grade on I Thessalonians 5:14. "Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men."? I dare you to use this check list as a yardstick for measuring your effectiveness as an Elder or as a Deacon in the Presbyterian Church.

On one occasion I gave a series of (supposedly popular) theological lectures for the congregation of a brother minister. After one service when most of the people had gone home, one of the women with the pastor remained for conversation. Going beyond the limits of the lecture I continued by arguing that the phrase, "He descended into hell," might well be omitted from the Apostle's Creed. True, I had no conscientious reason for not using it, for Christ did indeed suffer the pains of hell for our redemption. But because of the real danger of fanciful interpretation of I Peter 3:19, I thought the omission might be wise. The woman resisted this line of argument with a determination that at first puzzled me. I finally came to understand when she very politely undertook to give me a gentle rebuke. When a group of the most learned and devout Christian scholars, she said, give careful consideration to the formulation of a Creed, it borders on rashness to attempt alterations.

The woman's statement is highly commendable, particularly in the present century when creeds are held in little honor. But unfortunately this woman did not know that the Apostle's Creed was not the result of learned discussions, as was the Nicene Creed, and that from the earliest times to the  OCTOBER 13, 1954