Editorial June 2, 1973 Issue

Church: Base for the Grand Warfare

Carl J. Welz

The conclusion of one more of mankind's wars brings hope that it could be the last. And it would be if people could see that there is only one kind of warfare that is fruitful—the warfare with oneself. That is not to say that one is at peace when he is at conflict with himself, but that he gains peace only by conquering a false sense of himself.

One day, perhaps, our children, or their children, will sing "Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war" with no military conflict in memory. The only war will be the battle between Truth and error in individual consciousness, and that a constant series of victories for Truth.

Christ Jesus mapped out the way to this victory in his teachings and in his life. In Matthew, Chapters 5, 6, and 7, the battlegrounds are laid out. In this "Sermon on the Mount" Jesus takes literal statements of law and translates them into spiritual demands upon human thought. Whereas the law forbade certain outward acts, his commands required control of inward thoughts. For example, "'Thou shalt not kill" he interpreted, "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." "Thou shalt not commit adultery" he rendered, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."^{Ex 20:13, 14; Matt. 5:22, 28;} He taught meekness, hunger for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, rejoicing under persecutions, love for enemies, forgiveness, trusting God with tomorrow, prayer in secret, and so on.