A further feature in this venture after the knowledge of God is the
moral one. It is only to the pure in heart that the vision of God will
become a reality. To believe in Jesus is to accept His teaching in the
sphere of morals quite as much as to appropriate His promises of
present pardon and future rewards. In fact the promise of pardon is
interwoven with the condition of doing His will, and the heavenly life
is held out as a reward to those who follow His example. Jesus claims
the sovereignty over man's whole personality. Those who call Him
"Lord, Lord," must do the things He says. It is just at this point
that the world tests the Christian faith. The world is practical; it
demands not profession, but works. It knows that Jesus bequeathed a
system of morals to His followers, especially in the Sermon on the
Mount; and, while it is ignorant of the grace Jesus bestows to enable
human nature to rise above itself, yet in its rough and ready way it
holds faith of no value which is not shown in "fruits". When Society
talks about the "failure" of Christianity what it usually has in mind
is the failure of Christian people to conform to the Christian standard
of truthfulness and justice, of honesty and straight dealing, of
continence and self-respect; being like other people, lovers of money
and applause rather than examples of that love for their neighbour
commanded in the Gospels. The human will needs supernatural strength
to live Christ's system of morals. God demands that the entire
personality, intellect, emotion, will, should be committed to Him in an
all-embracing, loving faith.