# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S12
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

12 Proceedings of the twenty-third convention

But here is a kingdom, a glorious kingdom, which is offered to Christians,
a kingdom of honors with God in heaven. To obtain this
eternal kingdom no one needs to stain his soul. It
is inherited by the blessed of the Father.

How do we prove ourselves the blessed of the Father?
Paul says that we are justified by faith, without the
works of the Law, without good works. But when it comes to proving our faith,
that is done by good works. Faith
works by love, says St. Paul, Gal. 5:6. So also Christ, in connection with the title of honor "Blessed of the Father," shows that
believers have proved themselves, by their good works, by works of mercy
and love of neighbor, to be children of God and blessed of the Father. What gives these works of believers their worth
and raises them high above the works of unbelievers, which are outwardly often much more impressive and therefore much praised by
men, is the
fact that they are done to the Lord Jesus. "Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"
— out of love for the Savior, in thanks to the Savior for his great
benefits.

Let us therefore hear the Gospel, by which we are born again
as children of God in faith in Jesus Christ! Let
us also prove this faith of the heart by works of love
and mercy! We are the blessed of the Father.

4. "Ye are witnesses of these things."
(Luke 24:48.)

Who are the witnesses? Witnesses are the disciples of Jesus, whom he
himself chose and instructed, who had been with him from the beginning,
had heard his words and seen his deeds. But all
believers are disciples of Jesus and his witnesses, who through his Gospel
have experienced in their own hearts the blessed fruit of his suffering and
death. Are we Christians? Well then, we too
are called to be witnesses. What an honor!

Who made Christians witnesses? Jesus Christ
spoke the words: "Ye are witnesses of these things." Jesus had
completed his suffering. He had risen from the dead. In a few
days he would ascend into heaven and sit at the right hand of God,
to reign as a king over his redeemed Church. Not in the state
of humiliation, not on the cross; in the state of exaltation, after
battle and victory on the cross, after his glorious resurrection, after
he had been powerfully declared the Son of God by his resurrection,
he appointed his disciples as witnesses.

What are we to witness? "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name," Luke 24:47. Repentance and forgiveness
is the content of Holy Scripture. One can learn many things from Holy
Scripture, history, geography, etc. But with all