# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S15
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1910. 15

of God came into the world to give his life a ransom for many,
Matt. 20:28. He is our substitute. His work is
vicarious atonement. The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
cleanseth us from all sin.

What is the gain that the disciples of Jesus have from this?
"The truth shall make you free." "If the Son therefore shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed." — "For when ye were the servants of sin,
ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those
things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those
things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants
to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,"
Rom. 6:20–23. We are free from an evil conscience and from the
servile fear of God. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry: Abba,
Father!" Rom. 8:15. We are free from the dread of suffering
and tribulation; for "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God," Rom. 8:28. We are free from the fear of
death; for Christ has "abolished death, and hath brought
life and immortality to light," 2 Tim. 1:10.
We are free from the power of the devil; for "for this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil," 1 John 3:8.
We are free from the fear of the judgment; for "who shall lay any thing to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us,"
Rom. 8:33, 34. And "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus. . . . For the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death," Rom. 8:1, 2.

6. "Ye are my friends."
(John 15:14.)

How did Jesus make us his friends?
We did not make Jesus our friend. Jesus himself
says: "Ye have not chosen me." That cannot be at all.
The carnal mind is enmity against God. The natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him.
The friendship of the world is enmity with God. (James 4:4.)
When the choice is between Jesus and the murderer, the world
cries: "Give us Barabbas!" And what is to be done with Jesus?
"Away with him! Crucify him!"

Under these circumstances God had to take the first steps toward
friendship. He did so. "Ye have not chosen me, but