# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S22
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

22 Proceedings of the twenty-third convention

healed. He gave his life as a guilt offering for us. He is
the High Priest who offered himself on the altar of the cross as a
propitiation for our sin. And the blood of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth us from all sin.

To this inheritance we are predestinated. We have obtained an
inheritance, "being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will," Eph. 1:11. Christ
did not come to earth by chance, nor fall by chance into suffering
and death. And God did not afterward discover the opportunity
of saving sinners in this way. No, all this
was decreed from eternity, that it should so come to pass. All this
has happened "according to the Scriptures," as it was foretold and written beforehand, long before it happened.

This inheritance is for all who are sanctified
by faith, Acts 26:18. But faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If therefore you wish
to be an heir of God, search the Scriptures, which are given by inspiration of God
and are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus.

Art thou a joint-heir with Christ? Art thou a fellow sufferer
with Christ? He who suffers with Christ shall also be raised with Christ to glory.
To suffer with Christ means to suffer for Christ's sake;
to endure the same sufferings that he endured, and for the same
reason; to suffer for righteousness' sake; to undergo wrong, slander, persecution
only because one confesses Christ. "For unto you it is
given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for his sake," Phil. 1:29. As Christ, so
we Christians also must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God,
Acts 14:22.

Therefore we are to rejoice in suffering. For "out of
them all" (persecution and suffering) "the Lord delivered me. Yea, and
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,"
2 Tim. 3:11, 12. "Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings,
that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also
with exceeding joy," 1 Pet. 4:13 ff. So the apostles too were
joyful, "that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his
(Jesus') name," Acts 5:41.

When, therefore, we too drink the bitter cup of suffering, we know
that it is the Father's hand that holds it out, and with tears
we say: "Abba, Father!" As Christ, so we. Mark 14:36.
God has made us his children; and "if children,
then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together,"
"the glorious liberty of the children of God," Rom.
8:17, 21.