# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1900_S2 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer. (For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.) The Holy Bible. ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ This was the question the trembling jailer of Phi- lippi addressed to Paul and Silas. And surely, a most important question it was. This is, in fact, the most important question a man can ask; for our one desire in this world should be to gain eternal salvation. But where can we find the answer to this question, where are we taught the way to eternal life? Answer: In the Bible, the Word of God. St. Paul says to Timothy: ‘‘From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.’’ (2 Tim. 3, 15-17.) Abraham answers the rich man in hell, who requested that Lazarus rise from the dead and preach to his brethren: ‘‘They have Moses and the prophets [that is, the Scriptures]; let them hear them.’”’ (Luke 16,29.) Jesus him- self says: ‘Search the Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”? (John 5, 39.) From these passages it is very plain that the Scrip- tures, which are the inspired Word of God, are a sure and infallible guide unto sal- vation. But what is more, the Bible isthe only sure guide to heaven, the only fountain of Chris- tian knowledge unto salvation. We can not rely upon our heart to show us the way, for it is a wicked and perverse thing, which will always lead us astray; we can not trust in our understanding, for it is wholly ignorant in spiritual things and therefore of no more service to us in its natural state than a blind man who would lead others on a road he has never traveled on before; least of all can we depend upon the experience and testimony of others, for not only are they often mistaken, nay, they even, at times, deceitfully belie us. God’s Word, and it only, is ever true and reliable. It is a firm rock on which we may safely build. It is God’s own handwriting which He Himself must and will recognize. To God’s Word Jet us then cling and let us not permit anything to pluck it out of our hand. As long as we have it, we have a sure guide tu heaven, an unfailing compass to direct our feet, an invincible sword to fight away all enemies that would prevent us from reaching our goal. The Word of God is, furthermore, the only means powerful enough to lead us to heaven, for it is only through the Word that the Holy Ghost works upon and in ourhearts. It alone can change the natural man, regenerate him, make him a new creature. Only God’s Word can enkindle faith in man’s heart and make him Profitable to good works. ‘Therefore Christ ‘says: ‘Blessed are they that lear the Word of God and keep it.”” (Luke 11, 28.) To hear and’ keep God’s Word, that is, to accept and ' believe it, is to be a blessed child of God and an heir of eternal salvation. On the other hand, if you give away the Word of God you give away heaven, you give away salvation, you give away your soul, you give away God Himself, for it is only through the Word of God that God will come to you and that you can come to God. This Word of God is the Bible, or the holy Scriptures, ‘‘written by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, by the holy Prophets in the Old Testa- ment, and by the Apostles and Evangelists in the New Testament.’’ The Bible, the Book of books, was indeed written by men, but these “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,’’ wherefore their writings are ‘‘holy scriptures.’’ The very words which the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists wrote were inspired by God, and so every word they penned is God’s Word. If you will now take up your Bible, you will find that it contains two chief parts, called Testaments. That part of the Bible which we call the Old Testament, was written before the coming of Christ, and therefore this part of the Scriptures speaks of Him as coming. There are thirty-eight different books in the Old Testament, whose holy authors are called Prophets. The other chief part of the Bible we call the New Testament. It was written after the coming of Christ into the flesh. The holy writers of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament we call the Evangelists and Apostles. Examination of our Bible will also show you that it contains two wholly different doc- trines, namely, Law and Gospel. Both doc- trines are God’s Word, both are important, both are for all men. And strange to say, despite their difference, Law and Gospel do not contradict each other at all. Briefly stated, this is the difference between the Law and the Gospel: 1. The Law tells us what we must do and not do to please God; the Gospel tells us what God has done and still does to make us well- pleasing unto Him. The Law demands works of us, but the Gospel proclaims God’s works. 2. The Law brings us to a knowledge of our sins, but the Gospel covers them up with the righteousness of Christ; the Law proclaims to us God’s wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal damnation, but the Gospel offers us God’s free grace in Christ Jesus. 3. The Law says: ‘Do this; if you do it not, you shall be cursed;’’ and if-we do it not (and that will always be the case), it con- demns us without all mercy. But the Gospel contains no demands, no threats, no condem- nation. It offers comfort to the distressed, healing balm to the wounded, liberty to the enslaved, life to those condemned to death. While the Law condemns the sinner, the Gos- pel brings the glad tidings: ‘‘Jesus sinners doth receive.’” 4. The Law kills and casts into despair; the Gospel, however, gives life and comfort. The Law drives man away from God, but the Gospel draws man to God through Christ Jesus, the Saviour. The demands of the Law fill man’s heart with terror, but the Gospel brings peace and joy to the human heart. 5. The Law is to be proclaimed to secure sinners, while the Gospel is for those who are alarmed because of their sins. ‘The Law, in all its severity, is to be preached to the law- less and disobedient, to the ungodly and sin- ners, the Gospel, in all its sweetness, is to be preached to the poor sinners, languishing under their heavy load of sin, to the broken- hearted, and heavy-laden. ‘The Law must first be preached to a man, and by its demands and threats alarm and terrify the sinner and thus prepare the way for the Gospel with its offer of forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation. F.J.L. “It’s Better Higher Up.” Christians are pilgrims and strangers in this world. Heaven is the home to which they journey. ‘Their path may be a path of sorrows and afllictions; still they may travel on cheerfully. It’s better higher up. There was a poor old woman, sick and near unto death. She lived in a garret five stories up. A christian lady, who often visited her, always found her cheerful. This visitor had a lady friend who constantly looked at the dark side of things and was always cast down, although she was a professed Christian. The visitor thought it would do this lady good to see the bed-ridden saint. So she took her to the house. When they got to the first story, the lady drew up her dress and said, ‘‘How dark and filthy it is!”’ “It’s better higher up,’’ said her. friend. They got to the next story, but it was n0 better, and the lady complained again. Her friend said, ‘‘It’s better higher up.’’ At the third floor it seemed still worse, and the lady kept on complaining, but her friend kept on saying, ‘‘It’s better higher up.”’ At last they got to the fifth story. When they entered the sick-room, they saw flowering plants in the window and heard little birds singing. They also saw the bed-ridden saint —beaming with joy. The lady said to her, “Jt must be very hard for you to lie here.” The poor old Christian woman smiled and said, ‘‘It’s better higher up!’’ ; Yes, if things go against us, let us remem- ber ‘It’s better higher up.’’ The soul that is filled with this hope sees a bright side to every cloud, and hears a cheerful song above all storms and all sorrow. We are pilgrims. A few more days, or months, or years, and then our wanderings will close, and we shall come home, and ‘‘God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things 8 passed away,’” Rev. 21, 4. It’s:-better higher up!