# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1907_S91
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The Lutheran Pioneer.

91

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who have done us evil is by no means an easy mat-
ter; for flesh and blood will fight bitterly against
it, but God will give us grace to overcome our flesh,
and fill us with love to them who have offended us.
And in thus forgiving our neighbor we have a
pledge and seal that God has forgiven us; for only
he whom God has forgiven can truly forgive his
neighbor; only the true child of God can forgive.
The hearty desire to forgive our debtors unmistak-
ably marks us as God’s children and partakers of
His grace.

On the other hand, those who refuse to forgive
their debtors will fare as did the wicked servant in
the parable; .they, by praying this petition, invoke
God’s wrath upon ‘themselves; they, instead of
praying for forgiveness, actually ask God to retain
their sins; they, as it were, say to God: Do with
my sins as I do with the sins of my debtors: I will
not forgive my debtars, so do not forgive me my
debts. Horrible! Surely, it has been truly said
that this petition is the dangerous petition, for
every unforgiving person that prays it prays him-
self into hell.

God grant us a forgiving heart, ready to forgive
those who offend us, and a loving heart, willing to
do good to those who sin against us.

Lord, all our trespasses forgive,
That they our hearts no more may grieve,
As we forgive their trespasses
Who unto us have done amiss.
Thus let us dwell in charity,
And serve each other willingly.
F. J. iL.
———____ - —» e-»—--  —
Justification Before God.

(A paper read before Immanuel Lutheran Conference, and
published by its request.)

The final issue involved in the doctrine of jus-
tification is so weighty, that it cannot be wholly
grasped by our minds. ‘To fully realize it, we must
have a complete notion of eternal duration; we
must be able, on the one hand, to picture ourselves
fully compassed about with the sorrows of hell, and,
on the other hand, to imagine ourselves dwelling in
the presence of God, where there is fullness of joy.
That the question of everlasting life or everlasting
death is decided by the doctrine of justification will
be seen in the progress of our discussion.

Since all of us shall either enter the home of
endless happiness or be cast into the abode of devils,

No question can concern us more than that of jus--

tification. But oh, how childish are men! Alas,
how great is the folly of many that profess them-
selves wise! To whom shall we liken them? Shall
we say that they are like sailors in a sinking ship
playing cards, not leaping for their lives? Con-
sider, they are “as a bowing wall,” “as a tottering
fence,” Ps.. 62, 3, which may at any moment fall to
the ground and be dashed to pieces: yet they take
no thought as to how they shall stand before the
judgment seat, but are busily occupied with what
are but trifles. How many are greatly concerned
about such things as will perish with the using, but
are not concerned as to whether or not they them-
selves shall perish forever. Some are ever ready to
discuss the various styles in clothing; they think
much of what they shall wear, so that they might
appear in correct dress and, perhaps, incite others
to envy, but they are not at all interested in the
question whether they will appear before God clothed
with the garments of salvation, or stand there naked
and ashamed in their sins, laid bare before the eyes
of the world. Many are anxiously asking, “What
shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?” but do not
care to hear how they may reach those heavenly
pastures where they shall hunger no more, and thus
escape being tormented in the flames of eternal per-
dition without a drop of water to cool their tongue.
How entertaining to talk about earthly wealth, as,
houses, land, crops, business, etc., but how weari-
some to consider whether we are rich or poor in
the sight of the Lord, and what we shall have when
the world and all that is therein shall have passed
away! What the people will think or say engages
man’s attention more than what the Lord affirms
with an oath.

Thus we might go on indefinitely. You need
but call to mind what the people like to read about,
politics, court news, rumors of war; what they like
to talk about; what they like to hear, even at
church: and you will find that men generally seem
to prefer any other discussion to that of how God
views them. Have men no knowledge, are they-
altogether without understanding, because they take
no interest in the most interesting question as to
how they might stand before God and be saved?
May the ministers of our Lutheran church ever
continue to give the prominent position in their +
teaching to this doctrine, and may ever more of her
members realize the necessity of letting this doc- -
trine predominate in the preaching of the pastors.
God graciously grant that the discussion of this
subject may be profitable! ‘