# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1911_S10 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 10 The Lutheran Pioneer. Salvation in Christ. Little Annie had well learned at school the Gospel plan of salvation in Christ. One day the teacher said to her, “Annie, what will you do when you die and are called upon to stand before the judgment-seat of God?” Her face glowed with emotion as she answered, “Christ died for sinners. J will hide behind Him. God will not look at me. He will look at Christ.” Beautiful thought! ‘To hide behind Christ, to lose ourselves in Him, and, casting aside our own works, .to rest solely and entirely on His finished work for salvation ! What Lutheranism Teaches. Lutheranism teaches that God hates no man, that He loves all men, and wills that all men be saved. It teaches, further, that the Son of God has propitiated God for all men, and redeemed them, and that He has blotted out the sins of all men, and purchased for all the forgiveness of their sins and a perfect righteousness. It teaches that God passes over no one, but earnestly urges every one to receive His grace. It teaches that the Gospel is a great, universal absolution, which God has al- ready proclaimed to all men, which every one can ‘take to himself, and every one —even the greatest sinner —can depend upon as certainly as God is true. It teaches that even those who have fallen often can return and again find grace. It teaches that the decisive question is not whether man feel grace and peace with God and the forgiveness of sins, but whether he believe the promise of grace and forgiveness; for as man believes from the heart God to be, whether angry or gracious, so is He. It teaches that only two classes of men will not be saved; namely, those who want to help themselves out of their sins, and those who want to remain in their sins.— Dr. Walther. Real Christians. Whoever is not Christ’s own is the devil’s property. A Christian is not made, but born, that is, he is not fashioned by the power of man, but planted by the hand of God. It is a great deal more to be a real Christian than to be a “good” man, Many a one is seemingly a “good” man, but he is no Christian, because ‘he does not believe in Christ. ‘The real “goodness” consists in faith in Christ. A real Christian is a child of God, an heir of the kingdom, a brother of Christ, a companion of the angels, a lord of the universe, partaking of the divine nature of his Lord and Savior. A real Christian is a better and more useful man than any other man on earth. A Christian ranks highest, although he may be a poor cobbler. If you believe in Christ, hear His Word will- ingly, and receive it sincerely, you are a real Cliris- tian, notwithstanding your sinfulness. He who in all things will heed that capital word, “Thus saith the Lord,” may always live in full hope and happiness. The greatest virtue of a real Christian is his humility. His greatest danger is to become proud, especially if he is endowed with mental gifts and talents. A real Christian is a saint, whether he be a lay- man or a minister, a man or a woman. Who dis- putes this, sets at naught the sacrament of Baptism, the blood of Christ, and the grace of the Holy Ghost. A real Christian will bear in mind that his daily conversation is a gospel to his neighbors. It will not do to hide his faith; he must show it in order to promote the welfare of his neighbors’ souls. Taher. —_— see —--__ How the Scandal Grew. Mrs. A. (to Mrs. B.): “That Mrs. Newcomer is so fond of her children. The other day when I called she was blowing soap bubbles with them through a common clay pipe.” Mrs. B. (to Mrs. C.): “That Mrs. Newcomer isso funny. Mrs. A. saw nee amusing her children with a common clay pipe.” Mrs. C. (to Mrs. D.): “Just think! That Mrs. Newcomer smokes a common clay pipe.” Mrs. D. (to Mrs. E.): “Well, well! That Mrs. Newcomer smokes a horrid pipe. I don’t see how any woman in her sober senses could do that.” Mrs. E. (to Mrs. F.): “Did you ever hear the like? ‘That Mrs. Newcomer smokes a pipe and drinks awfully !” And so the scandal grew eth mouth to mouth as the snowball grows when rolled through the snow. But remember: “He that speaketh lies shall not escape,” Prov. 19, 5. “Speak not evil one of another,” James 4, 11. ae