# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1918_S73 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) NOTICE TO READER. When you finish reading this magazine, place a 1-cent stamp on this potas mail the m oven and it will be placed in the hands of our sol- dicrs or sailors dest stined to proceed Ps et No Wrapping — No Addrcas, A. 8. Burixson, Postmaster-General. The Lutheran Pioneer. A. MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PousiisHep BY THE Evancerican Lutmeran Synopican ConrEerence or Norra America. REv. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Acceptance fort malling at special rate of postage provided for In section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5, 1918. ‘ST. “LOUIS, MO, OCTOBER, 1916. No. 10. On Reformation Day. A picture of our Luthér on my wall Reminds me of our Lord, who saves us all; For Luther’s features to me seem to speak: “Alone in Christ thy soul’s salvation seck, Believe in Him, the loving Son of God, Who for us died, the spotless Lamb of God. Not by our works will heaven be our own; For we are saved by faith, by faith alone.” — * While Luther also preached the Law aright, *Twas his chief aim to spread the Gospel’s light. He was a sturdy oak-tree, full of trust, Not shaken like a reed by every gust. The Word of God was his foundation good, » His feet were standing where St. Paul’s had stood. The hero by God’s might Rome’s power broke, And freed the Christians from the tyrant’s yoke. The Bible he translated, and com His Catechism and his ‘hymns, disclosed God’s grace by preaching still with mouth and pen, And let his light thus shine before all men; Likewise by godliness. In peace he died, With Jesus Christ in heaven to abide. His picture fills my heart with joy’s sweet ray; “A Mighty Fortress,” let us sing H. Osrranvs. Walking in the Light. — 1 Joun 1, 5—%. St. John is eager to deliver a divine message to his readers in the above text. He tells us that he reeeived this message from Christ, with whom he as well as his fellow-apostles had associated every day for a period of three years, listening to His discourses and witnessing His ‘miracles, the seals of His doctrine. He “declares” this message to his readers as one having authority. He knew its import full well, and vividly realized it as his sacred duty to impress his readers with the lesson of our text. In it he teaches, warns, and comforts us. This is his theme: As God is Inght, only those. that walk in the liaht have fellowship with Him and are His true children. “God is Light,” John writes: The term “light” in the Bible denotes spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (2 Cor. 4,6). God is all-know- ing. The Psalmist exclaims: “O Lord, Thou hast searched me-and known me. ‘Thou knowest my downsitting and uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off. ‘Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.” — God is all-wise. Proof of this is the plan of our salvation — which He devised before the foundation of the world was laid, choosing Christ, His own Son, for the Captain of our salvation, by whose stripes we should be healed. — “Light” also stands for righteousness, goodness, and perfection (Ps. 87,6; 50,2). God is