# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1919_S57 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Pioneer. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PUBLISHED BY THE HyaneELicaL LurneraN SynopicaL ConrerENck or Norta Ammrica. REV. F. J. LANKENAUDU, EDITOR. , : os P aalart 3 oe a rice. 25 ar aye rictly in advance. Published monthly by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Subscription price, 25 cts. per annum, payable strict wee Mnteced, as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5, 1918. Vol. XLI. ST. LOUIS, MO., AUGUST, 1919, No. 8. Peace on Earth. The war is over now, And finally the peace Has been declared. O Thou, Whose mercies never cease, Art always, Lord, the same, Art ever true and good, Hence we will praise Thy name And sing in happy mood: — “Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices; Who from our mother’s arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours to-day. “Oh, may this bounteous God Through all this life be near us, With ever joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us; And keep us in His grace, And guide us when perplexed, And free us from all ills In this world and the next.” H. Osteruus. —>1+—- Sin. 1 Joun 3, 4—10. A minister conducted an examination in which not only children, but also adults rendered an ac- count of their faith. In answer to his question, “Which are the most terrible enemies of the human race?” the correct answer was given, “Sin, death, and Satan.” He then asked a child, “Which of these three is the worst foe?” The child answered, “Death; for I want to go to heaven, but do not wish to die and be laid into the grave.” Forthwith he turned to a man with the same question, and re- ceived the answer, “The devil; for when one thinks of hell one shudders and one’s hair stands on end.” Finally he addressed this same question to a wise old man of ripe experience in God’s Word. His answer was this, “Sin; for if that foe had not first chained us down, the other two, death and Satan, would have no power over us.’—JIn the formula read by our ministers before they administer the Lord’s Supper to the sick, the following words which also express this truth occur: “If we had remained without sin, death could not have prevailed upon us.” Indeed, sin is the original evil which ever caused and still causes man’s ruin. “Hvery one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (Revised Version), v. 4. Every one that sins consciously and intentionally thereby de- clares himself independent of, yea, places himself in opposition to, the divine Law. Sin is every departure from the divine Law in desire, thought, word, and deed. The Law is God’s own will 3 hence he who sins renounces God, would have nothing to do with Him, rebels against Him, is His adversary. How carefully and cautiously we should walk if we always bore this truth in mind! “And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins,’ v.5a. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our dear Savior and at the same time He is the irreconcilable, declared enemy of sin. He has appeared here on earth graciously and merci- fully to deliver us from the evil of sin, yea, to destroy and do away with all wickedness. .As our Redeemer and the adversary of sin Christ is of