The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1879, Page 6

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6 ‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

the battle against our enemies, against Sin, and Easter. What must Ido to be saved? The answer

Death, and Devil, and Hell. And in mighty to this question is sometimes substantially given

battle He conquered them all, every one of Jesus Christ to-day is risen, : as follows: Pray to God for pardon, wrestle

them; for on the third day He came forth eh Death pena reigns; and struggle with God, and keep on praying,

from the grave triumphantly. Our David has eee Sree Loy until God has mercy upon you, and until He

won the victory, and His victory, 15 Our victory. S : . re : lets you feel that your sins are forgiven. This

Let us be glad! His triumph is our triumph. OT ere nore answer, too, is not according to Scripture. The

Let us rejoice!—At the close of the battle Recumciling’s 4 ‘ieenvoc word of God teaches us nowhere to trust in our >.

Christ cried out victoriously upon the cross:
“Tt is finished!’ And by raising Christ from
the dead, God the father solemnly declared
before heaven and earth: ‘‘Yes, it is finished.
Rejoice, ye sinners, and be glad! The work of
your redemption is finished. Your substitute
is set free. Your debts are paid. I give you
the receipt for it.’”-—And now, dear reader,
which is that receipt? It is the Gospel, the
Gospel which proclaims to all men forgiveness
of all their sins. Accept this receipt, accept
this Gospel in true faith! There are many
who reject this Gospel; many who do not be-
lieve the Word of God; many who think they
need no forgiveness of sins, because they do
not consider themselves sinners. Again, there
are many who try to save themselves by their
own good works; many who seek salvation in
some saints, or in the virgin Mary. Oh, poor
sinners! The work of your redemption is fin-
ished, entirely finished, by Christ alone. Be-
lieve in Him! You can find salvation in none
other. Believe in the risen Saviour, who was
delivered for your offences, and was RAISED
AGAIN FOR YOUR JUSTIFICATION.
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“Tell His disciples and Peter.”

Tell what? The glad Easter-news: The
Lord is risen. Tell whom? ‘‘Tell His disci-
ples and—Peter’’, says the angel. Who were
they? ‘They were poor sinners. They all left
their Master and fled. And why is Peter
named extra? Oh, poor Peter! He had de-
nied His dear Lord three times, and when he
came to see his great sin, he wept bitterly.
Now, all the disciples in their great sadness
should hear the words of comfort and of joy:
The Lord is risen. And Peter, poor Peter
must not be forgotten. How sweet it is to read
those words—‘‘and Peter’! To every sinner,
to the greatest sinner the Gospel must be
preached. Tell sinners the Gospel-news: ‘‘The
Lord is risen!’’ This is done in our mission-
work. It is done by our missionaries down
South, it is done by our mission-paper. ‘True
Christians, who haye found salvation in the
risen Saviour, cannot stand by idle, whilst the
Church is doing this work. They must help by
praying and by paying. Let them remember
the words: ‘“‘Tell His disciples and Peter.’’—
Our Missionaries can from these words take
comfort in their hard labor. They are the

bearers of the glad news: “‘The Lord is risen!’
It may often be very saddening for them to see
the Gospel rejected; but they will surely al-
ways find some one like Peter. Oh, tell him,
tell him the sweet Gospel-news: “The Lord is
risen!”

Tell His disciples and—Peter.’?

feelings, but admonishes us again and again to
trust in the word and promises of God. Our
feelings may deceive us. That Pharisee felt
exceedingly well, who, in his pride and self-
righteousness, exalted himself above the poor
publican, and all his fellow men. But his
proud feelings deceived him. He was not ac-
ceptable unto God as he thought himself to be.
He was not justified in God’s judgment. Our
feelings are also very changeable. In one hour
we may feel quite easy and joyful, and in the
(Concluded.) next we may be cast down and full of anxiety.
The answer given to the anxious inquirer is| To trust in our feelings would be building upon
this: ‘‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and|n uncertain ground, upon a sandy foundation.
thou shalt be saved.’’? Now, I know that the} What must I do to be saved? My dear friend,
great question, What must I do to be saved?|I can not give you a better answer than that
is not always answered in this manner. ‘There| Which Paul gave already 1800 years ago toa
are many that would say to an inquiring sinner, | Certain prisonkeeper, in the city of Philippi,
If you want to be saved, you must live a right- saying, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
eous life and do good works, and on account of thou shalt be saved and thy house.’’
your good works God will have mercy upon Whenever and wherever the same question
you and save you. is asked, then and there the same answer should
This sounds reasonable, but it is entirely be given, for Jesus is at all times the only
false, and a great lie of the devil. A sinner Saviour of sinners, and without Him there is
can never be his own saviour. He can neyer | 20 salvation.
make those sins undone which he has commit-| Jesus Christ is true God, begotten of the
ted. He can never appease God’s wrath. As Father from eternity, and also true man, born
long as a sinner is an unconverted sinner, he is| of the virgin Mary, God and man in one per-
even unable to do a single good work, anything | 890. He assumed our human nature and be-
which is really good in the sight of God. An| came like one of us in all things, sin excepted,
unconverted sinner may do a great many thus to live, to suffer and to die for us sinners,
things which seem to be good in the sight of| to fulfill for us the holy law of God which we
man. He may gotochurch. He may seem have transgressed, and to suffer that punish-
to pray. He may give to the poor. He may|™ent which we had merited by our sins and
live apparently a Christian life. But as long} iniquity. Just before our Saviour died on the
as the heart of a sinner is not changed, as long | cross He cried out triumphantly: “It is fin-
as the heart does not belong to God but to the ished.’’ The redemption of a sinful world was
devil, so long God can not be pleased with the| finished. This word of triumph was confirmed
so-called good works of such a sinner. The|and sealed when the Lord rose again from the
unconverted sinner is serving himself, not his dead on the third day. Now we know that
God and Creator. He is making an idol of| the Jaw of God is fulfilled, that God’s wrath
himself, and is an enemy and a rebel against against a sinful world is satisfied, that our sing
the true and living God. ‘The Lord Jesus, | ®re taken away, that the devil and his kingdom
therefore, compares the unconverted sinner to have been Overcome, and that God’s peace, for-
a corrupt tree, and says, ‘A corrupt tree can| giveness of sins, and everlasting life have been.
not bring forth good fruit.’’ Only true Christ-| procured for all sinners on earth.
ians, who are born again by the Spirit of God,| The following passages of Scripture plainly
may begin to do really good works, to love God| Prove that Jesus lived and suffered and dieq
above all things and their neighbor as them- for us all to accomplish the great work of our
selves. But even their holy life is not perfect redemption.
in this world. Sin is still cleaving unto them.} Gal. 4, 4. 5. “When the fulness of the time
They must confess with the prophet Isainh:| was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a
‘‘We are all as an unclean thing, and all our} woman, made under the law, to redeem them
righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Woe unto/ that were under the law, that we might receiya
us, therefore, if at any time God would deal/ the adoption of sons.””
with us only according to His holiness and} Is. 58, 4. 5. “Surely He hath borne oy,
righteousness, and according to our works and | griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we diq
worthiness; for then He would have to cast us| esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and ag.
away forever into hell. flicted. But He was wounded for our trang.

Might be shown us through His blood.

In His hands He hath forever
Mercy, Life, and sin, and death;
Christ His people can deliver,
All who come to Him in faith.
(Dr. Mf. Luther. 1524.)

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What must | do to be saved?
By the Rey. J. Dorscuer.