The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1898, Page 33

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PusuisHep By THE Evancenicat Lurneran Synopicat ConFrerence or Norta AMERIGA.
R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XX.

St. Louis, Mo.,

September, 1898.

No. 9.

Trials.
Dear Lord, I cannot see
Why Thou hast wounded me,
But this [ know, —
This cross must needed be,
Thou dost not willingly
Afllict me so.

Dear Lord, I do not know
Why I am tempted so,
But Thou canst tell;
If it shall give me strength,
Make me like Christ at length,
Then all is well.

In trial or in loss,
In toil, or heavy cross,
Whate’er my way,
Lord, I would walk with Thee
Until Thy face I see,
In cloudless day.
Selected.

—_—_—= —- o<= 0 a

Salvation by Faith.

In the seventh chapter of Luke we read the

sweet story of ‘‘a woman in the city, which
was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at

meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an ala-

baster box of ointment, and stood at His feet

behind Him weeping, and began to wash His

feet with tears, and did wipe them with the

hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and
anointed them with ointment.’’ Christ’s words
of grace had reached her sinful heart, and she
could only bow in speechless gratitude and
praise. The Pharisee who had invited our
Lord to be his guest argued very wisely, as
he thought, that if Jesus knew the sinful
character of the woman, and did not spurn
her, He was not holy; and if He did not know
it, He was not omniscient; so that in either
case He could not be the promised Messiah.

But Jesus read his heart, and showed him
how little he understood the greatness of the
sinner’s debt. He showed him that he to
whom much is forgiven loveth much. Then
turning to the weeping one at his feet, ““He
said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.” He
spoke to her as the divine Redeemer who had
Come to save all sinners, even the chief of
Sinners. When they that sat at meat with

Him began to wonder that He forgave sins,

by faith.

It was a personal salvation.
hath saved thee.’’ It was not another’s faith,
but her own.

himself. ‘‘The just shall live by his faith,”’
Hab. 2, 4.

It was salvation by believing. ‘‘Thy Frartn
hath saved thee.”’

her faith and her own works, but faith alone.

tion and makes it his own.

out the deeds of the law,’’ Rom. 3, 28.
It was a present salvation.
HATH saved thee.’’

future time, but it had already saved her.

standing which Christ has before God. “There

which are in’Christ Jesus,” Rom. 8, 1.

It was a perfect salvation. ‘Thy faith
hath savep thee.’’ It was not that her faith
had helped or started her on the road to sal-
vation, but it had completely saved her from
the curse and punishment of sin. By faith
the sinner grasps the finished work of Christ
and enjoys a perfect salvation to which noth-
ing can be added on the sinner’s part. It is
the free gift of God and a perfect gift. ‘‘By
GRACE ye are saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
Eph. 2, 5. 8.

It was an assuring salvation. “Thy faith
hath saved THEE.” It was not only that Peter
and James and John were saved, but she her-
self, a little while before an outcast sinner,
was saved. He that has salvation by faith
has the assurance, not simply that Christ is a
Saviour, but that Christ is his Saviour. He
says with St. Paul, ‘The life which I now live

He again turned to the weeping woman at
His feet and said to her, ‘‘Thy faith hath
saved thee; go in peace.”” She had salvation |”

“Try faith

No one can be saved by an-
other’s faith, but every one must believe for

It was not her faith and
love, nor her faith and good resolutions, nor

Salvation has been procured by Christ for all
sinners, and faith alone is the God-given hand
by which the sinner lays hold of that salva-
“Therefore we
conclude, that man is justified by faith with-

“Thy faith
It was not that her faith

might save, or shall save her merely at some

The moment the sinner lays hold of Christ by
faith he is in Christ and enjoys at once the

is therefore Now no condemnation to them

-rope should not do.’’

in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave Himself for
ME,’’ Gal. 2, 20.
It was a peaceful salvation. ‘Thy faith
hath saved thee; goin reEace.’’ He that has
salvation by faith, has nothing to fear. He is
reconciled to God, his sins are all forgiven,
hell is closed and heaven is opened to him.
Amid all the trials and tribulations of this
world he enjoys perfect peace. Even death
has lost its terrors and has become the bright
gateway to everlasting life. ‘‘Being justified
by faith, we HAVE reAce with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ,’’ Rom. 5, 1. ‘
Reader, have you this salvation by faith ?
There is no other way of laying hold of sal-
vation than by faith in Jesus who comes to
you in the Gospel as your Saviour and your
Redeemer. ‘‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved,’’ Acts 16, 31.

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What All Can Do.

Several children once were playing in a
garden when one of them fell into a tank.
Immediately there was a great excitement, as
each one hurried here and there to obtain
means to help his brother out. When the
father afterward heard of it, he called them
together and asked by what means they res-
cued their brother from his perilous situation.
The eldest said, ‘‘I fetched a rope, father, to
throw to him;’’ the second said, ‘‘I brought
a ladder to throw into the water in case the
After inquiring of the
others until he came to the youngest, he said,
‘‘And, John, what did you do to rescue your
brother?’’ John answered, ‘Father, what
could Ido? Iam so young I could not do
anything. I stood on the bank of the tank
and cried as loud as I could.”’ Now, if each
can not bring a ladder or a rope, all can cry,
all can plead with God to pity those who know
him not.

——2-

Gop’s answer to all our doubts as to His

willingness to help in time of need is, ‘‘Knock,

and it shall be opened unto you. Seek, and

ye shall find.”