The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 18

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18

The Lutheran Pioneer.

deny the Lord that bought them’’ with His own pre-
cious blood, ‘‘and bring upon themselves swift de-
struction,’”’ 2 Pet. 2, 1.

All, however, that trust in the blood of Christ for
salvation enjoy the redemption of sinners. They
are cleansed from all sin by the blood of God’s Son.
In Christ Jesus they are ‘‘made nigh by the blood
of Christ?’ and are ‘‘now justified by His blood and
shall be saved from wrath through Him.”’

The precious blood of Christ! In it we have the
forgiveness of sins (“my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins,’’
Matt. 26, 28); in it we have peace with God(‘‘having
made peace through the blood of His cross,’’ Col. 1,
20); in it we have the victory over Satan (‘‘they over-
came him by the blood of the Lamb,”’ Rev. 12, 11);
in it we have access into the presence of God with
perfect confidence (‘‘having boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus,’’ Hebr. 10, 19).

The precious blood of Christ! It is the song of
God’s children here on earth, not only in the season
of Lent, but during all the time of their pilgrimage;
and it is still their song of triumph and of joy as
they enter the heavenly gates and join the throng
of those that have come out of great tribulation and
have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. The saints in heaven make
the blood of Christ the joyful theme of their song of
praise, singing before the throne of the Lamb:
“Thou wast slain, and‘hast redeemed us to God

“by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation,’’ Rev. 5, 9.

Willing to Save.

Christ is able and also willing to save to the utter-
most. Do you doubt His willingness? Remem-
ber the dying thief, nailed to the cross! His feet,
while he had the use of them, had trodden the high-
way of sin; his hands, while he had the use of
them, had been stretched forth in deeds of violence;
a moment before, he had joined with the rest in
’ ‘their bitter revilings against Jesus, yet, through the

grace and mercy of God, the light of thé truth en-
tered his wretched heart, in his dying hour. He
' took the place of an undone sinner and turned to
the Saviour with the prayer of faith, ‘“Lord, remem-
ber me, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’?
And this appeal of the wretched sinner was in-
stantly answered by the unspeakably gracious reply,
‘¢T'o-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.’’ What
@ gracious Saviour! How willing and how quick to
_ Baye, even in the midst of His own great agony |”

Such is still His willingness to save, even the
greatest of sinners. He is ‘‘Jesus Christ the same
yesterday, to-day, and forever.’’ His invitation still
comes to sinners in the Gospel: ‘‘Come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.’? And His gracious promise still is: ‘‘Him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”’

“Did He ever turn any away—

The sick or the sad?

The same mighty Saviour to-day
Will make thy heart glad.

Who comes to Him is not cast out,
But Instantly blest.

Why trouble thyself with a doubt?
He gives thee His rest.”

re + 0oe

“J Have the Peace.’’

A young lady was dying, and one Scripture
passage that had come to her when in health came
to her at this time. It was the passage from the
fifty-third chapter of the Prophet Isaiah: ‘‘He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for
our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was
upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”
She fully rested for salvation in Him of whom the
prophet speaks.

A friend said to her one day, ‘‘You suffer much,
I fear.’’

“Yes,” she said; ‘‘but’’— pointing to her hand
—‘‘there is no nail there. He had the nails, I have
the peace.’’

Laying her hand on her brow, she said, ‘‘There
are no thorns here., He had the thorns, I have the
peace.””

Touching her side, she said, ‘““There is no spear
here. He had the spear, I have the peace.”’

oS

Foolishness to Them that Perish.

Said an infidel to a Christian, ‘‘How can I be-
lieve that through the blood of the crucified Christ
man may obtain forgiveness of sins? Isn’t that
foolishness?”’

“Certainly!’’ replied the Christian.
what also St. Paul calls it.’’

‘“You are joking,” said the infidel; ‘‘the Apostle
Paul and I surely do not agree.”’

‘*Just read this,’’ said the Christian, pointing the
infidel to 1 Cor. 1, 18 in his Bible: ‘“The preaching ~
of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness.”’ ‘

The infidel read the passage and grew silent.
Later on he began to read the Bible in earnest, and
soon the preaching of the cross was no longer fool-
ishness to him, but the power of God unto salvation. —

“That is