The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 29

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer. 29

sins being laid on Him, He has made full atone-
ment for them all. ‘‘He is the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of
the whole world,’’ 1 John 2, 2. Our sins must be
punished, divine justice demands it. Christ bore
the punishment, and the vials of God’s wrath were
poured out upon Him. Yes, even the sins of those
who refuse to acknowledge Him as their Saviour did
Christ atone for. He paid the price of redemption
even for those who deny Him, 2 Pet.2,1. If any
man does not enter heaven, it is not because it is
not open for him, but because he will not enter.
All men are lost, but ‘‘the Son of man is come
to save that which was lost,’’ Matt. 18,11. Here
is not a soul which Christ has not redeemed. His
purpose in coming was to redeem every lost soul,
and He has fulfilled His purpose. When He died
upon the cross He had finished His work of re-
demption, He had paid the full ransom for our souls.
And now one more thought. He has borne all

men’s sins, therefore He has also borne mine, He
has also saved me lost and condemned creature.

My sins and griefs on Him were laid;

He meckly bore the mighty load:

My ransom-price He fully paid,

In groans and tears, in sweat and blood.

F.J.L.

+ ee

“J Belong to Death’s Master.”

A Christian woman was dying of internal can-
cer. She was attended by a Roman Catholic nurse,
who was very much astonished at the calm patience
and peace of the poor sufferer. A friend one day
called tosee her. The door was opened by the nurse.

‘*How is Mrs. to-day?” inquired the friend.

‘*She is very ill, sir,’ was the reply. The nurse
then gave the following details: ‘‘Last night she
was seized with violent pains and I thought she was
dying. I said to.her, ‘You are dying; shall I send
for the priest?’

‘Oh, no,’ she said, ‘I don’t want your priest.
I know my Bible and am ready to die at any
moment.’

‘But,’ I said, ‘are you not afraid to die?’

‘*<No, indeed, not a bit,’ she replied.

‘¢<Ne]] ‘me why you are not afraid to die,’ I said.

‘She replied joyously, ‘Because I belong to
death’s Master. I am a poor sinner saved by
grace.’”’

Dear Christian woman! She had peace in the
face of death. By faith in Christ she belonged to
Him who in His resurrection proved Himself to be
the Master of death. Why should she fear to die?

She belonged to Him who as death’s Master has the
keys of death and is alive for evermore, and who
says to all that believe in Him, ‘“‘Because I live, ye
shall live also.”? Again He says, ‘‘I am the Res-
urrection and the Life; he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live; and who-
soever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
‘‘Jesus, my Redeemer, lives!
I, too, unto life must waken;
Endless joy my Saviour gives;
Shall my courage then be shaken?
Shall I fear? or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead?
‘Nay, too closely am I bound
Unto Him by hope forever;
Faith’s strong hand the Rock hath found,
Grasped it, and will leave it never;
Not the ban of death can part
From its Lord the trusting heart.’’

2 _____

Faith in Christ.

Faith is a certain steadfast beholding, which
looketh upon nothing else but Christ, the Con-
queror of sin and death, and the Giver of righteous-
ness, salvation, and eternal life. If I would find
comfort when my conscience is afflicted, or when
Iam at the point of death, I must do nothing but
lay hold of Christ by faith, and say, I believe in
Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who suffered, was
crucified, and died for me; in whose wounds and
in whose death I see my sin; and in His resurrec-
tion victory over sin, death, and the devil; besides
Him, I see nothing, I hear nothing. This is true
faith concerning Christ, and in Christ; Christ and
our faith must be thoroughly joined together. I can-
not comprehend, nor be at all assured by reason
that I am received into God’s favor for Christ’s
sake; but I hear this to be pronounced by the Gos-
pel, and lay hold upon it by faith. With faith
always must be joined a certain assurance of God’s
mercy. Now this assurance comprehends a faithful
remission of sins for Christ’s sake; for it is impos-
sible thy conscience should look for anything at
God’s hand, unless first it be assured that God is
merciful to thee for Christ’s sake.— Luther. —

ooo

Christ is All in All.

“Christ came as the Physician to the spiritually
sick, as the Redeemer to the captives of sin, as the
Way to those who had wandered afar off, as the
Life to the dead in trespasses and sins, and ‘as a
Saviour to the lost.”