The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 33

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY

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MOONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SyNopICAL CONFERENCE OF NortTH AMERICA.

KR. A. BISCILOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. XXVII.

St. Woaie Mo., May, 1905.

No. 5.

At Peace.

A mind at perfect peace with God,
Oh, what a word is this!

A sinner reconciled to God—
This, this indeed is peace.

By nature and by practice far,
How very far from God!

But now by grace brought nigh to Him
Through faith in Jesus’ blood.

So near, so very near to God,
I cannot nearer be,

For in the person of His Son
I am as near as He.

So dear, so very dear to God,
I cannot dearer be,

The love wherewith He loves His Son,
Such is His love to me.

Why should I ever anxious be
Since such a God is mine?

He watches o’er me night and day,
And tells me, ‘‘Mine is thine.”

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Peace by Jesus Christ.

When sin entered the world, the peace which
existed between God and man came toanend. The
carnal mind, the mind of the flesh, is enmity against
God. Sin is rebellion against God, who is ‘‘not a
God that hath pleasure in wickedness.’’ The holy
God hates and must punish sin.

If peace between God and man was to be re-
stored, sin must be put away and the punishment
of sin must be borne. Therefore God, in order to
make peace, sent His own Son to die for us “‘when
we were enemies.’? At His birth the angels sang,
‘‘Peace.on earth.’? The prophet says, ‘‘The chas-
tisement of our peace was upon Him.’”? ‘“‘He made

peace through the blood of His cross,’ says the
apostle. 5

Yes, peace has been made by Jesus Christ, of
whom the apostle says, ‘‘He is our peace.’”’? ‘‘The
God of peace brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus,’ says the Bible. By bringing Him again
from the dead He declared Himself perfectly satis-
fied with the work of His Son. He gave to all sin-
ners the assurance that sin is put away by the sacri-
fice of His own Son and that peace is made.

Therefore Christ, when, after His resurrection,
He came to His timid and restless disciples, greeted
them with the comforting words, ‘‘Peace be unto
you.’? No wonder the disciples were glad when
they saw the Lord. The words with which their
risen Saviour greeted them were not an empty wish.
They gave to the disciples the peace which He made
by His blood, of which He reminded them when
‘‘He showed them His hands and His side.’? The
disciples by faith accepted this peace secured and
brought to them by Christ, and their hearts were
filled with gladness. ‘

This peace has been secured by Jesus Christ for
all sinners, and is offered to all sinners in the Gospel.
The risen Saviour said to His disciples, ‘‘As my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” They,
too, should be preachers of the Gospel, which is the
message of peace. ‘‘How beautiful upon the moun-
tains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace.’” Whenever Christ’s mes-
senger preaches the good Gospel tidings, Jesus Him-
self comes to the sinner with His comforting greet-
ings: ‘‘Peace be unto you.’’ The Gospel speaks
of wrath endured, of sin forever put away, and: of
peace made by Jesus Christ. All our mission work
is nothing else than “‘the preaching of peace’’ to
poor, restless sinners.