The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 91

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

91

The Holy Ghost Has Kept Me in the True Faith.

Thus Luther says in his explanation of the Third
Article. And so every true Christian confesses.
That I am still a Christian I owe to the gracious
working of the Holy Ghost. He that has brought
me to Christ has also till now kept me with Christ
in the true faith. And the latter is just as impor-
tant and necessary as the former. It is absolutely
necessary that I stay with Christ in true faith, if
I would be saved. Only he that is faitnfal unto
death will receive the crown of life, Rev.2,10. Only
he that endures unto the end will be caved Matt.
24, 18.

I can, however, no more stay with Jesus by my
own reason or strength than I can come to Him by
myself. Let a man rely on himself and soon he is
lost, for there are three mighty enemies who are
busy day and night endeavoring to draw us away
from Christ and His salvation. These enemies are
the devil, the world, and our own flesh.

The world is always busy trying to induce us
not to persevere. Sometimes she will try to bully

us back to her, and at another time she will use-

words sweet as honey. At one time she will try to
gain her end by mockings and persecutions, and
then again she will try it with flattering and coaxing.
So fierce are the world’s onslaughts and so enticing
her gentle beckonings that not one of us, if left to
himself, could withstand her, and every one of us
would soon cease being a pilgrim to the promised
land.

No less dangerous is our second enemy, the flesh.
Its sole aim, too, is to have us give up our pilgrim-
age. It is an enemy that is ever with us. The Old
Adam we can never rid ourselves of as long as we
live this life in the flesh. Daily we must experience
that in us, that is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good
thing. If we are prosperous, the flesh tries to make
prosperity a tool to bring us to fall; if adversities
assail us, the flesh presses these into its service.
When we are enjoying honor and good repute, we
are in great danger because of our Old Adam; and
when we are in shame and disrepute, the danger is
no less. Yes, the flesh is a terrible assailant which
is ever busy undermining our perseverance.

Finally, there is also the devil, who is forever
planning and plotting our overthrow. ‘‘Deep guile
and great might are his dread arms in fight, on
earth is not his equal.’? He knows our weak points
better than we know them ourselves; he knows
where and when and how to touch us; for every
soul he has his temptation, and for every man he
has his trap. He knows how to take one this way,

and the other the opposite way; he knows when to
beat the big drum and cry in thunder tones, and
he knows when to speak softly and sweetly to gain
hisend. He tries to stay our perseverance in service
by calling our attention to our poor success; when
sufferings come upon us, he uses them to persuade
us to give up our faith in God. If you are zealous,
he will try to turn you cold; and if in simplicity of
faith you continue steadfast in Jesus’ words and
the apostles’ doctrine, he will try to make you be-
lieve that steadfastness in doctrine is wholly un-
necessary.

Must it not be plain to us all, that “by might
of ours naught could be done, soon were our loss
effected’’? Blessed are we that it is not our strength
that must keep us, but that we are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet.
1,5. God has given us His promise, and so we may
be confident of this very thing, that He which hath
begun a good work in us will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1,6. The ‘‘good work’’
is the enkindling of faith in our hearts. Through
this faith we were brought to Christ, and in this
faith the Holy Ghost will keep us with Christ until
the last day. He that has called us is faithful, and
He will preserve us blameless unto the coming of |
our Lord Jesus Christ. We have God’s promise
that His Holy Spirit will strengthen us in our war-
fare against Satan, world, and flesh, and obtain for
us the victory.

The means by which the Holy Ghost keeps us
in the-true faith is the same which He uses in work-
ing faith in us, namely, the Gospel. By the Gospel
the Holy Ghost teaches us and increases our knowl-
edge of Jesus. By the Gospel He strengthens our
faith, inflames our love, and increases our hope.
By the Gospel He affords us enduring comfort in all
trials and tribulations, in all sorrows and sufferings.

Let us, therefore, diligently and faithfully use
the Gospel; let us gladly hear and learn God’s
Word and faithfuHy use the holy Sacraments, and
thus be saved unto life everlasting. To neglect the
use of the means of grace is soon to lose God’s grace
and be lost; but the diligent use of the Word and
Sacraments, through which alone the Holy Ghost
works, insures us the crown of life.

“Let me be Thine forever,
Thou faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never,
Nor wander from Thy Word.
Keep me from error’s mazes,
Lord, grant me constancy,
And I will sing Thy praises

In all eternity.”
F.J.L.