The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 74

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74

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Jesus as the only name given among men whereby
we must be saved. .Thus he brought the Gospel to
the people and made plain the way of salvation.
The pure Gospel light was hailed with rejoicing by
thousands who had been groping in the darkness
of popery, seeking in vain peace and rest and sal-
vation. Their hearts were gladdened and filled with
thanksgiving for God’s great mercy.

We also have reason to rejoice and to be thank-
ful for the work of the Reformation. It is owing
to that work that we have an open Bible and the
pure Gospel in our homes, in our churches and
schools. Let us praise God for His goodness and
for the blessings which are ours, not by our merit,
but by His mercy. May we also show our thank-
fulness by the proper use of the Gospel for our own
salvation and for the salvation of others. The true
children of the Reformation, appreciating its great
blessings, will embrace these themselves and will

help to bring them to others that they also may find’

salvation and be blessed by the pure Gospel of
Jesus. :

“J Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins.’’

Ii.

Can a believer be sure of the forgiveness of his
sins and of his salvation? Many people think he
cannot; they regard it as sinful security on the
part of a man to say: “I know that my sins are
forgiven; I know I am.an heir of heaven.” How-
ever, God in His Word speaks quite differently. If
there is one thing that the Bible tries to impress
upon our minds and hearts, it is the certainty of
forgiveness. Through the Psalmist the Lord has
given us the assurance: “But there is forgiveness
with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared,” Ps. 130, 4,

and the Bible fairly teems with such assurances and
promises. Yes, if we look closely, we shall find that

the whole purpose of the Bible in the end is this.

one thing: to make us sure of forgiveness and sal-
vation. Christ left His throne of glory and came
into this sinful world, Christ kept the Law and died
upon the cross, Christ rose on the third day and
ascended on high, — Christ did all this for this one
purpose: to make us certain of the forgiveness of
our sins and eternal salvation. Christ has insti-

tuted the office of the ministry to assure poor sinners
of forgiveness, and the purpose of every Gospel
sermon is to bring this blessed certainty. The
Sacrament of Baptism has also no other end in

view than to make us sure of our forgiveness, and
the Lord’s Supper likewise would do nothing else
than bring to our hearts this assurance. You see,
then, how God in every possible way would assure
us of the certainty of forgiveness and salvation.
Not only does He promise forgiveness again and
again, but He affirms His promise with an oath,
saying: “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he
turn. from his way and live.” Not only does God
promise His forgiveness, but to help our weak faith
He gives us pledges and tokens of His grace in Bap-
tism and the Holy Supper. What an insult, there-
fore, we offer to God in the face of all His assur-
ances to say that we cannot be certain of forgive-
ness! Surely, God cannot lie and He cannot break
His promise. Yes, if the matter stood so that our
faith in forgiveness rested upon our doing and our
works, we should indeed have reason to be uncer-
tain of forgiveness; for what assurance could we
then have that our works were sufficient? But our
faith rests upon God’s Word, upon that immovable
Word of which we know that it endureth forever.
And trusting’ in this certain promise of forgiveness,
the believer has also assurance of eternal salvation,
so that he can say with Paul: “I know whom I
have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to
keep that which I have committed unto Him against
that day. I am persuaded that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to sepa-
rate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus,-our Lord,” 2 Tim. 1, 12; Rom. 8, 38. 39.
This holy conviction of Paul, that his God would
keep him steadfast in faith’ unto the end, is a con-
viction that should live in the breast of every Chris-
tian; for to doubt my forgiveness and salvation is
doubting God’s Word and promise. Blessed is he
who, trusting in God’s assurance, says: .

“Just as I am—Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!”
Blessed is he who, trusting in God’s sure promise,
Says : t
“Bold shall I stand in Thy-great day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully by Thee absolved I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.”

© blessed the heart where this certainty dwells;

for there is peace, hope, and joy in the Holy
Ghost ! —