The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 13

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

18

Let us look at David’s prayer for forgiveness in
Ps. 51: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to Thy loving-kindness: according unto the multi-
tude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgres-
sions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge
my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”
“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Dayid wants to stand before God free from his sins,
wholly clean, so that he is whiter than snow. In
order that he might so appear, he asks God to wash
him, to cleanse him, by blotting out his sins. Why
should God do this? “TIave mercy upon me, O God,
according to Thy loving-kindness: according unto
the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions,” he says. He does not ask God to
look at his good works; for what is troubling David
is just this, that according to his works he is guilty
and deserves to be condemned, for he says: “For
I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is
ever before me.” Because his sins are staring him
in the face, he pleads for mercy, for this mercy, that
God will not look upon his works, but look upon him
according to His own loving-kindness, according
unto the multitude of His tender mercies. He prays
in Ps. 25, 7: “Remember not the sins of my youth,
nor my transgressions: according to Thy merey re-
member Thou me for Thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.”
Again, v.11: “For Thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon
mine iniquity; for it is great.”

Now, if we do not want God to declare us just
without regarding our works, we do not want Him
to remember us according to His mercy for His
goodness’ sake; we do not want Him to blot out our
transgressions according unto the multitude of His
tender mercies; we do not want forgiveness. If you
think God will declare you free from sin because of
your groaning and crying, because of your much
praying, because of your earnestness, because of your
good intentions, what are you really trying to do?
You are trying to atone for your sins, to pay the
debt; in this way you are trying to make satis-
faction. And because this is the thought in their
heart, therefore, I presume, some people imagine
that they are partly justified, have forgiveness for
some sins, while there are still some sins for which
they must obtain forgiveness, thus making manifest
that they are endeavoring to make atonement. If
we think that God in judging us ought to consider
that people cannot truthfully speak evil of us, that
we have not done such deeds as murder, theft,
adultery, and the like; or if we wish God to take

into account that we go to church, help to support
the minister, and give to the poor; or if we think
that God in rendering His verdict ought not to over-
look the fact that we are upright in heart, that we
truly love Him and our neighbor: then we do not
want forgiveness, we want to be justified by our
works. If we do not, then, expect to be wholly jus-
tified by our works, we at least wish to be declared
righteous partly for what we have done, and partly
by forgiveness. :

But there is no such forgiveness or justification
in God’s sight taught in Scripture. If there were
forgiveness with God based upon such consider-
ations, though it be only in part, forgiveness would
not be the same as justification without works.
What are we doing, if-we want God to consider these
things in forming His opinion of us, even we who
are Christians and who to some extent have done
God’s will? We are then asking God to enter into
judgment with us, and what that means we may
learn from Ps. 143, 2: “And enter not into judg-
ment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no
man living be justified.” We can have God to con-
sider our good works, He will if we insist on it;
but then woe unto us! Then we wish God to deal
with us according to the Law, and according to law
and justice He must condemn us, as it is written
James 2, 10: “Whosoever shall keep the whole Law,
and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
And again, Gal. 3, 10: “For as many as are of the
works of the Law are under the curse: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the Law
to do them.” If God marks how we keep the Law,
we are lost; He must condemn us. Let us, there-
fore, plead for forgiveness, justification without

works. J. Pu. S.
(To be continued.)

Not Brought Up for the World.

Oné evening, in the parlor of a hotel, the young
people were dancing. One young lady did not take
any part in the exercise. “Does not your daughter
dance?” asked a lady of this young lady’s mother.

“No,” was the reply. :

“Why, how will she get on in the world?”

“T am not bringing her up for the world,” was
the quiet answer.

That young lady is now a wife and mother, and
the influence of her consecrated life is felt in many
of the Christian interests of a great city.