The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 10

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10

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Salvation in Christ.

Little Annie had well learned at school the
Gospel plan of salvation in Christ. One day the
teacher said to her, “Annie, what will you do when
you die and are called upon to stand before the
judgment-seat of God?”

Her face glowed with emotion as she answered,
“Christ died for sinners. J will hide behind Him.
God will not look at me. He will look at Christ.”

Beautiful thought! ‘To hide behind Christ, to
lose ourselves in Him, and, casting aside our own
works, .to rest solely and entirely on His finished
work for salvation !

What Lutheranism Teaches.

Lutheranism teaches that God hates no man,
that He loves all men, and wills that all men be
saved. It teaches, further, that the Son of God
has propitiated God for all men, and redeemed
them, and that He has blotted out the sins of all
men, and purchased for all the forgiveness of their
sins and a perfect righteousness. It teaches that
God passes over no one, but earnestly urges every
one to receive His grace. It teaches that the Gospel
is a great, universal absolution, which God has al-
ready proclaimed to all men, which every one can
‘take to himself, and every one —even the greatest
sinner —can depend upon as certainly as God is
true. It teaches that even those who have fallen
often can return and again find grace. It teaches
that the decisive question is not whether man feel
grace and peace with God and the forgiveness of
sins, but whether he believe the promise of grace
and forgiveness; for as man believes from the heart
God to be, whether angry or gracious, so is He. It
teaches that only two classes of men will not be
saved; namely, those who want to help themselves
out of their sins, and those who want to remain in
their sins.— Dr. Walther.

Real Christians.

Whoever is not Christ’s own is the devil’s
property.

A Christian is not made, but born, that is, he
is not fashioned by the power of man, but planted
by the hand of God.

It is a great deal more to be a real Christian
than to be a “good” man, Many a one is seemingly

a “good” man, but he is no Christian, because ‘he
does not believe in Christ. ‘The real “goodness”
consists in faith in Christ.

A real Christian is a child of God, an heir of
the kingdom, a brother of Christ, a companion of
the angels, a lord of the universe, partaking of the

divine nature of his Lord and Savior.

A real Christian is a better and more useful
man than any other man on earth. A Christian
ranks highest, although he may be a poor cobbler.

If you believe in Christ, hear His Word will-
ingly, and receive it sincerely, you are a real Cliris-
tian, notwithstanding your sinfulness.

He who in all things will heed that capital word,
“Thus saith the Lord,” may always live in full hope
and happiness.

The greatest virtue of a real Christian is his
humility. His greatest danger is to become proud,

especially if he is endowed with mental gifts and

talents.

A real Christian is a saint, whether he be a lay-
man or a minister, a man or a woman. Who dis-
putes this, sets at naught the sacrament of Baptism,
the blood of Christ, and the grace of the Holy Ghost.

A real Christian will bear in mind that his daily
conversation is a gospel to his neighbors. It will
not do to hide his faith; he must show it in order
to promote the welfare of his neighbors’ souls.

Taher.

—_— see —--__

How the Scandal Grew.

Mrs. A. (to Mrs. B.): “That Mrs. Newcomer
is so fond of her children. The other day when I
called she was blowing soap bubbles with them
through a common clay pipe.”

Mrs. B. (to Mrs. C.): “That Mrs. Newcomer
isso funny. Mrs. A. saw nee amusing her children
with a common clay pipe.”

Mrs. C. (to Mrs. D.): “Just think! That
Mrs. Newcomer smokes a common clay pipe.”

Mrs. D. (to Mrs. E.): “Well, well! That
Mrs. Newcomer smokes a horrid pipe. I don’t see
how any woman in her sober senses could do that.”

Mrs. E. (to Mrs. F.): “Did you ever hear the
like? ‘That Mrs. Newcomer smokes a pipe and
drinks awfully !”

And so the scandal grew eth mouth to mouth
as the snowball grows when rolled through the
snow. But remember: “He that speaketh lies shall
not escape,” Prov. 19, 5. “Speak not evil one of
another,” James 4, 11.

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