The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 90

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90

The Lutheran Pionsers

A Faithful Saying.

The Christmas tidings of the Savior’s birth may
well fill our hearts with joy. They are a faithful
saying. What does that mean? It means a true
saying, worthy of belief. They. are good tidings
—the Christmas tidings. But they are not too
good to be true. No. They are a faithful saying,
a true saying. The Apostle Paul says: “This is
a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin-
ners, of which I am chief,” 1 Tim. 1, 15.

“Christ Jesus came into the world.” He came
from heaven, from the glory which He had with
the Father from all eternity. St. John, speaking
of the Son of God as the Word, writes: “In the
beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word
was made flesh.” It was the Word, God’s own Son,
that was made flesh and came into the world. He
took upon. Himself our human nature, and was
born of the Virgin Mary in the holy Christmas
night. That Child for whom there was no room
in the inn and who was laid in the manger was
“Christ the Lord,” the almighty Maker of all things,
God over all, blessed forever. He was a true human
child. Yes. But He was more than that. He was
at the same time God’s only-begotten Son. He was
God and man in one person. He was “true God,
begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true
man, born of the Virgin Mary.” Just such a
Savior we needed. Such a Savior was promised.
And “when the fullness of the time was come, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law,”
Gal. 4, 4. 5. “God so loved the world that He gave
His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,”
John 3, 16. “Great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh,” 1 Tim. 3, 16. Yes,
it is a mystery, above all human understanding,
and therefore foolishness to those who in the pride
of their own wisdom know not God and to their
own destruction reject that which is the wisdom
and power of God for man’s salvation. No matter
what foolish man may think or say, the Christmas
tidings are a faithful, a true saying.

This faithful saying is surely “worthy of all
_ acceptation.” In it-we have the firm assurance of

our salyation and our only comfort in life and
death. By sin we were subject to the wrath of the
holy God, who hates sin’and who must punish the

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transgression of His holy Law. We could not help
ourselves, neither could a mere man save us from
everlasting damnation. In our helplessness God
Himself came to our rescue. God so loved the world
that He gave His only-begotten Son to save us from
utter ruin and endless woe. God’s own Son became
man, and took the sinners’ place under the Law,
fulfilling all its demands, and enduring its curse
and punishment in the sinners’ stead. 'To this end
Christ Jesus came into the world. ‘Therefore -the

_angel, in making known His birth, said: “Unto

you is born this day, in the city of David, a
Savior.”

This saying is “a faithful saying, and worthy
of all acceptation.” In it every sinner may find
peace and salvation. “Christ Jesus came into the
world do save sinners.” Not a certain favored class
of sinners, but sinners; that is, all sinners, even
the chief of sinners. Therefore the angel said that
the Christmas tidings of great joy “shall be to all
people.” There is none excepted, not one. No
matter who you are, you are a sinner, and the
Savior born at Bethlehem is your Savior. 'l'rust
in this faithful saying, and accept the Savior as
your own. Peace and salvation will then be yours.

Trusting in this faithful saying, you will also
have the assurance of God’s love in the darkest
hour of grief and sorrow. Much of life is dark.
There is much sorrow and heartache; and the be-
liever may often be tempted to doubt God’s good-
ness. But the faithful saying that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners brings light
into the darkness. In the light of this saying all
doubts are stilled. He who gave His own Son to be
a sacrifice for our sins surely loves us, and His
ways are ways of mercy. His purpose towards us
is one of love.

Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,
Who to save Freely gave

Us His dearest treasure?

To redeem us He hath given ~

His own Son From the throne

Of His might in heaven.

In the faithful Christmas saying we may also
find inspiration for our mission work. ‘The aim of
all our mission work is to make known for the
salvation of perishing souls the glad tidings that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
There is at times much to discourage us, and we
might’ well despair if the tidings we proclaim were
a doubtful saying, an invention of the human mind.
But that is not so. No, no! ‘The tidings are a
faithful saying, a true saying. They are God’s own

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