The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Page 58

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58

The Lutheran Pioneer.

How clearly this doctrine is revealed in the
Bible; Justification is and must be without works.
Because all the world is “guilty before God, there-
fore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh
be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3, 20). Flesh
here means the corrupted, depraved man (compare
Gen. 6,3). Because we are sinful, our works also
are sinful, hence insufficient before God. The Law
does not justify, but serves as a mirror to show us
our sin (verse 20), as a means of opening our
wounds and terrifying us. It cannot heal us by
any means. “He that worketh not, but believeth,
is justified.’ “As many as are of the works of
the Law are under the curse, have fallen from
grace.” Even if we would work every day from
morning till night, as the Israelites toiled in Egypt
under those cruel taskmasters; if we would also
weep many hours each day to blot out that dark
spot on our souls; aye, were we filled with such
zeal to fulfil the divine demands as never to allow
ourselves to rest one minute, — “all for sin could
not atone: God must save, and He alone.”

Justification is alone by grace. “We are justi-
fied freely by His grace” (Rom. 3,24). “The free
gift came upon all unto justification of life.’ If
justification and salvation would be of works, “grace
is no more grace”; but these gifts are by grace.
Glorious, glad tidings! But the terrified conscience
may perhaps cry out: “It cannot be! It sounds
too good to be true! The most high and righteous
God justify me, the sinful dust? Impossible!”
Nevertheless this message is sure and true. For is

it not often and plainly revealed in the Bible?

And were not the writers of the Bible inspired by.
the Holy Ghost? Is not this Book the infallible
Word of God? “Has Scripture e’er a falsehood
taught? Then this word also true must be: By
grace there is a crown for thee.” :

How then, can God justify the ungodly without
injury to His righteousness, which certainly de-
mands, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die’? How
can He forgive sins, not imputing them unto us?
St. Paul answers, “We are justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that ts in Christ
Jesus’ (Rom. 8, 24). God imputed our sins to
His own Son, our Substitute and Redeemer, and
judged and punished Him in our stead, imputing
Ohrist’s righteousness to us. “God hath set Him
forth as a propitiation, hath made His soul an
offering for sin. He was wounded for our trans-
gressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” (Also
see 2 Cor. 5, 21.) Im the very act of punishing

Christ in our stead, God satisfied the demands of
His righteousness and declared it (Rom. 3, 25. 26).
He declares the sinner righteous for Christ’s sake.
— In the dark ages of popery Christians trembled
when they heard Christ’s name mentioned. They
regarded Him as a cruel Judge, being ignorant of
the sweet truth which we possess again since the
days of the Reformation, that in Christ we sinners
have a Savior. Rejoicingly we now sing:

I-lay my sins on Jesus,

The spotless Lamb of God;

He bears them all, and frees us

From the accursed load.

I bring my guilt to Jesus

To wash my crimson stains

White in His blood most precious,

Till not a spot remains.

This justification, and with it salvation, are
accepted, appropriated, by fatth. “Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith, without
the deeds of the Law” (Rom. 3, 28). Faith is here
contrasted with works; it does not in any way
come into consideration as a work, but is merely
the hand whereby we receive justification. ‘The
promise by faith of Jesus Christ is given to them
that believe” (Gal. 3, 22). We “receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3, 14).

Justification by faith gives all. glory to God
alone, none to us, in the matter of our salvation. -
Because we are justified without the works, “every
mouth is stopped.” “Where is boasting then? It .
is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but
by the law of faith” (Rom. 3, 27). This teaching
alone can effectually console the sinful conscience,
even in the hour of death, when all human works
are miserable comforters. As true Lutherans let
us ever adhere to, and guard over, this priceless
pearl, justification by faith, the chief article of
Christian doctrine, whereby _God’s Church dis-
tinguishes itself from all false religions.

H. OsterHus.

Ordination and Installation at
4 Meherrin, Va.

The fourth Sunday after Trinity, July 1, was
a day of special rejoicing for the small, but faith-
ful Colored Lutheran congregation at Meherrin,
Va. On that Sunday Candidate J. W. Fuller was
ordained and installed there as pastor of the little

flock and missionary for that place by the under-

signed, in the presence of the congregation, which