The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 25

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NOTICE TO READER.

When you finish reading this magazine, place a 1-cent stamp on this

notice, hand same to any postal employee, and it will be placed Jn the
hands of our soldiers or sailors at the front.

No Wrapping — No Address,

A. 8, BURLESON, Postmaster-Gencral,

Dhe Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

——____ as @.

Pupiisuep BY THE Evancerican Lutueranx Synopicat ConxFERENcE of Nort AMErRtcA.

Rey. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Entered at the Post Onice at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

OUIS, MO., APRIL, 1918. No. 4.

Easter.

No longer the bonds of death and night
Are holding our Hero in prison;

The forces of Satan are put to flight,
For Christ, our Lord, is risen.

No longer He hangs on Calvary’s tree,
He lies in the grave no longer;

His vanquished foe, th’ Archenemy,
Must own Him as the Stronger.

No longer God’s righteous wrath we fear
At our transgressions shameless;

By raising Christ, our Savior dear,

He has declared us blameless.

No longer we dread our dying day,
For our Redeemer liveth, 0
Hence we shall also live for aye; —
What comfort Easter giveth!

H. Osrernus.

The Visible Church.

By the phrase “visible Church”. we designate all
people that profess the fundamental truths of the
Christian religion, gather about the preaching of
the Word of God, and partake of the Sacrament.
It is unavoidable that the number of these outward
professors comprise not only true, but also false
Christians; not only real believers, but also pre-
tenders, hypocrites. Even among the twelve dis-
ciples of our Lord there was one who later un-
masked himself as a hypocrite: Judas Iscariot, who
betrayed his Master with a kiss. Christ likens the
Church, the kingdom of heaven, unto a net wherein
good and bad fishes have been gathered. In another
parable He likens it to a field which brings forth
wheat and tares, the former having been sown by
God, the latter by Satan, God’s enemy. ‘There are
in all church denominations such members as for
temporal advantage, profit, or glory parade as sin-

cere followers of Christ, whereas they, in reality,

are spiritually dead members of His body. Con-
demnation is pronounced upon them in Matt. 7, 21;

15,8; 23, 14, and similar texts. Sanctimoniousness”

and lip-service are an abomination in the sight of

God. Many have become traitors to God as Bene-

dict Arnold was a traitor to his country. We can-
not, however, before the end of the world, detect
the hypocrites, unless their unbelief becomes evident
byexternal ungodliness and contempt of God’s Word
and the Sacraments. We are forbidden to judge
people’s hearts (Luke 6,37), for they are hidden
from our eyes. God alone searcheth and trieth the
hearts and reins. He knows His own, and is not

deceived even by the shrewdest dissembler. If we

ey
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