The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 35

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The Lutheran Pioneer. : 3

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greatly magnified by the fact that they proceed
from God’s efernal counsel.

We have been chosen “in Him,” Christ, Eph.
1,4. We were not chosen without, but in Christ.
Without Christ theré is no salvation. Christ is the

* Author, and His precious merits are the cause, of
our salvation. Tor Christ’s sake we have been chosen
from eternity. “The Holy Trinity directs all per-
sons to Christ, as to the book of life, in whom they
should seek the eternal election of the Father. For
this was decreed from eternity by the Father, that
those whom He would save He would save through
Christ; as Christ Himself says: *No man cometh
unto the Father but by Me?” (Formula of Concord.)

God elected His own unto life eternal; but the

purpose for which He chose them is stated more
fully in the Book. “He hath chosen us . . . thal
we should be holy and without blame before Him in
love; having predestinaled us unto the adoplion of
children by Jesus to Himself” (Eph. 1, 4.5). Pre-
destinate means foreordain. God decreed from eter-
nity to adopt us as His children through Jesus. The
text does not say that He foresaw that we would be-
lieve and become His children and was thereby con-
strained to elect us. Just the opposite is stated: He
predestinated us in order that we should be His chil-
dren by faith in Christ Jesus. He foreordained us
unto the adoption of children. Our faith is the re-
sult, not the cause, of His election. (Acts 13, 4. 8;
2 Thess. 2,13.) But not only did He design and
decree that we should be His justified sons and
daughters, but also, that our faith should bear the
fruit of good works. He purposed “that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love”; that
we should lead a Christian life, walking before Him
in righteousness and holiness, thus greatly pleasing
Him. He willed that we should walk in love, which
is the fulfilment of the Law, performing good works
to His glory and the welfare of our neighbor.
Finally, we were also chosen to enter into heaven.
This is stated, for example, in Rom. 8, 28—30,
* where we read: “\Whom He did predestinate, them
He also called; and whom He called, them He also
justified; and whom He justified, them. He also
glorified. ” God not only justifies His elect, work-
ing faith within them, but also glorifies them, re-
ceives them into the kingdom of glory. (Acts 13, 48;

2 Thess. 2, 13.)

Let us now return to Eph.1. There we are also
told what.caused God to choose His own unto salva-
tion. He has chosen us “according to the good
pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of

awe ce oS ree

His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the
Beloved,” vv. 5.6. Not anything good that He fore-
saw or foreknew about us, but His good and gracious
will alone, caused Him to elect us. It was His will
that we should not perish in our sin, that we should
turn from our evil ways and be rescued. It was
His firm determination that Satan, world, and flesh
should not prevent our salvation. Paul very often
emphasizes the important fact that not anything in

us, neither our right conduct nor our good works, .

but divine grace alone, is the cause of our salva-
tion. Read Eph. 2, 5—10. We are not converted,
enlightened, saved by anything we did, our good de-
portment, ete., but by grace alone. We should with
the Apostle ascribe our conversion, salvation, and
election only to God’s merey and grace, and not to
anything that God foresaw in us. Thus all honor
is given to God. “It is therefore false to teach that

not God’s mercy alone and Christ’s most holy merit

are the cause, but that in us also there is a cause on
account of which God has elected us to everlasting
life.” (Formula of Coucord.)

This, then, is the doctrine of predestination as
it is clearly revealed in the Bible. Next time we
shall consider how we should use this salutary doc-
trine aright. H. Osteruus.

Blessed Are the Dead which Die in
the Lord. 3

(For Memorial Day.)

O ye that have ended the years

Of life with its joys and tears,

And, tired on earth to roam,

Have gone to your heavenly home, —

Ye are truly blessed indeed:

From pain ye have now been freed,
And crowned by the Master on high
With glory, perfection, and joy.

Ye are singing with sinless mirth
While we are left here on earth;

. But the longing and hope of our soul
Reach steadily out for our goal.

And when we, too, shall enjoy
What no earthly senses descry,
We'll join in your beautiful psalms,
And rest under Eden’s palms.

How thankfully shall we then
Adore the Good Shepherd of men, *
Who smooths the careworn brow,
3 And hears each prayer e’en now. J
_ -H. Osreruus.: