The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 82

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82

The Lutheran Pioneer.

development, and that evil really is good.” Such
denial of sin and gnuijt is a fatal self-deception.
Such unbelievers as well as all Pharisees of every
kind or description fancy in their hearts that they
are rich, increased with goods, and have need of
nothing, being in an excellent condition; they have
no inkling of their spiritual misery, poverty, blind-
ness, and nakedness. ‘They have need of “anoint-
ing their eyes with eye-salve that they may see.”
“The truth is not in them.” They are in Satan’s
bondage, who is a spirit of falsehood and a father
of lies; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own.

But those that with sorrowful and heavy-laden
hearts, as contrite and penitent sinners, appear be-
fore God, sincerely confessing their guilt, and ask-

ing for pardon, do not deceive themselves. They
do not try to hide or extenuate their guilt. They
honor God’s truth which dwells in them. Sadly

they exclaim with the Psalmist: “Behold, I was
shapen in iniquity,” and: “My sin is ever before
me.” They cry out with the great Apostle: “I know
‘that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good
thing.”

_ V:10: “If we say that we have not sinned, we
make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.”
‘There are those that say that they have nol in-
sulted God each and every day, time and again.
They deny that they have provoked His anger and
merit His righteous punishment. They do not plead
guilty of having sinned in desires, thouglits, words,
and deeds. Many flatly deny or conceal their sins,
or make them appear trifling’ or even virtuous.
Lightly and unconcernedly others repeat the general
truths: We all are sinful; no one is perfect. ‘They
add the words, “I, too, have my faults.” But their
words are not much more than unmeaning talk. At
any rate, they are by no means convinced that they
deserve nothing but punishment. They think, “We
are not worse than others.” ‘They are not terrified
by the Law. They do not look at their sins with
seriousness, nor regard them “as great indeed.”
Now all such as either in express words or in effect
deny that they have sinned dishonor God, “make
‘Him 2 liar.” .God says: “Every imagination of the
thoughts of man’s heart is only evil continually.”

- They antagonize this divine verdict, and oppose it

‘as if it were a falsehood and had proceeded from

“Satan. Hence God’s Word is not found in such.

_ The truly penitent ‘and believing souls, however,

His holy Word, but exclaim: “Against Thee, Thee

only, have I sinned, and done evil in Thy sight,
that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest,
and be clear when Thou judgest.”

Confession embraces two paris.
that we receive forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness” (vy. 9). In order to confess our
sins aright. we must first learn to know them, feel
sorry for them, feel their weight, and understand
their woeful significance. We should confess our
sins not only with our lips, but also with our hearts.
At the same time we should not despair, although
we merit punishment. For if we confess our sins,
God is faithful. He will then not condemn us. He
will deal with us faithfully, according to His prom-
ises of grace, which we reccive by faith. Such prom-
ises are: “Be not afraid, only believe!” “The moun-
tains shall depart,” ete. Tf we confess our sins, God
is not only faithful, but also just. Are we not lost
if He will deal with us according to Tis strict
justice? Indeed, if Christ had not assumed the
human nature, if He had not fulfilled the Law as
our Substitute, if He had not suffered and died on
the cross in our stead, He could not but condemn
us. But since Christ died for us, God must absolve
us, if He would be just; for He has punished our
Substitute 1900 years ago. Christ’s merits and holi-
ness, which are ours by faith, are fully sufficient to
appease the heavenly Father’s wrath and to win His
favor.
They receive forgiveness from Him. He grants
their petition, “Forgive us our trespasses.” He
most graciously absolves them from sin and iniquity.
When the called ministers of Christ absolve us, our
Savior Himself forgives our sin. He also “cleanses
us from all unrighteousness.” He purges us, cleanses
us from sin and impurity. _

We surely have ample reason to praise God both
in time and eternity for His faithfulness and grace.

H. OstErHvs.

The second is

A New Baby.

The baby’s name is Nyland. No, neither boy nor
girl. It is a place in Alabama, but you cannot find
it on the map. It consists of an old cabin and a large

number of Negroes.. We have adopted this child and ~

taken it into our Alabama family. We feared to do
so-at first, because of the additional expense. But it

pleaded so insistently that we could not turn a deaf —

He justifies those who confess their sins. .