The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1919, Page 57

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE HyaneELicaL LurneraN SynopicaL ConrerENck or Norta Ammrica.

REV. F. J. LANKENAUDU, EDITOR.

, : os P aalart 3 oe a rice. 25 ar aye rictly in advance.
Published monthly by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Subscription price, 25 cts. per annum, payable strict
wee Mnteced, as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5, 1918.

Vol. XLI.

ST. LOUIS, MO., AUGUST, 1919,

No. 8.

Peace on Earth.

The war is over now,

And finally the peace

Has been declared. O Thou,
Whose mercies never cease,

Art always, Lord, the same,
Art ever true and good,

Hence we will praise Thy name
And sing in happy mood: —

“Now thank we all our God

With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;

Who from our mother’s arms
Hath blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours to-day.

“Oh, may this bounteous God

Through all this life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts

And blessed peace to cheer us;

And keep us in His grace,

And guide us when perplexed,

And free us from all ills

In this world and the next.”

H. Osteruus.

—>1+—-

Sin.
1 Joun 3, 4—10.

A minister conducted an examination in which
not only children, but also adults rendered an ac-
count of their faith. In answer to his question,
“Which are the most terrible enemies of the human
race?” the correct answer was given, “Sin, death,
and Satan.” He then asked a child, “Which of
these three is the worst foe?” The child answered,

“Death; for I want to go to heaven, but do not
wish to die and be laid into the grave.” Forthwith
he turned to a man with the same question, and re-
ceived the answer, “The devil; for when one thinks
of hell one shudders and one’s hair stands on end.”
Finally he addressed this same question to a wise old
man of ripe experience in God’s Word. His answer
was this, “Sin; for if that foe had not first chained
us down, the other two, death and Satan, would
have no power over us.’—JIn the formula read
by our ministers before they administer the Lord’s
Supper to the sick, the following words which also
express this truth occur: “If we had remained
without sin, death could not have prevailed upon
us.” Indeed, sin is the original evil which ever
caused and still causes man’s ruin. “Hvery one
that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is
lawlessness” (Revised Version), v. 4. Every one
that sins consciously and intentionally thereby de-
clares himself independent of, yea, places himself
in opposition to, the divine Law. Sin is every
departure from the divine Law in desire, thought,
word, and deed. The Law is God’s own will 3 hence
he who sins renounces God, would have nothing to
do with Him, rebels against Him, is His adversary.
How carefully and cautiously we should walk if
we always bore this truth in mind!

“And ye know that He was manifested to take
away our sins,’ v.5a. Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, is our dear Savior and at the same time He
is the irreconcilable, declared enemy of sin. He
has appeared here on earth graciously and merci-
fully to deliver us from the evil of sin, yea, to
destroy and do away with all wickedness. .As our
Redeemer and the adversary of sin Christ is of