The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1919, Page 89

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The Lutheran Pioneer,

. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE Evancetrcan LurHeran SynopicaL ConFERENCE oF Norta America.

REy. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Pubusaed monthly Ly Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. : L
Entered as nd-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., under the Act of March 3,

Acceptance for mn

Subscription price, 25 ets. per annum, payable s

rictly in adyanee.
1879.

>

pecial rate of postage provided for in section 11038, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5, 1918,

Vol. XLI.

ST. LOUIS, MO., DECEMBER, 1919.

No. 12.

On Christmas Day.

O Christ, Thy natal day,

The merriest of the year,

Is brighter far than sunny May,
Though winter now is here.

' For Thy nativity,
Thou Son of God most high,
Announces our redemption free,
Proclaiming grace and joy.

Thy birth will ever be

Prized greatly, Lord, by us,
Because it brought eternal glee
And life and peace to us.

Hence let us kneel and pray
Before Thy manger rude,
And praise Thee on this festal day

Tn happy, thankful mood.
H. Osternus.

2+

Christmas Is Full of Grace.
1 Joun 4, 1—3.

The gladsome burden of the Christmas-message
which the angel proclaimed to the shepherds on
Bethlehem’s fields was: “Unto you is born . ,
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The Son of
God assumed our human flesh and blood to save us
from sin and its eternal consequences. Those who
deny this truth celebrate Christmas in vain; it is
a graceless Christmas which they celebrate. For

“listen to John: “Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God, be-
cause many false prophets are gone out into the
world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in

the flesh is of God; and every spirit that con-
fesseth not that Jesus Christ ig come in the flesh
is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist
whereof ye. have heard that it should come; and
even now already is it in the world.” (Compare
chap. 2,13, as explained in the April issue of the
Pionerr.) How can those in whose hearts the
spirit of antichrist dwells rejoice at the nativity
of Jesus, whom they regard to be a mere man, not
their God manifested in the flesh, their divine
Christ and Savior? Or how can Romanists who
trust in their works for salvation appreciate His
birth? They cannot. Even if their Christmas cel-
ebration be frolicky or princely in appearance, in-
wardly it is barren. They are not “of God.” Al
though “the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men” in the holy night, they
do not receive it,

Christmas is full of grace, but only for such as
trust in the Savior of mankind. Concerning them
John writes: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is of God.” They are of God.
They are God’s children by faith in Christ Jesus.
They have put Him on by Baptism.. It makes no
difference whether their celebration be brilliant or
humble as far as external things are concerned; in
either case they sweetly rejoice on Christmas Day
and fully appreciate Luther’s words: — :

This is the Christ, our God and Lord,

Who in all need shall aid afford;

He will Himself your Savior be,

From all your sins to make you free.
The short-lived and empty mirth of the worldling
cannot compare with their joy. And their joy no
person nor circumstance shall take from them.