The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1921, Page 90

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90

The Lutheran Pioneer.

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“By God’s ‘grace, our dear Synodical Conference
is still existing and may soon celebrate its golden
anniversary. The following synods now comprise
it: The Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Synod, the
Slovak Synod, and the Norwegian Synod. The
Free Church in Germany and the Evangelical
Lutheran Synod of Australia are in full unity of
faith with the Synodical Conference. Richest
blessings have been poured out upon our fathers,
upon us, and upon our children by this union.
And for this reason we wish to thank God in the
year of jubilee with hearts, and hands, and voices.

Surely not one of our congregations wants to
stand back in the fitting celebration of this anni-
versary! Fully realizing its great debt to God for
all His mercies during these years, surely every
congregation will joyously pass the resolution: “We
will also take part in lifting this Jubilee Collection.”

The manner in which this collection is to be
gathered, of course, is left to each congregation.
But in passing I shall take the liberty of saying
that the congregation in St. Louis to which the
writer belongs has suggested to its members that
each one, if possible, give a cent for each one of
the fifty years, that is, fifty cents in all.

For what purpose is this money to be gathered?
To carry on the chief joint work of our Synodical
Conference, our work among the Negroes of this
country. This work, so richly blessed by the Lord,
is just at present in great need of suitable buildings
all over the field. In many places our missionaries
have been compelled to hold services for years in
most wretched and unsanitary shacks. In our two
higher schools, where future servants of the Word
are being prepared for their life’s work, there is
great need for more room. At Greensboro, for in-
stance, the “boys” are obliged to live in the low
attic of the college-building! Need it be said that
such a poorly lighted and ill-ventilated place as an
attic is not a proper locality to house students?
The girls at Greensboro, who are preparing to be
teachers in our mission-schools, are living in three
small schoolrooms, where thirty-six girls are sleep-
ing in eighteen single beds! Is this not enough to
convince you that we must find more room?

Now, do not forget to set this important matter
on your program for the annual congregational
meeting.

___ May the Lord bless this undertaking, so that it
may serve to His glory and the salvation of many
immortal souls! C. F. Drewes.

The Church and the Lodge.

III.

The Christian Church teaches that Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, came into the world to save sinners ;
that He is the only Savior of sinners, so that there
is salvation in none other; and that he who does
not believe in Christ as his Savior cannot be saved.

This teaching of the Church is in perfect agree-
ment with the Bible. Listen: “For the Son of Man
is come to seck and to save- that which was lost.”
Luke 19, 10. “Christ hath redeemed us from. the
curse of the Law, being made a curse for us.” Gal.
3,13. “Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins;
and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world.” 1John 2,2. “For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested that He might destroy
the works of the devil.” 1John3,8. “The blood
of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all
sin.” 1 John 1,7. “Neither is there salvation in
any other; for there is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved.” Acts 4,12. “I am the Way, the Truth, _
and the Life; no man cometh to -the Father but
by Me.” John 14,5. To the jailer of Philippi, who
asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” the
Apostle gave the answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16, 30. 31.

Christ is the Savior, the only Savior, of sinners.
Only they that believe in Him shall not perish, but
have everlasting life. John 3,16. He is “the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
John 1, 29. Only “in Christ we have redemption
through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
Col.1,14. There is no salvation for any man that
rejects this only Savior. There is salvation in none
other, said Peter to the people at Jerusalem.

Now, friend, read once more the first paragraph
above, which tells you what the Church teaches on
this point, and, having done that, read again the
many Bible-passages which I have quoted, — look
them up in your Bible, if you want to make sure
that I have quoted them correctly, — and I am sure
that you will see that the teaching of the Church
and the teaching of the Bible are exactly the same.

“Do you not find it so?

But what does the lodge teach in this matter?
The lodges say: “We do not object if a’man wants
to hold that Jesus is his Savior, who has died for
him that he might be saved and go to heaven; in
fact, not a few members of secret societies hold that