Confederate General Stonewall Jackson (On Duty): 

 What a tremendous matter if Einstein had been able to discern the identity of that Unseen Hand? (J. Ogles)

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

 THE FAMILY ALTAR

August 22.

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this

seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one

that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 2 Tim. 2:19.

As it was in the days of the Apostle Paul when he wrote this

Second Epistle to Timothy, so is it in our time: False teachers

have arisen within the Church who deny the resurrection of the

dead, declaring there is but a spiritual resurrection, and with their

honeyed words destroying the faith of many. Shall we also fall

a victim to their pernicious teachings? Not if we, in sincere and

steadfast faith, build our hope of salvation on the unchangeable

truth of God's saving Word. Then we build on a sure-standing

foundation that no false prophet, no calamity, not even the gates

of hell can overthrow. This firm foundation has a double seal

or inscription. First : The Lord knoweth His own, knoweth them

with almighty, everlasting love; He protects them in all dangers

and owns them as His dear children in spite of their sinful in-

firmities, and even death cannot separate them from Him who is

the God of the living and not of the dead. "My sheep," says

Christ, "hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." But we can

retain this sure hope of salvation only when we follow the second

seal or inscription on the sure-standing foundation of God: "Let

every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

It is a fatal error to say, when Christians fall into sin, they thereby

lose only the sense of their forgiveness and of their sonship with

God. No ! Whoever — no matter who he is — committeth sin is

of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. (1 John 3.)

He loses not only his sense of forgiveness, but forgiveness itself;

and unless he repents, he will perish forever. For by such sinning

he falls from the foundation, the only foundation of our salvation,

from the truth and mercy of God in Christ. May God's Holy

Spirit help us ever to shun all false doctrine and ungodly life, and

may He strengthen and preserve us steadfast in His Word and

true, saving faith unto our end!