Triumphant Songs of Faith in View of Death. (Pasche, F.E.)

"Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" 1 Cor. 15:57.

The confession o f the Christian Church, “I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting,” is the doctrine of the Old Testament as well as that of the New. One of the most brilliant of the numerous gems of the Old Testament giving testi­ mony to this fact is the triumphant song, Job 19, 25—27: “I know that my Redeemer liveth and that He shall stand at the Latter Day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Job looks beyond death, grave, and decay and beholds the Redeemer and His work, the day of the resurrection of the body and eternal bliss.

Another such triumphant song of faith in view of death is that of aged Simeon, Luke 2, 39: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace.” What made Simeon so ready to die? It was this: he saw Jesus with the eye of faith as his Salvation prepared by God. Therefore he rejoiced to depart and to enjoy that salvation.

If we see our salvation in Christ Jesus, then, then alone, but then surely, we can depart in peace. Why? Because this Christ Jesus has removed everything which could separate us from God. Sin was a partition-wall between God and us; but here is the Lamb of God, which taketh away our sin. The Law of God accursed us, hell and everlasting death laid claim upon us; but here is the Son of God, who fulfilled the Law in our stead, ransomed us from the power of the grave, and redeemed us from eternal death. How blessed are we Christians by the grace o f G o d ! We must die, but our death is but a sleep, upon which follows an awakening. Then we shall triumphantly shout: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Then all those who believed in their Redeemer in this life shall see Him as He is and enjoy His presence forevermore.

Prayer.

I pray Thee, O Father of grace, so to rule and guide me with Thy holy and good Spirit that I may wholly consecrate myself to Thee for the remaining days of my life, by a Christian walk, by prayer and supplication. And grant to me ever more a state of Christian readiness, so that, whether the time of my departure has been set by Thee for to-day or for some other day, my end may be as peaceful as Simeon’s of old, and that, on departing this life, I may enter life eternal. Amen.

Jesus, my Redeemer, lives!

I, too, unto life must waken; 

Endless joys my Savior gives;

Shall my courage, then, be shaken? 

Shall I fear? Or could the Head Rise 

and leave His members dead?

 Daily Readings in Life of Christ - J. R. Miller (1890)

February 28. Finding Christ

"We have found the Messias!" John 1:41

We must notice the kind of argument Andrew used with his brother. He just went to him with a great joy in his heart, 'the joy of discovery and of satisfaction,' and told him about it. An English preacher gives in a sermon this illustration, showing how much more convincing power there is in a little bit of real Christian life — than there is in a large amount of apologetics.

A minister delivered in his pulpit a very fine course of lectures in refutation of some form of infidelity. He delivered the course chiefly for the benefit of one man that attended his place of worship. The man was skeptical, and the preacher hoped to remove his doubts. Shortly after the close of the lectures this man came and declared himself a Christian. The minister was very glad, and said to him, "Which of my discourses was it that removed your doubts?" The answer was, "Oh, it was not any of your sermons that influenced me. The thing that set me to thinking, was a poor woman that came out of the chapel beside me one night and stumbled on the steps. I reached out my hand to help her, and she said, 'Thank you;' then she said, 'Do you love Jesus Christ, my blessed Savior?' I did not, and I went home and thought about it; and now I can say, I love Jesus."

An ounce of heart — is worth more than a ton of head in winning souls.

When we have really found Christ ourselves, the best way to bring others, is just to tell them what Christ is to us. One word of genuine and hearty confession of Christ, by a person whose soul is full of the new-found joy — is worth more than the most eloquent sermons to lead others to believe in Christ! Let us be sure that people know from us that we have really found Christ; then they cannot but be impressed. It will surely be a sad pity if we should so live, that others will not suspect that we are Christians!

 

 Prophetic and Courageous:

A GREAT LADY AND A MARTYR

 

 God Is Just (Pasche, F.E.)

"O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us con­fusion of faces." Daniel 9:7.

God is absolutely just. He judges impartially, without respect of persons. He hates and punishes all wickedness, and He loves and rewards the deeds done in accordance with His holy Law. How can it be otherwise? Because God is holy, yea, Holiness itself, He cannot bear sin and must hate and punish all unholiness and wickedness; everything, however, which is good and holy, the same as He Himself, He must love and reward. If this were not so, He would be unholy and unjust, which is impossible, for it would destroy His very nature and divine being. 

For this reason, God threatens to punish all that transgress His commandments. He says: “Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them!” “The wrath of God is re­ vealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrightousness.” When, therefore, the human race fell into sin and all men were made sinners by the dis­ obedience of our first parents, we became an abomination in the sight of God, and He had to pronounce upon us the curse for our sins. God’s wrath against the sinners is as unchangeable as His holiness and justice is unchangeable. Luther says: “ The suffering of Christ reveals the burning wrath of God against the sinners, whereas He would not even let them go unpunished for His Son’s sake if the Son were not willing to redeem them by His death.”' It was for our sins that the sinless Son of God died on the cross. He died for us, that is, in our stead, for our good. We now are free from God’s wrath and punishment. Though we are and will remain sinners as long as we live, our transgressions have all been blotted out, and God is pleased with us for His dear Son’s sake.

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways and bountiful in all His works.”

Prayer.

O Thou just and righteous God, Thy justice could not but pronounce the curse of damnation upon the sinner. By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men because all have sinned. But Thou art not only a just and righteous, but also a merciful and gracious God; Thy grace has provided a Savior. Thou so lovedst the world that Thou gavest Thine only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed from endless woe. Grant us Thy Holy Spirit that we gratefully accept this Thy unmerited grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 DAILY READINGS IN LIFE OF CHRIST - J.JR. Miller (1890)

February 27. Begin at Home

"He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.." John 1:41-42

Nobody told Andrew to go after his brother; it was the impulse of his own heart that sent him so quickly away on his love-errand, after he had found Christ himself. The lesson lies on the surface. "Even a dog," says one, "that has had its leg mended will bring other limping dogs to the man that was kind to it." One who has been cured of some disease — will bring all his afflicted friends to the physician who cured him.

You have had your soul saved. All around you are those whose souls are as lost as yours was a little while ago. How many have you brought to Jesus? Do you think you can hold up clean hands, free from the blood of souls — unless you try very earnestly to bring some others to Christ? Notice that it was his own brother that Andrew brought, and the words indicate that the other man — John, brought his brother too, only Andrew was the quicker.

Home, then, is the place where we ought to begin. Yet, strange to say, it is the last place many of us speak about Christ. The old proverb has it, "The shoemaker's wife is always the worst shod." Often it is the preacher's or the teacher's own home, that gets the least benefit and blessing from his messages of love, or from his Christian life and influence. Surely the dearest in the world to you, are home's precious ones; go first to them, therefore, if any of them are unsaved, and try to bring them to your Savior, that they may find what you have found. 

Of course you will not stop with home; let the circle widen until your influence reaches as widely as possible; but do not overlook home and those nearest and dearest to you, while you stretch out your hands toward the heathen in China or in Africa — or even reach over the fence to save a neighbor next door. That is a mistake some people make.