Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-24

Our FAITH.
Let Us hold fast he profession Of our faith
Without waverlng; for he IS iai thiui that prom
ised. "-Hed. lo:225
Panl has been showing in this letter
TO the Hebrews that Jesus Christ is
the way and the truth and the life :
that he is the one high priest that
makes all others unnecessary that he
is the one perfect offering, that rules
out all others that in him we find
not only all that the devout Jews had
found in the priesthood and sacrifices
and laws given to Moses, but also all
the substance Of which those things
were the shadow; that Jesus Chrit is
in fact prophet and priest and king,
and that he ever lives to interpose in
our behalf What need then to 90
through with that old ritual since Christ
is revealed? AS Christians we have a
better Faith The Apostle therefore
says ''let us hold fast the profession -
CHE declaration) 'sof our Faith. -
Now brethren If these words are
spoken to us, it is worth Wilhelm ore
than occasionally to ask ourselves what
IS our Faith, what do we hold and be-
lieve concerning Jesus Christ.
We have the more need to do this
in these days, for there is nothing like
the distinctness Of our fathers creeds,
about those of their children. The
ancient landmarks do not stand exactly
where they used to. This is an age OF
free thinking and free expression, and
the world is full Of divers and strange
doctrines. Many good people hardly
know what they believe; and many
will tell you that though they believe
so and so to-day, it is quite likely they
will believe something different to-mor-
row.
Now we need not be afraid that truth
will be the looser by this state of things,
but that it may not be we have need
often to restate our faith, and declare
boldly what we do know, that our own
minds may be reassured and that the
world may have our testimony to the
truth.
Not that | 90 in for writing and re-
writing our creeds to me there is no
more unsatisfactory business than this
| have never seen a written creed that
altogether pleased me, and think that
if we keep our hearts in accord with the
heart of Jesus our Lord, we shall not
need any written statement of our
faith, either in him or in anything else.
But in our preaching, in our writing,
and publishing, in our correspondence,
in our discussions and in our converse
tions, let US hold fast the profession OF
our faith. and to this end it is good to
talk Of our faith and examine its toun-
dations, and keep fresh in our minds
the few things Of which we are sure,
and which are the fundamentals Of the
christian faith. What then my friends
IS our faith? What are the things we
are sure Of from which we canuot be
moved?
Surely these:
1st. That Jesus Christ was and Is
and is to be our rightful Lord that in
him dweIls all the fulness Of God-that
he rules with perfect wisdom and love
and power, seeking the greatest good of
the world.
end. That he was in the world as a
man among men, and gave the world,
in his life and teachings, a true and full
revelation of the character of God
that he is therefore the great the only
;nfalible teacher of the truth-that
when we have has teaching, has thought,
we have the truth itself