St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-03
THE DEEDS OF CHRIST.
The Ransom of Human Beings
Was His Life Work.

Was His Life Work.
Rev. w. j. Lhamon preached at the
Church of Christ yesterday morning
from Mark XII, 45. He said:
A great change seems to be coming
over the world. Once philosophy was
considered of first Importance, and
theology was cut to fit it. Now biblical
theology begins to stand first, and phil
osophy, if there be anything worthy of
the name, must be formed TO suit the
biblical conceptions of life. PHILOSOPHERS
that are dead must still be studied If
one would trace to its roots the doctrine
of vicareous atonement, or judicial
atonement, or any system of federal
atonement. But since these once form
liable doctrines are now practically for
gotten am ng progressive ProtestantS
we pass them by for what we esteem to
be more profitable study of Christ's
redeeming work as mentioned In our
text.
Jesus connected the thought of the
ransom of man with that of miniStra-
ton to man. "The son of man came to
minister, and to give his life ransom
for many" This one simple thought
made prominent changes i'll the whole
face of the doctrine of atOnement. Not
the satisfaction of God, but the helping
of man; not Gods reputation for
justice, but mans recognition of His
grace; not the possibility of Gods for
giveness, but necessity of mans re-
pentance; not the reconciliation of God
to man, but of man to God, these rather
than those are the problems to be
solved in the work of redemption.
The ransom of man was the life work
of Christ. This ransom was wrought
by His miniStration to the body, soul
and spirit of man: by the example of
His holy life, and of His healing, help
ing power; by His revelation of truth,
and righteousness, and God; by His
appeal to all that is god-like in the
human heart; by His martyrdOm in
death to the truth of His life; by His
resurrection browning with victory His
defeat in death: by His protest against
sin, and His affirmation of possible
holiness; by convincing the world of
sin, of righteousness and of Judgment
to come; by rOuSlng man to repentance
and offering him forgiveness, and by
reimpresSing upon the human the lost
or degraded image of the divine. g
Ransom means redemption, or re-
purchase. We are redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ. The price was
paid at our demand. He willingly lived
and died as He did if only by that He
might rouse and ransom us. Our ram
som cost the life and death of Christ
because we would have it so. Only by
that extreme display OF power and love
could our hearts be touched and our
minds convinced. Ransom means rec
onciliation. 1t is man that must be
reconciled to God, and not God to man.
LII the parable of the Prodigal Son is
given to us the picture of kind father
and an undutiful but repentant and re-
turning child. 1t is Christ'S mission to
90 after this boy and bring him back.
Ransom means the remission Of sins.
Remission consists of repentance on our
part, and forgiveness on the part of
God. God is ever ready to forgive, but
without repentance we are not ready to
receive forgiveness. 1t is the ministry
of Jesus that brings us to that state
wherein we can and do gladly receive
the Fathers pardon. In the last place,
ransom means reformation. BY repent
ance we are freed from the love of sin. by
remission from the guilt of sin, and by
reformation from the practice of sin.
PRAYER takes the place of profanity;
pure thoughts, kind words and holy
deeds take the place of what was grOvei-
ing, and cross, and criminal. All is
changed. The ransomed man has a
new bearing. He moves toward the
celestial city. He runs gladly the race
of better life. His fellowship is with
Christ, and his joy is complete in the
HOLY Spirit.