Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-09
A VERY INTERESTING SERMON
By Rev. B. E. Howard at the
First Presbyterian Church.
He States Clearly the Purpose for
Which Jesus Came.
1t Wac Not to Save Men frem He'll
but from Th. ir sins-The Only
Way to Be Saved Is
to Let Go Of Sin.

Rev. Burt Estes Howard of the First
Presbyterian church yesterday morning
preached as follows:
Tim. .15. Faithful is the saying,
and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners.
Rom. kill. beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies OF God, to pre-
sent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reason
able service.
Discussion amounts to little without a
definition of terms. In the passage of
scripture before US certain proposition
is declared to be faithful and worthy of
full acceptance. 1t is declared that the
statement that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners is rational and
credible. We shall avoid confusion and
misconception only by defining, at the
outset, what we mean by saving men.
The question hinges on this point: A
man, if he is saved, is saved from some-
thing. From what did Jesus propose to
save men? A good many people would
say, "from hell" Jesus never claimed
that as His purpose. He did not say
anything about saving people in the
next world. All His word and teaching
related to saving people in this world.
"Thou shalt call His name Jesus Tor He
shall save His people from their sins."
Neither heaven or hell enters into the
question primarily. God does not save
men in order to people heaven, but He
receives men into heaven because they
are saved. Men get into heaven
because they are fit for heaven. Jesus
did not come in order to make men
happy in some future life, but to make
them holy in this life. And sinner is
saved when he ceases to be under the
dominion of sin. / hear men pray this
way: "And finally save us, for Jesus
sake, amen" A man does not pray
that way unless he has missed the very
marrow of salvation. 1t is equiva-
lent to saying: ''And finally, Lord,
in the day of judgment, don't cast US
into hell!" Salvation is not a matter
of future award, but of present expe-
rience. Not finally saved, but saved
now. Not saved from hell, but saved
from evil. Jesus taught us to pray,
"Deliver US from evil" not "Deliver us
from hell" Religion is more than
spiritual fire insurance. Jesus came to
save people from their sins, and, hell or
no hell, man is not saved until he is
saved from sin. If all hell should
empty itself into heaven these souls
would not be saved simply because their
environment was Numerically changed.
Salvation is matter of character. The
future condition is only its logical issue.
There isn't any wonderful metamorpho-
sis in dying. Tie next world catches
US where this world lets 60 of US. Sal
vation is matter of today, not of to-
morrow.
Paul says that the saying, "Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sim
ners," is faithful saying. Paul is not
simply insisting on the truth of the
statement. The word translated "faith-
fui" would better convey the meaning
if we translated it Credible" 1t is a
proposition that challenges our belief.
Three reasons suggest themselves to
me why the proposition is credible. In
the first place, it is in harmony with
our knowledge OF Gods dealings with
men, and with the revelation of his
character. As we trace back Israel's
history we find all Gods acts and words
pervaded with one purpose. What God
required of His people was that they
should "do justly, love mercy and walk
humbly with their God" We never
find him holding out the rewards of a
future existence as an inducement to-
ward decency and righteousness in this
life. All Gods dealings with Israel
were an endeavor to teach them right
eousness as the life to be lived here and
now. Prophets wept and threatened
and warned in order to persuade Israel
to forsake sin. The cry was. "Let the
wicked forsake his way" "Today,
harden not your heart" Sin was fol-
lowed by swift pestilence or defeat.
Why? Not as an expression of Gods
vindictive rage, but as stern lesson to
Israel that this present life was 10 be
holy. 1t was not retribution, but cor
rection. Gods children must be holy,
for He is holy.
But the idea of present salvation from
sin is consistent with our knowledge of
Gods character. A good many people
hold an idea of Christ's purpose in sal
vation that puts God in a bad light. 1t
is held that men 60 through this life
protesting to be Christ's followers, yet
following Him a very little, but because
they have sort of organic connection
with some church, as soon as they die
they are subjected to wonderful judi
clal process WnereDy GOQ 6nutB Ills eyes
to facts, and calls them righteous, when
He knows and they know they are no
such thing. 1t doesn't make a man
good to call him good. 1t doesn't change
the nature of thing to change its
name. Yet q good many persons think
we can slip along through this life and
not be saved through our sins here, but
when we die we shall be called right
eous by God; that Jesus came for the
purpose Of enabling God to call lie
righteous when we are not. God is not
a great demagogue; and Jesus Christ
did not come into the world in order to
make it possible for God to call black
white. Jesus did come to lead men to
let 60 of sin and accept righteousness ae
principle of daily life. And they who
evince their faith in Him by committing
their ways to Him are justified by Him
because the life that they live is no lon
ger theirs but His. And God recognizes
in them this righteousness that they
have received through the spirit Of
Christ and imputes it unto them. Be
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