The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-02

We promised to write Of Paurs letter
to the Ephesians, chapter End, from
fourth to ninth verses inclusive. We
last Sunday said it set forth in COM
pleteness the plan Of salvation as en-
bodied in the Gospels, and that this
passage was one of seven passages of
similar import that might be desig-
mated the Little Gospels. The teaching
Of the New Testament is that saliva
ton is of God, and by grace we are
saved through faith. The doctrine of
natural depravity is the clear doctrine
Of God as set forth in the eternal
Scriptures Of Inspiration. There is soap
suds theology now in vogue with some
pretended teachers of truth, that is
froth and emptiness. It seeks to deny
this primal doctrine of sin and mans
fallen state, and even denies hat a
new birth, a real regeneration Of soul,
is necessary. But God teaches the
truth, and He teaches that man is a
lost sinner, and that he is never saved
except through His own free grace.
The Bible teaches that the dead in sin
are made alive in Christ. Man fallen
and lost is remembered in mercy, and
saved through the great love of God
through the sacrifice of His own dear
Son, Jesus Christ. The words of Sod
in the fourth n fifth verses show this
in unmistakable terms. But God who
is rich in mercy, for His great love
Uhororuith bo Jo1,oI ,o r,o ,Lo. 49,.
were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace we are
saved."D Here is plain sailing. On this
sea there is no storm of doubt. First it
is Gods love, so mighty towards the
sinner lost and dead that move Him
in mercy to send the Holy Spirit to
quicken, for a sinner lost and dead
cannot possibly make himself alive. 1t
is when we are literally, truly dead in
sin" that God moved by mercy and
Ibis great love wherewith he loved u.s."
forgives and saves and for His dear
and only Sons sake He quickens us,
makes us i've by giving us freely the
gift of means of life. He forgives and
raises the sinner from death unto life,
from sin to holiness. Having so
raised us together" He builds us in
the most holy faith, and makes "us
to sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus" 9th verse.) Having been
saved through grace from sins and
their consequences of evil, and receiv-
ing freely the gift of life in Christ,
we become in this way entitled to a
portion in hat heavenly glory which
is the bestowment of God, and the
proper Inheritance of our Lord and
of the Father. In the seventh verse
we learn hat this process of redemp-
ton, and this oneness with Christ as
Saviour, will be known through eter-
nifty, "in all the ages to come" and
that it may be to give the knowledge
Of this marvellous redemptive work it's
proper duration, and to "show the ex-
ceeding riches of His grace in His
kindness towards us through Christ
Jesus" 9th verse; This world is to be
continued for a while that this great,
blessed truth of salvation nay be made
known. And this merciful, this aston
ishing, this blessed plan of salvation of
lost souls will be the greatest theme in
the endless ages of eternity. It will be
the joy and happiness of the saved
this wondrous exercise of Gods good
ness and mercy and love towards the
fallen children Of men, through our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christine one
plan and the only Saviour. Then in the
eighth verse we are told that ~by grace
are We saved through faith" This is
foolishness to many, but it is food,
light, peace and joy to the saved. It is
all of grace, for it is the free and I'M
merited mercy of God. It is through
faith. We stop not to tell what faith
is and what it is not in scholastic man
ner. 1t is enough to say that we are
saved through the exercise of faith.
through our believing in God, believ-
ing in His mercy and promises. accept
ing the Saviour as such, for it is God
who justifies, pardons the ungodly,
and accepts Him because he believes
in the Son. It is for the Sons sake
| this great ~redemptive. atoning sacrri-
| flee. that the Father smiles g~raciously,
and pardons and blesses. And that
not Of yourselves" says Paul, sit is
the gift Of God" It is mot OF works,
lest any man should boast" Remember
that. We are NOT saved by service OF
obedience o. giving or being members