The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-10-15

I'LL m tMHHWH hoN -
l\ Y NV appeal of PAU Ashe
NV replies to that re-
uentant taller at midnight: "Belleve
IN the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shait
be saved" And here in our text Faui
as 1t were more clearly defines what %
involved in that act of believing. lie Is
dividing that act of saving faith up lnto
its elements. and speaks OF one as DE-
lief unto Righteousness and the oIher
as confession unto salvation. The one
Is the inner recognition or CHRIST as
Saviour, the other is the outward eX-
pression of that faith. We have mere
q hint of James doctrine OF WorFs as
emphasized in his epistie. Between
Paul and James there was. it used to be
thought, an irreconcilable difference OF
opinion as to the process of salvation.
It would geem that Paul emphasized
salvation by simple faith and James
salvation by works. So strongly dlo
Luther contend against this iGea OF
works as a part of the process or salVa-
ton that he refused to recognize the
epistle of James as inspired OF COO ana
authoritative. 1t is easy to understand
this prejudice. for Luther lived In a
fine when the Romish church had lost
sight of faith. ard when the works OF
a ard confession ard church
forms and ceremonies and cold formali-
Ties constituted the religious life OF the
people. And so Luther swung to the
other extreme. and emphasized faltn
without wor'-s. And vet between the
doctrine of Paul and James there is the
most perfect union AID harmony. Each
views the matter Of salvation from a
different standpoint. One sees the alb
soiute need of faith as expressive OF
utter dependence upon the mercy and
Righteousness Of God for deliveraDce
from sin and its consequences. The
other sees the absolute need Of WORKS
as the expression Of that faith. for as
James puts it. faith without works is
dead, and then he goes on to show how
all the heroes of faith to whom Paul re-
aers to enforce his arguments in favor
Of faith without works, showed their
faith by their works.
THE old illustration Of the card OF
i two colOrS is familiar to all, and
exactly illustrates this point. The dis
pute as to it's color appeared ridiculous
and unnecessary when it became known
that both disputants were right, for one
side of the card was blue and the other
was red. One had seen one side and
the other had seen the reverse side. 1t
was the same card. but looked at from
different viewpoints it appeared differ
ent. So is il with the doctrine of saliva
ton by faith and salvation by works.
They are the two sides to the ore great
fact of salvation through Christ Jesus.
They are inseparably linked. They are
the Gospel twins. The famous Siamese
twins which were exhibited through
the country years ago were not more
closely Joined together than are these
two conditions of salvation. The mat
ter. I believe. was seriously discussed at
one time by scientific men. of separating
the Siamese twins by surgical operation
but 1t was finally decided that it would
prove fatal to both the children. And
any effort to separate the Gospel twins
must prove disastrous. The faith CT the
heart must go hand in hand with the
confession of the mouth. The two pro-
vide the evidence which every sou;
needs TO test the reality of Salvation.
The double proposition which Pau lays
down in VI text offers a subject for
very serious consideration for every ono
who claims to have a saving faith in
Jesus Christ. The question arises at
once: Are there Christians so-cslied
with but half an experience? What is
really involved in the term Sa,votion?
What is faith Of the heart? and what is
confession of the mouth?
r EFT us try to give the soul answer
IL to these stirring and important
queries. And first of all is il possible
for one to have a partial an incomplete
Christian experience? Nicodemus.
the member of the Sanhedrin. who can e
to Jesus by night and to whom Jesus
spoke ONE of tie sweetest and pro-
foupdest truths recorded in any of the
Gospels. is a strll 1rg example CT this.
From the moment of that midnight CON
ference. NicoGemus believed Jesus wa
the Christ the Sen of God. But he locked
the secret In his heart. He never
breathed it to colleague or friend. Ard
so through the rest of Jesus eventful
ministry he continued with hat an ex-
perieuce. And not until the tragedy Of
Calvary was enacted and Jesus life
blood had been shed for the sins of the
world. did he come out in oren confess
sion of MS faith and enjoy the full ex-
perience of Salvation. AS he went TO
PLATE anc begged the body of Jesus. as
he wrapped it in the grave cloths that
the rich Joseph provided. as he fol-
lowed the bruised and tortured and tife-
Tess body to the tomb. he made the con-
fession that all along had been needfui.
And how many acre are who, believing
hat Jesus f. az GAIlst and secretly are
following Hin. are nevertheless robbed