Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-08-10
to the unbelievable delicacy ana


beauty of nature The leaf. the stem,
the petal. the stamen, the rich color
ing. the rare perfume, each bears its
individual message TO the eye and
heart Each is a poem OF beauty and
completeness in itself. and the bios
som TO such n one means more than
ii does to the one who sees a blossom
and nothing more. And this illus
trates our point in reference TO saliva
ton. All who have by faith accented
Christ as Saviour recognize the flower
or salvation. They <ejoice in its pos
session. but to many ii never I'M
folds its hidden beauties and fullness
OF meaning. There is no eve or heart
for anything but the escape which is
made from the death penalty for sin.
Salvation means one thing. and one
thing only: The bare saving of the
soul il the dark hour Of death. But
to others it unfolds its charm and
beauty all along the pathway of life
A ND yet not all. for Peter speaks OF
n the redeemed soul being kept by the
power of God through faith unto a SAL
walton ready to be revealed in the last
time" "A salvation to be revealed"
Surely then the fullness OF salvation.
To those who have come in repentance
10 the feet of Jesus and been cleansed
from all sin in the precious blood which
Was shed on Calvary, John, the be-
loved disciple. says: Beloved. now arc
we the sons of God" And that relation
ship means everything for this life 1t
brings safety, it brings peace and JOY,
II brings satisfaction and worthy aims
and ambitions. and the only true and
abiding success which man can ever
know. Beloved. now are we the sons
or God Think of it! Salvation
through Jesus Christ brings you and me
into that relationship. And surely as
sons we nsy here and now enjoy the
fullness of salvation. But listen! There
Is something more the apostle has to
say: But ii doth not yet appear what
we shall be" Can 1t be that the realiza-
ton of the fullness of salvation here
cannot give US all that is incluC-d in
that gift? Yes, for take the saint who
has realized the most of that wondrous
salvation in his life and heart, and still
John says: Beloved, it doth not yet
Listen: For we know that when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him for
we shall see Him as He is" That is what
the fullness of salvation will mean. Per-
feet likeness to Christ. Changed COM
pletely from the failing and imperfect
man struggling along through the vary
ing stages of present salvation to tho
complete salvation TO be revealed in the
last time
" HAT then is the relation of the one
w to the other. Why should we
struggle and strive in this present life
that the salvation of Christ may per-
meate our every impulse and desire and
being, if in the end we are to realize the
fullness of salvation at one splendid
revelation of Christ? Let us see. Our
text plainly tells us that the ultimate
triumph OF our faith will be the saliva
ton of our souls. There car be no pos
sible misunderstanding Of Scripture on
this point. True faith in Jesus Christ
will most surely land the soul in Heaven
And the soul, as John intimates. will be
changed into the likeness OF Jesus
Christ. But we must not suppose that
we shall all be alike in that we will lose
our individuality. We shall be like Him
in purity, because made pure in His
precious blood, and We shall be like Him
in oneness with the Fathers will and
purpose. Where now sin holds dominion
over US, where now we are Indifferent
and rebellious to the Fathers will. we
shall then be changed and freed forever
from sins dominion and see with clear
vision how sweet and perfect and good
the will of God is. In this respect we
shall all be like Christ The saint who
has attained the spiritual heights and
the saint who has been saved so as by
fire" will receive the end OF their
faith, even the salvation of their souls"
but to one the salvation will mean bare
ly getting into Heaven, and to the other
II Will mean the glorious and full mani
festation OF the spiritual graces which
have been developed in this life. Think
you that the soul that has barely gained
Heaven will realize that salvation in the
same degree and fullness with the saint
who mad begun in this life to know what
that salvation meant in its victory over
sin and the formation OF the Christ-like
character? 1t will be great Joy and
peace to be in Heaven, but how much
greater will be the capacity to Joy that
place If in this life we begin to realize the
fullness of salvation
n UR text speaks of faith faith bring
" ing the soul ultimately to safe
anchorage in Heaven. Faith is the chan
mel through which all blessing flows
from God to the human life and soul.
Without faith II is impossible TO please