The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-10-29

NV REPLIES TO that re-
nentant taller at midnight: Believe
IN the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved. And here in our text PAU
as il were more clearly defines what IS
involved IN that act of believing. HE'S
dividing that act OF saving faith up lEto
IFS elements. and speaks of one as be-
lief unto Righteousness ana the other
az confession unto salvation. The one
is the inner recognition OF Christ as
Saviour. the other is the outward ex-#
preston of that faith. We have here
a hint Of James doctrine OF works as
emphasized in his epistie Between
pau1 and James there was, it used to be
thought. an irreconeilab1e difference Oh
oninion as to the process Of SALVATION
# would seem that Paul emphasized
salvation by simple faith and james
salvation by works. So strongly did
Luther contend against this idea OF
works as a part of the process OF saiYa-
ton that he refused to recognize the
epistle of James as Inspired OF Loo anu
authoritative. It is easy to understand
this prejudice. for Luther lived IN a
time when the Romish church had lost
sight of faith, and when the WORKS OF
penance and confession and churcn
forms and ceremonies and cold formali-
tieseonstituted the religious life OF the
people. And so Luther swung to the
other extreme, and emphasized faith
without works. And yet between the
doctrine of Paul and James there is the
most perfect union and harmony. Each
views the matter of salvation from a
different standpoint One sees the abb
so1Ete need of faith as expressive of
utter dependence upon the mercy and
Righteousness of God for delivefance
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 VI hom Paul re-
fers to enforce his arguments in favor
Of faith without works, showed their
faith sby their works.
THE old illustration of the card Of
J. two colors is familiar to ali. and
exactly illustrates this point. The dis
pute as to its color appeared ridiculous
and unnecessary when it became known
that both Gisputants 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. IE3
was the same card. but looked at from
different viewpoints it appeared differ
snt. So is it with the doctrine of saliva
ton by faith and salvation b.. works.
They are the two sides to the one 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, believe. was seriously discussed ut
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 of the
heart must go hand in hand with the
confession Of the mouth. The two pro-
vide the evidence which every soul
needs to test the reality of salvation.
The double proposition which Paul lays
down in our text offers a subject for
very serious consideration for eTery one
who claims to have a saving faith In
Jesus Christ. The question arises at
once. Are there Christians so-called
with but half an experience? What is
really involved In the term salvation
What is faith Of the heart2 ana what is
confession IF the mouth
r EFT us try to give the soul answer
IL to these stirring and. important
queries. And first of all IS it possible
for one to have partial, az incomplete
Christian experience? Nicodemus,
the member of the sanhedFfn, who came
to Jesus by night and to whom Jesus
spoke some of the sweetest and pro-
foundest truths recorded in any Of the
Gospels, is a striking example OF this.
From the moment of that midnight com
ference, Nieodemus believed Jesus was
the Christ theson Of God But he locked
the secret in his heart. He never
breathed ii. to colleague or friend. And
50 through the rest Of Jesus eventful
ministry he continued with half an ex-
perienee. 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 open confes-
sion of his faith and enjoy the full e1-
perience of Salvation As he went to
plate ana 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 life
less body to the tomb, he made the con-
fession that all along had been nee0ful.
sn7 how m any there are who. believing