The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-10-15

m
MM NNvV the brief. intense
MM NV appeal OF Paul as he
wv replies to that re-
pentant TALLER at midnight: Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved" And here in our text Paui
as 1t were more clearly defines what Is
involved in that act of believing. He Is
dividing that act Of saving faith up into
its elements, and speaks OF one as be-
lief unto Righteousness and the other
as 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 epistle. Between
Paul and James there was, It used to be
thought, an irreconcilable difference oil
opinion as to the process OF salvation.
It would seem that Paul emphasized
salvation by simple faith and James
salvation by works. So strongly Gid
Luther contend against this idea ~of
works as a part Of the process OF saliva
ton that he refused to recognize the
authoritative. II is easy to understand
this prejudice, for Luther lived in
time when the Romish church had lost
sight of faith, and when the works OF
penance and confession and church
forms and ceremonies and cold formali-
ties constituted the religious life OF the
people. And so Luther swung to the
nh aci1
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
solute need of faith as expressive OF
utter dependence upon the mercy and
righteousness of God for deliverance
from sin and its consequences. The
other sees the absolute need OF works
as the expression of that faith, for as
James puts 1t, faith without works is
dead. and then he goes on to show how
all the heroes of faith to whom Paul re-
fers 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 its color appeared ridiculous
and unnecessary when it became known
that both disputants we're 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 1t appeared differ
ent. So is it with the doctrine of saliva
ton by faith and salvation by 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 at
one time by scientific men, of separating
the Siamese twins by surgical operation,
but 1t was finally decided that 1t 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 subject for
very serious consideration for every one
who claims to have a saving faith in
Jesus Christ The question arises ut
once. Are there Christians so-called
with but half an experience? What is
really involved in the term Salvation?
What is faith of the heart? and what Is
confession of the mouth?
T EFT us try to give the soul answer
- to these stirring and important
queries. And first OF all Is 1t possible
for one to have partial, an incomplete
Christian experience? Nicodemus,
the member of the Sanhedrin, who came
to Jesus by night ard 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 con-
ference, Nicodemus believed Jesus was
the Christ the Son Of God. But he locked
the secret in his heart. He never
breathed 1t to colleague or friend. And
SO through the rest OF Jesus eventful
ministry he continued with half an ex-
perience. 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 confess
sion of his faith and enjoy the full ex-
perience of Salvation. AS he went to
PLATE and begged the body Of Jesus, as
ne 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 needful.
And how many there are who. believing
that Jesus Is the Christ and secretly are