Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-12-16


to do Gods good pleasure, st. Peter |
gives us word right to the point,
SAYING, Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises, |
that by these We might be partakers of
the Divine nature" I'll Peter i, n.
Work Out Your Own Salvation.
We have heard many improper pray |
ers presented at the Throne of Grace |
by Well-intentioned but misinformed
children of Cod Many Christians re
quest God to do for them that which |
he tells them they must do for them
selves The one who asks amiss some I
times leaves the Throne of Grace con-
fident that God will do for him what I
God has never promised to do for any
body. but has told us each must do
for himself. Many pray, Abandon us
not in temptation, but deliver us from
the Evil One" and then walk straight I
into temptation. wholly neglecting the /
directions of Gods Word Indeed.
many SO neglect the study of that |
Word that they are not aware what |
are it's teachings. it's respect |
ing Satan and the temptations from |
the world, the flesh and the devil. to
which all must be more or less ex-
posed for their testing and character
development.
Some pray to God to save them by
his Divine power and expect him to
work miraculously in them, while they
are giving the best of their time and |
talent and influence to business or to
pleasure or to seif-gra tifcation. Such /
need to learn the meaning of our text.
Work out your own salvation with |
fear and trembling" They need to
learn the meaning of the Apostles |
words, Keep yourselves in the love Of |
God" God absolutely refuses to deal
with us as machines. More than this,
he refuses to coerce, to push. to pull, |
to drive those whom he is now call
ing to sonship and joint-heirship with
Christ in his Kingdom.
During the Millennium the world |
will receive all sorts of pulling, push |
ing. driving, stripes for their correc-
ton in righteousness make them
all eventually see to ultimately force
all to take their stand for right or for !
wrong, intelligenty. But now it is
different God is calling" '.dra wing"
and accepting through faith in Christ
as members" of the Body of Christ.
only such as have a willing mind-only
such as can be moved to energy and |
devotion by the enlightenment of their
minds through the Truth. None others
are wanted for this elect class.
Those who rightly understand our
text could never have so misunderstood |
the Savior's words to the dying thief |
"Thou shalt be with me in Paradise"
as to suppose that be meant that the
penitent thief would be a member Of |
the elect Church. his joint-heir in the
Kingdom. Indeed not! That thief had |
not worked out any salvation. He |
will indeed be in Paradise eventually. |
Paradise will be restored and the whole |
earth become as the Garden of Eden |
under the Millennial reign of Christ |
and his members" the Church. But
he was not "begotten of the holy /
Spirit" He was not transformed by
the renewing of his mind that he
might prove the good, acceptable and
perfect will of God. He never added |
to his faith fortitude; and to fortitude
knowledge; and to knowledge temper
ance: and to temperance patience; and
to patience godliness; and to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly |
kindness love, as the Word assures us
all must do who would make their CALI
ing and election sure I'll Peter i. 10, IL.
We will not. however, discuss the
thief further, as we did so on a pre-
vious occasion and that sermon is in
print. | will be pleased to mail it free
on post card request.
The spirit begotten children of God
must work out their salvation as New
Creatures in Christ by growth in grace.
And growth in grace means growth in |
acknowledgement general knowledge, but
the special knowledge provided by the
Lord in his Word 1t is in full accord
with what we everywhere observe OF
the widespread ignorance of the Word /
of God, even amongst Christians, that
the Scriptures declare, My people per-
ish for lack of knowledge" Hosea
iv, 81
Development in heart. in character,
is necessary to fit us for the future
service as members" of The Christ. |
associated in his glorious Kingdom
work Our call is to be kings and
priests that we may serve the world
of mankind. To prepare us for that
service is the object of our present
call and the trials of faith and pa
tience, that by all these, character-like-
ness Of Christ might be developed in
US. If we do these things we shall
never fail and an entrance will be
granted US into the everlasting King
dom Of our Lord and Savior. If we do
these things heartily they will prove
that we are copies of the Lord Jesus
and it is the Divine predestination that
only such as are copies Of Gods dear
Son shall be his joint-heirs in the King
dom (Romans viii, 10.
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