The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-11-12

Cleanse Thou Me From Secret Faults; Keep ]
Back Thy Servant Also From Presumptuous
Sins; Then Shall Be Upnght. and | Shall !
Be Innocent From the Great Iransgresson
psalm XIX. II. l3).
with the Redeemer in his kingly and
priestly offices for the blessing Of the
world during the Millennium. The
greatness Of the dignity to which the
faithful will be exalted makes it rea-
sonable that the terms and conditions
should be exceedingly difficult in this
| way. Hence we read that the gate is
difficult and the way a narrow one, so
the select" whose character-superior
ity will be fully evidenced to God, to
angels and to men to be such as fully
justifies the Lord in granting to them
the high reward promised. Were their
honors no greater than those the world
shall experience, how could Gods ways
be just and equal in granting them the
heavenly nature and Divine glory,
while awarding the world of mankind
restitution blessing and a worldwide
Eden home corresponding to what was
lost by Adam and redeemed for the
willing and obedient by the sacrifice
of the man Christ Jesus?
Who Understands His Errors?
If now we have clearly before our
minds that it is the Church class who
are addressed in our text. let us exam
inc the various steps it suggests. Dur
ing the Millennium the errors and Sc
cret faults and presumptuous sins Of
the world will all be made manifest
and all be openly rebuked and pun
ished. But not so now. Those who
are now called to be Of the elect
Church are expected to be so jealous
for God, SO DESTROYS to know and to do
his will, so opposed to sin, that they
will voluntarily search for their own
errors, their own secret faults and
strive against presumptuous sins.
When we remember that God. for
Christ's sake, has forgiven the sins Of
the Church. the question may arise,
What then are these faults or errors?
If all of our sins are forgiven freely
for Christ's sake. what sins then re-
main to be forgiven? The answer is
that through faith in Christ's blood we
were fully forgiven 1.-The sins that are
past, through the forbearance of God"
Romans iii. 90. We shall never more
be held responsible for sins great or
small which were ours before we came
to the Lord and accepted his grace, his
forgiveness, and became his followers
through our conservation of our little
all to him. What remains of sin with
us is the imperfection Of the flesh and
its inherited weaknesses, and these
blemishes may be with us to our dying
day in considerable measure. 1t is
against these that we must fight-fght
the good fight and endure hardness as
valiant soldiers of righteousness.
But some one may inquire. Is not the
merit of Christ sufficient. not only for
the sins that are past, but for all of
our unwilling blemishes Of the past
and Of the future? In other words,
Does not our Lords satisfaction of
Justice include our imperfections pres
ent and future, which are the result
the fallen condition, as well as atone
for our sins of the past prior to our
acceptance of the Divine mercy? We
answer, Yes, this is quite true; never
theleSS the Lord requires Of us that,
after coming into the family of God.
70 fa1
lions and apply to him for specific for
giveness of all transgreSsions. Doubt
less this is intended to assist us in
keeping humble-to assist us in keep
ing in remembrance 1.-The horrible pit"
of sin from which we were lifted by
the gracious merit of the Redeemer by
which we were justified. All of these
experiences will doubtless be helpful
to us by drawing us the more frequent
ly to the throne of grace. that we
may obtain mercy, and find grace
(meriD to help in time of need" (He-
brews iv, 16).
The Blood of Christ Cleanseth.
The expression, 1.-THE blood of Jesus
Christ clednSeth us from all sin," refers
not merely to the sins that are past
and the cleansing which was ours at
the moment we first accepted the
Lords favor, but rather, especially, it
refers to the cleansing which is con-
tinually necessary to the maintenance
of our relationship with the Lord. The
forgiveness, the cleansing, is freely,
promptly given, but conditionally. 1t
must be applied for This is the Lord
method of instructing us in the way
of righteousness and Of assisting us to
overcome the oppositions and tempta-
tons of the world and to become at
heart "overcomers." He knows our
weaknesses better than we do; and he
wishes us to learn of them, not with
a view to discouraging us, but that we
may fight good fight against them.
conquer them and, in so doing, develop
the characteristics which he approves
and has promised to reward with joint
heirship with the Redeemer in his
Kingdom.
Hence, instead Of openly rebuking
his people, the Lord leaves as ours the
work of searching for secret faults and
putting them away. In proportion as
we love him, we will be DESTROYS Of
doing those things which pleaSe him