The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-07-15

after mentioning Christ as the Head
Of the Body. the Church. who is the
| frst-begotten. the frst-born from The
dead. that in all things he might have
the pre-eminence. adds. For it pleased
! the Father that in him should all full
ness dwell" and that (after, having
made peace through the blood of his
cross by him to reconcile all things
unto hmself-bOth the things in earth
and things in heaven" (Colossians i.
| 1920. The Apostle indicates the great
scope Of Christs work ms it shall be
eventually when finished. He is APP
pointed of the Father to establish peace
and righteousness throughout the Uni
verse But he has not yet accom-
plished all of this. He has only begun.
He has died for the sins of the world.
as well as for the sins of the Church.
But he has not yet offered TO Justice
the satisfaction for the worlds sins:
He first appears before God as the
great Advocate for the elect Church.
called of God in advance to be 1.-The
Bride. the Lambs Wife" Note how
the Apostle expresses this thought in
our text. verse q.
The Church First Reconciled.
And you. that were sometime
alienated. and enemies in your mind
by wicked works. yet now hath he
reconciled in the body of his flesh
through death. to present you holy and
unblamable and unreprovable in his
(the Father's) sight. if We continue in
the faith" etc.
Who are these and why are they
reconciled in advance of the remainder
of the world-brought in advance into
fellowship with the Father by the Re-
deemer as his Bride? These were by
nature children of wrath even as
Others" by nature they were alien
ated and enemies in their mind by
wicked works. They were unlike the
Redeemer, who was holy. harmless
and indebted and separate from sin
ners" Why then did Gods grace
specially come to this classic MS who
are of the Church of Christ. accepted
in the Beloved" one? What did we do
or could we do to contribute to this
favor of God bestowed upon us? The
Apostle assures us further along the
same line. that the elect Church by
nature was not superior to the world
from which it was selected. He de-
clares that it contains not many great.
not many learned. not many rich. but
chiefly the poor of this world. rich in
faith. many of them ignoble as re-
spects birth and natural advantages of
herediity. The difference between
these and others was. first. that they
had IAN ear to hear" the Divine mes
sage. Sometimes this hearing ear
came to them through sorrow and trib-
ulatiOn. In their WEAKNESS and heavi-
ness they heard the Masters voice.
Come unto me. all We that labor and
are heavy-laden and l will give you
rest Matthew xi. 2S). They heard
this voice. while some Oh their neigh
bors more favorably situated heard it
not. But still further blessing came
to them as they responded and drew
near to the Lord by faith and prayer.
Desiring to come nearer and nearer
they strove to put away all dizziness
of the fesh--sin in its every form-the
while realizing that they could not
cleanse themselves. Then it was that
the Master informed them of the terms
upon which they might join his Church
THE Body Of Christ which is the
Church" They must make full con-
secration of themselves to God and to
righteousness. even unto death. They
must do this with full understanding
that it would take them out of touch
with the world and the spirit of the
world while bringing them into closer
relationship with the Father and with
the Son. They were assured that if
they thus presented their little all to
God in the Redeemer's name and
merit. this great Redeemer would
serve them as their Advocate with the
Father and impute to them suffi
cheney of the merit Of his sacrifice to
make good the deficiencies of their
flesh. Thus only. could the Father ac-
cept their sacrifice of the earthly ma
ture and all of it's rights and beget
them with his holy Spirit to joint
heirship with their Redeemer in all the
glories and honors and blessed services
for the world in his Kingdom of Glory
which is to be set up as soon as this
Gospel Age shall have finished its work
of gathering out of the world the elect
Let it not be forgotten in this con-
nection that when the world shall be
reconciled to God in the future the
blessings of that reconciliation will
come to them while still E their fallen
state. to assist them to the recovery Of
all that was lost in Adam Hence our
influence even with the worldly should
be to encourage them towards as high
standards of righteousness as posi-
BILE. knowing that whatever they may
attain in the present life will be that
much of an advantage to them in the
future life. and that in proportion to
their degradation will be their difficult
| ties in connection with their restitu-
ton to perfection So then godliness
is profitable. not onlv for the life that
now is. but also for that which is to
come: not only for the saints who hope
to be of the little flock and associ-
atcd with Christ in his Kingdom. but
also for the world of mankind. whose
hope is to be blessed under that reign
OF righteousness and its uplifting in
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