The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-07-22

AS the heavens are higher than the
earth. so are Gods ways higher than
mans ways and Gods plans lofticr
than mans conceptions.
Notice next the context. St Paul
after mentioning Christ as the Head
Of the Body, the Church, who is the
first-bcguttcn. the frst-burn from the
dead, that in all things he might have
the prc.cmincncc, adds, For it pleased
the Father that IN him should al full
ness dwell" and that mftcr having
made peace through the blood of his
cross by him to reconcile all things
unto hlmself-both the things in earth
and things in heaven (Coossians !,
1920. The Apostle indicates the great
scope of Christs work as ii shall he
eventually when finished. He is APP
pointed of the Father to establish peace
ana righteousness throughout the Uni
verse. But he has not yet accom-
piShCd 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 he 1.-The
Bride, the Lambs Wife" Note how
the Apostle expresses this thought in
our text. verse 81.
The Church First Reconciled.
And you, that were sometime
alicnated. and enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he
reconcilcd in the body of his flesh
through death, to present you holy and
unblamable and unreprovable in his
tthe Fathers 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 undetied and separate from sin
ners." Why then did Gods grace
specially come to this classic us 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
| n
| 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
| heredity. 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 ri, 2S). They heard
this voice, while some OF their neigh
bors more favorably situated heard it
not. But a 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 tilthiness
of the tieSh-Sin in its every fOrm-the
while realizing that they could not
cleanse themselves. Then it was that
| TIE
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 q suffi-
cheney of the merit of his sacrifice to
flesh. Thus only could the Father ac-
rept their sacrifice of the earthly ma
ture and all of its 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 1t 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 il 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
/ IL \ 4 -. l. A II. Il