The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-02-23

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brakes and permit the downward tend
encies Of our depraved natures to go
rapidly from bad to worse-to carry us
further and further from God and the
standards of character which he ap-
proves. We can surely be content to
do nothing less than our very best to
live up TO our own ideals and to raise
those ideals rs nearly as possible to
The Divine standard
What Would Be the Use2
Suppose we do our very best daily
to measure up to our highest concep-
lions of our God-given ideals and
standards. would God accept Of this
and count ny worthy of his favor and
Of eternal life: Surely not. The Law
of the Lord is perfect Justice is
Justice. Not the hearer of a law, not
the wishing. receives the reward,
but the doer the obedienti Here. then.
we find ourselves In difficulty. With
our hearts. onr minds, we approve
Gods Law ard desire to be obedient
to him. btit lind, as st. Paul says. that
many things we wish to do we fall
To accomplish and many Of the things
we do moi wish to do we cannot avoid.
I'VE cannot do the things that we
would We approve the excellent de-
mands Of Gods Law. We dlsapprove
the imperfccfions Of our own flesh.
Like 81, Paul. we cry out, 20 wretch
Il ,l,A hn IAI mr.
me from this dead body ?"-this body
that Is imperfect through inherited
sin aud weaknesses. With our minds
we serve God's Law and approve it;
bnt with our bodies we come short.
What is our hope? How shall we be
delivered? Can we prevail upon God
to change the reasonable requirement
Of our text 50 that it shall read. What
doth God require OF me but to will
justly and do imperfectly? We can
not hope for such change In the
Divine Law. Are we then hopeless as
respects Divine approval and eternal
life? 0iomans vii. lT-24J
Tho Gift of God Is Eternal Life.
In our moment Of perplexity we
hear Gods message speaking peace
through Jesus Christ our Lord" The
message of peace Is that what we
could not do for ourselves in the way
Of lifting ourselves up TO Divine APP
proval God has provided shall be done
for us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our failure to keep the Law marks us
rs unworthy of eternal life, and
worthy of the wages of sin--not eter-
nal torment. but death. God in mercy
concluded to offer us eternal life as a
gHt-because of our not actually merit
Ing II under his legal requirements.
Thus We read. The wages Of sin Is
death. but The gin Of God Is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord
obtain legally under the Divine re-
quiremcnts tod proffers to us MS a
gift. But the gift is n conditional one
as expressed in the words, Through
Jesus Christ our Lord" Only those
who accept Jesus Christ as the Way,
the Truth, and the Life may have
Gods gift Of eternal life. Hence Il
will be seen that II is wholly mistake
| to suppose that the heather at home
or abroad can eel eternal life. the gift
of God. In ignorance OF Christ. All the
Scriptures confirm this and declare not
only that we cannot save ourselves by
obedience to the terms Of Gods Law,
but that there Is none other name un-
der heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved"-through faith In
his name through faith In his blood
(Acts ". ~.
But how Is this done Justly? and.
why does God so limit his gift of eter-
nal life?
Gods Law represents himself and
cannot change. He cannot require less
than perfection, TO do so would be to
fill the Universe to all eternity with
dcpravcd and imperfect beings. God
has higher plan than this and de
clares, "As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways" isaiah ", %. He explains
that his ultimate purpose Is that there
shall be no imperfect creature In all
his Universe. All whose hearts are
loyal to him and the principles OF his
government shall be perfected, and all
others shall he destroyed In the Second
Death Thus. eventually. every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess to
the glory of God Then every creature
which is in heaven, and on the earth,
and under the earth, shall be heard
saying. Blessing. and honor and glory
and power be unto him that stitch
upon the throne. and unto the Lamb
forever Revelation V, 10.
You Are Bought With a Price.
Possibly God could have arranged
some other way Of dealing with sin
and sinners which would not have re.
Quired the death Of Jesus as the Ran
som price. the purchase price. the re-
demption price for sinners. But the
fact that this method was adopted by
our great Creator assures us that no
other method would have been SO
wise. so just, SO beneficial. No other
method would have SO fully demon
strated Gods Wisdom. Justice, Love
and Power.
In brief, then. Gods arrangement is
that all OF his human creatures shall
have opportunity Of full return to har-
mony with himself. provided they wish
to do so, provided their hearts. their
wills. are fully responsive to the letter
and spirit Of his Law-the require
ments set forth In our text. God has
provided In Jesus for the satisfaction
Of Divine Justice as respects all Of the
condemned race who desire to return
to his favor,
We agree with all the orthodox
creeds of Christendom that only re-
pentance from sin and an endeavor to
put 1t away from our thoughts and
words and deeds. combined with faith
In the Redeemer's sacrifice and full
conservation Of heart and life to do
the Fathers will-nothing short OF
this attainment will gain the salvation
which God Is now holding out to man.
kind. To such the Apostle explains that
the righteousness, the full demands OF
tho INV NJ Cod hts full re0ulremeut.