Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-31

ton" (Roman. 10. 1O). Each is per-
fectly right in its place. the first De-
longs to the dfspensation Of law, the
| last to the dispensation Of grace, and
each Is as wrong when applied to the
! other age as it is right IN its own.
Mr.. "B. A s." In his first letter
gives US a cue, which, if followed up,
may prove helpful in distinguishing
between law and grace. AS he says.
there were two codes of laws given at
Sinai, the commandments or moral
law, and the ceremonial law But our
| friend makes distinction here which
! the book does not warrant OF calling
the former Gods Law" and the latter
"The Law of Noses" This Is half
truth: but, while God spoke the ten
commandments directly to the people,
the tables of stone upon which they
we're written were given by the hand
Of Moses, and are sometimes referred
to as the law Of Moses.
But. let me ask, what was the need
for the ceremonial law if it were pos
sible for man to keep the command
ments? Man simply could not keep
them. for the claw was holy" but man
was "carnal, sold under sim" 1t was
the ADMINISTRATION Of DEATH hence the
necessity Of ceremonial law.
Notice In Lev A. verse 3: IF the
priest that is Amounted do SIM" verse
IL: IF the whole congregation OF
Israel SIM" verse %, when a ruler
hath sinned," verse 81: eff one of the
common people sin" In each case Goa
directed as to the offering to oe
brought, and assured the people that
when "the priest shall make atone
ment for the sin, it shall be forgiven
him" This is only a sample of the
many many offerings for sin provided
for in the book of Leviticus. Each
victim was but substitute in death
for the offerer, and all pointed to the
offering of "The Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world"
John /, 20.
So. while the ten commandments
were the ADMINISTRATION of death writ
ten and craven in stones" G Cor 5,
~. and could only reveal sin and con-
denim the sinner to death, God grac-
iously provided refuge in the cere-
monial law, which was law OF mercy,
and allowed substitute to take the
place of the sinner in death. The peo-
ple. in bringing the required ofering.
confessed that they looked forward
to. and trusted in coming work Oh
redemption; as we now. by confesslng
Jesus as our Savior, look back to q
finished work of redemption. 50,
David could say Blessed is he whose
transgression is forgiven, whose sin IS
covered (Psa. 80, ~. And it could
be said of Zacharias and Elizabeth
that they were both righteous before
God. walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless..
(Luke 1, 5, g.. They were under the
curse or condemnation of the moral
law: but. had taken refuge under the
ceremonial law. q wish the reader
would read the ninth and tenth chap
tiers of Hebrews, at this point). Under
that law there must be constant re-
currence of the offering; because the
blood of beasts could never put away
sim" But under the nev covenant,
Christ s'by His own blood entered
once into the holy place. having OBJ
tanned eternal redemption for us
(Heb. 9, 12).
Here is the all important distinction
between law and grace. Under law,
man could never claim eternal life
or eternal redemption, while under
grace what man gets ss result OF
accepting Christ is always spoken or
in those and similar terms. 1t is not
that man is any better by nature than
when under law; but because OF the dlt-
ference in the offering, "as many as re-
ceive him--become sons OF God.
John l, 12) A very important verse
in the third of John Is much overlook
ed. THAT which is born of the flesh
is flesh; and that which is born OF
the spirit is spirit" verse 6. 1t means
that by natural birth we get nature
that is mortal and sinful, like our
parents while by the spiritual birth
we get nature that is immortal and
holy, like our heavenly Father. And
this is true of every one who is porn
of God" q John 3, 81. That Is why
Paul could exhort the Ephesians to,
Put off the old man which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts," and
to, put on the new man, which after
God is created in righteousness and
true holiness (Eph. 4, %, 24).
if it were possible for
one who has been ''born of the spirit"
and sealed by the spirit until the day
of redemption (Eph 4, 800 to loose the
new life which he got by that birth;
then it would not have been eternal
life" which he had: and. he could
never be saved again, for he would
have to. cruelty to himself the Son OF
God afresh, and put him to an open
shame" (Heb. 6, 81 which could never
be done for Christ being raised from
the dead dieth no more, death hath no
more dominion over him." (Rom. s,
81. Another point that B. A S"
states correctly is, that the tablets
we're kept in the ark. But a matter or
is overlooked here. When
Moses first went up into the mount to
receive the tables of the law, the peo- !
pie cried with one voice, "All The
words which the Lord hath said. Will
we do" (Ex. "a. 81. (They had as