Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-12-16
Pastor RusselEs Sermon

deemer BE must suffer death. the pen
atty that was against Father Adam.
Now notice the case of Cain. He
was shapen in iniquity; in sin did his
mother conceive him: the condemna-
ton upon our first parents extended to
him: he was born with a fallen ma
ture. he was born under the death
sentence. The killing of his brother
Abel did not increase the penalty.
which stood the e-death-cutting
of from life. "The wages Of sin is
death: "The soul that sinneth it shall
die"
Retribution--sowins and Rsapins.
There would have been no Message
sent to mankind exhorting to right
eousness and to turn from sin had
God not intended to redeem man by
the death of His Son; and redeeming
them means to give each and all of
the human family another opportuni-
ty, another trial. another Judgment
to test their worthiness or unworthi-
ness Of everlasting life-to prove to
what extent their acquaintance with
sin and its penalty has taught them
the great lesson respecting the sinful
ness and undesirability of sin and the
sureness of its penalty-death.
Accordingly. for four thousand
years God sent no Message to the
world in general-until Jesus came
and died. the Just for the unjust, and
thus made possible the release Of
mankind from the death sentence-a
resurrection from the dead. The only
exception to this rule was Gods Cove
nant with Israel. under which they
tried to gain eternal life by keeping
the Law. and became a great exam
pie of the fallen mans inability and
of the need of the Savior.
Light Shined In Darkness.
| For more than eighteen centuries
| this Message has been going forth
namely. that God has provided for the
race a redemption from the original
death sentence. and that there is to
be a resurrection of the dead. both
Of the Just and the unjust" All man
kind who hear this Message are there
by warned that every act Of the pres
ent life will have its weight. either
in the uplifting or in the degrading of
his own character. and thus have
! bearing upon his future interests. 1t
/ Is in view of this future opportunity for
life or death everlasting that our con-
duct in the present time has a bearing
Those who have the hearing ear and
the eyes Of understanding opened, dis
cern. as the Apostle says. that in Gods
estimation all unrighteousness is sin
however great or small. Those who
now accept Gods invitation are in
formed that If they make consecra-
tion OF their lives to follow in Jesus
footsteps. God will deal with them as
with new creatures. and no longer
impute to them their share of Adams
condemnation. but treat them as hav-
ing passed from death condemnation
to life justification.
Moreover. their flesh will be reck-
oned as dead: full arrangements will
be made for the covering over Of all
their unintentional weaknesses. and
their Judgment in Gods sight win be
according to their will or intention. If
their intentions are perfect they will
be counted as perfect through the
merit Of their Redeemer and Advo
cate. But st. Paul admonishes the
Church. saying, "If we sin wilfully,
after that we have received knowl-
edge of the truth" land have tasted
of the good Word of God and the
powers of the Age to come and have
been made partakers Of the Holy
Spirit. 1t is impossible to renew us
again to repentance" -loilfulness in
the matter would seal our case. how
ever small the transgresslon-just as
It sealed Adams fate with his minor
transgression.
But let us not forget that the Apos-
tie limits this possibility of sln-the
sin unto death-to the Church-to the
Spirit begotten ones. These. receiving
their share OF the great Atonement
sacrifice Of Jesus. and failing to con
form to the Divine requirement, come
under the Divine penalty second
time, and theirs win be the Second
Death. from which there win be no
resurrection. no recovery. Compare
Hebrews Vi. 40 and K. 26-Sl.
comins Events Cast Shadows Before.
1t should be clear to us then that, in
harmony with our text. the whole
world Is now under the wrath Of God,
which came upon the race through the
disobedience Of our first parents; and
the only ones who have escaped from
that wrath and gotten back into har-
mony with God are the sanity few, be-
gotten Of the Holy Spirit. The escape
Of these from Divine wrath or the
death sentence is not actual. but by
faith. They reckon themselves as hav.
ing passed from death unto life."
AS for the remainder of the world
they are not thus reekoned for they
are yet In their sins, still children OF
wrath and experiencing the penalty OF
sin. The world will continue under
these conditions until the completion
Of the election of the Church. and then
the Redeemer, who now occupies the
position of Advocate toward the
Church, will assume new Office; He
with His Church associated with Him
will become the great Mediator be-
tween God and men. He will mediate
for Israel and for all the families Of
lAhn oor4h iot,,,ro,,rio finc, kha Fnarif ~