The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-08


tlHAAiGNSsKUSStll)Ja ted In Christ Jesus
'- = = unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that
we should walk In them" Eph. ii, 8, 1O)
Ever since Brother Luthers day and
his vigorous preaching of justification
by faith Christian believers have been
moro OR less perplexed In their en-
deavors to harmonic the Scriptural
declaration respecting faith and works
as related to salvation. Pastor Rus
sell believes that I'm the clearer Light
God is shedding upon the pathway OF
His people today through the Bible
they are enabled to comprehend with
absolute clearness matters once foggy.
This, he claimed. does not signify
that our forefathers were less loyal to
God, nor less logical in the operation
OF their minds 1t does, however, agree
with the Scriptural declaration that
we are living in the time when the
wise Of Gods people are to understand
the Message previously more or less
hidden, but now, In due time, to be
Observation-Disclosures x,7
The logical thought which appeals
most strongly to every mind is that
good works must be the basis of Divine
favor and bad works the basis OF dis
favor. This led up to the child-sum-
mary Of preaching, namely, BE good
and go to heaven; be bad and go to
~-" Our Catholic friends, said, the
Pastor, carry the matter of good works
to such an extent that they claim that
some have laid up such surplus Of good
works and Divine favor therefor that
they are able to appropriate some of
they may be appealed to I'm prayer and
may give of their merit to others as a
bounty or donation.
The Scriptural proposition Is plain:
1t Is that no man Is perfect, that all
through the fall are impaired in mind
and body, SO that none can do perfect
works. Their very best works would
be unacceptable to God-imperfect. IN
stead Of ignoring their fmperfections
God provided a Redeemer. whose ODE
dience unto death He accepts as a sac
FiAee for the sins OF Adam and his
race. Evidently all tmperfecuons OF
word or act resulting from that DISC
bediencer and fall will be completely
forgiven. The race will be reconciled
to God. Divine blessings will come to
humanity and the earth, instead Of the
curse now resting upon them. The eff
feet will be to give all mankind the
fullest opportunity for rising up out OF
sin and degradation, imperfection, sor-
row, death, alienation from God, ig-
norance, superstition, etc., back to the
full perfection that Father Adam pos
Sessed at first
But in order to regain all those bless
ings lost each member OF the race will
be required to appreciate the privileges
Of life eternal and Divine favor and
will be obliged also to show his ap-
probation by striving against sin and
cooperating with the Savior In the up
lifting arrangements which will pre-
vail for a thousand years. during the
Messianic Kingdom.
Present Age Salvation by Faith.
1t Is In the present Age only that
salvation is to be by faith and not by
works. True, the world In the next
Age viii not be faithless while making
their progress in good works and being
judged according to their works. They
will be full Of faith, but there wIll be
abundant basis for faith. knowledge
will make their pathway clear as day.
Demonstration will prove to them such
things as Gods people in the present
time must accept by faith--"For we
walk by faith and not by sight"
This Gospel Age, from the time Of
jesus arst advent until the second
advent, is the Age Of Faith in con-
trast with the unsuccessful Age Of
Works preceding and the to-be success
full Age Of works to follow. The Pas
tor showed that during the Law Age,
from Moses to Jesus. the requirement
was works: "He that doeth these
things shall live by them" Ueviticus
xviii, 5; Romans K, 81 Israel's failure
was because Of inability to do things
perfectly~-the things contained In the
Law given to them ut Mt. Sinai
The New Law Covenant. which will
be inaugurated by Messiah's Kingdom,
Will be on exactly the same lines as tho
old one, namely, works: 'He that do
eth these things shall live by them
The difference will be that Christ Him
self will be the Mediator Of the New
Law Covenant, both able and willing