Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-03-16
Pastor RusseII's Sermon

Of the Church. and her perfectlng with
her Lord as sharers in His resurrec-
Hon.D sthe First Resurrection. Philip
plans iii, 10; Revelation zz. 8.
We have In the past made two seri-
GUS mistakes respecting the Divine pur.
poses. One was that we assumed with.
out Seriptural authority that the whole
world Is now on trial for eternal life.
falling to see that 1t is merely the elect
Church, the consecrated class. The
other mistake is that we reasoned as
though the Church were part Of the
world and, therefore, that the trial Of
the Church meant the trial Of the
world But hearken to the Scriptures
respecting the Church: "Ye are not Of
the world, even as I am not Of the
world" II have chosen you out Of the
world" and again, Let your light so
shine before men that they. seeing your
good works. may glorify your Father
which is In heaven" 'in the day Of
their risitGtiOn. ~ Peter II, u.
TWO Different Rewards.
We should notice also the wide diff
ference between the reward promised
the Church and that proffered the
world. In both cases the reward will
be everlasting life. In both cases this
will mean full harmony with God, be-
cause "All the wicked will God de-
stroy." And again we read that who.
soever hath the Son hath life. and
whosoever hath not the Son shall not
see life" So then, the attainment Of
everlasting life, either by the Church
class or by the world. will mean com
ing into full harmony with the heaven.
ly Father and with the Lord Jesus, by
the merit Of Chrlst's sacrifice. 1t win
mean a full turning away from sin
and full devotion to God and to right
eousness.
The difference will be as to nature.
The reward for the world will be
earthly nature, human nature with
everlasting life In an earthly Paradise
or Eden-w worldwide. Mankind never
lost a spiritual or heavenly condition
through Adams dlsobedience, nor in
any other manner. He never had such
condition or nature, or right to 1t.
that he could lose it. He was made
man, "a little lower than the angels"
His crown of glory and honor was an
earthly crown. His dominion was over
the birds of the air, over cattle and
over the FISH Of the sea. This which he
lost Jesus paid the redemption price
for at Calvary; and these things lost
are the very things which Jesus and
His elect Bride will restore to mankind
during the thousand years Of the Mes.
slanlc Kingdom. Thus we read "The
Son Of man came to seek and to save
that tohich iods lost"
Partakers Of the Divine Nature.
The reward OF the Church, eternal
life, perfection and harmony with God
will be on the spirit plane-wholly
different from the human. Man in
perfection will again be little lower
than the angels; but the Church. as
the Body Of Christ, will share with
her Lord in His exaltation, far above
angels, prlneipalities and powers and
every name that is named'-the divine
nature. This reward comes to the
Church under q special covenant Of
sacrifice, which the Bible specifies.
This Church class, like her Lord.
must sacrifice the earthly nature
earthly interests, hopes and aims. and
must be begotten of the Father to a
heavenly, spiritual nature, In order to
be a sharer IN the First Resurrection;
and she must enter into her reward be-
fore the Messlanic Kingdom can be es-
tabllshed for the blessing Of mankind
In general-the saving of the world
from sin and from death.
Thus the APOSTLE wrote that the
groanlng creation waits for the mani.
festation Of the sons Of God" Romans
viii, 10) Now are we the sons Of
God, but II doth not yet appear what
we shall be (how glorious, how great.
but we know that when He shall APP
pear we shall be like Him" Our res
direction change will make us like the
Savior; as It written, I'VE shall all
be changed, In. moment, In a twin.
king" because "flesh and blood can.
not inherit the Kingdom Of heaven"
"commandsth All to Repent"
Come back again to Salut Paurs
words. He does not say that God
commanded the Church 20 sacrifice. for
II sacrifice were a command It would
cease to be a sacrifice. Nowhere are
Gods people commanded to present
their bodies living sacrifices, nor to
walk IN the footsteps Of Jesus nor to
take up the cross and follow Him. 10
the sanity these sacrificing features
are set forth as a pririlego-as an Op.
portunlty II they do these things the
Divine arrangement Is that through
the imputatlon Of Christs merit their
sacrifice viii be holy aud acceptable
unto God, and they will Ne granted IA
share with the Redeemer In His high
ex0ltatIon-the reward Of sacrifice, VI
self.denlal, Of loving, voluntary serv.
ice to God. the truth and the brethren,
But to the world In general the lord
Issues a command, viz, Repent: turn
from your sins; come back to Me; seek
My face; seek 10 know and do My will
The basis OF this command is the hi
vine declaration that Gods grace has
provided redemption In the blood OF
Jesus. = reconciliation through Ills
blood. and that by and by the whols
world will be on trial for life or death
everlasting. In a great Day OF trial
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