The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-20

mankind, We're children or Auam ano
therefore inheritors O: his death SEN
tence The Father could not. according
to His own just laws. recognize sinners
as sons. Before. they could receive the
Diyine .begetting Of the Holy Spirit
they must first. be justified in the Di-
vine sigat.
II was TO Justify the Household Of
Faith that Jesus assembled on High.
"tbere to appear in the presence of God
for us" He imputed Ia us before the
Father The merit of His own. sacrifice,
and proposed to adopt MS as His mem
bers Then Divine Justice accepted the
Advocates proposal. and that meant
the acceptance Of our profferesl sacri-
fees. az. the members of Jesus.
Ten days after our Lord left His
Apostles. the Pentecostal blessing
came upon them. st. Peter explains
that it was the Heavenly Fathers rec.
IGNITION of His acceptance of the fol.
lowers of Jesus who were entering into
covenant relationship through Him by
the covenant of self-sacrifce. The
transaction involved alt subsequent
members OF the Household of Faith to
the end of this Age. As result. the
Holy Spirit came upon the consecrat ted.
They were to be made children, Of God;
and 'if children, then heirs, heirs of
God and joint-heirs with Christ. our
Lord. If so be that we suffer with Him.
that we may be also glorified together"
Romans viii. II. .....
Growth In Grace. @..~,
Mistakenly, in the past. many or us
have supposed justification to be the
goal OF the Christian-merely the for
giyeness of sins. Now we see that
this was a great mistake. Now we
see that justification by faith Is only
stepping stone to sanctiication-the
begettiug of the Holy Spirit as New
Creatures in Christ Moreover. we
see that even our specification by the
becetting of the Holy Spirit In not
sufficient. nor our goal. ~ :.
The Spirit-begetten ones must grow
In grace. in knowledge. in all the fruits
and graces OF the Holy Spirit. They
must be tested and proved as to their
loyalty. and faithfulness. Fiery trials.
testings. fluctuations. must be allowed
to come against them to prove the
depth and sincerity of their love for
God Graciouslr. their testings are
not alanr the lines Of the flesh. which
Is Acknowledged to be imperfect. weak.
aud which il acceptable as sacrifice
only through the merit of Jesus. Their
testings and acceptance are according
to fheir mind. their will. as New Crea:
lures In Christ. - =. ..-- s.. -.
"fsptill Come Again" ~
The Master would be absent ,dnring
the period of the selection, OF the Bride
class-in Heaven itself. Yet. by His
Spirit or Power, the Holy Spirit. hich
is also the Spirit or Power of the
Father. He would have full knowl.
edge. Of all the affairs of His people
and would providentially make. ''ail
things work together for good to them
that love Him" Suffer, they must: en-
dure. trials and testings they. must. lin
order to prove their loyalty even unto
death; but His grace would lie s,ie.
heient5 for them. and His strength
would be made perfect in their weak-
nesses:, and He would never leave
them, In the sense Of abandoning
them so long as they would abide
in. Him by faith and by loyalty ct
heart -intention. He would override all
things for their good. - -. -.
After the selection Of the full nnm-
Der of the Bride class. He would come
again to receive them unto Himself.
He would come relatively in the sane
sense In which He went away. In tue
sense in which He has not been pres
ent throughout the Age. he would
come in the sense Of taking charge of
the affairs of the world. He will take
to Himself His great Power and begin
His reign. His first kingly Office will
be in respect to His Church He will
call His own servants and reckon with
them first. He will reward the fsith-
full by allowing the unfaithful to pass
into tribula ton with the world.
As Satan has for long time been
"the prince of the power Of the air."
''the prince of this world" so Messiah.
after binding Satan for a thousand
years, will assume His rightfrl. title,
az the King Of this world, the King of
Glory. His Power will also be the
Power of the Air." or spirit power:
but, unlike that of Satan. it will be .
holy Spirit power His saints will, be
called away with: Him, to share BIS
Throne and Empire. "the Power Of
the Air." His Spiritual Kingdom. =,
Thus the Bride Of Christ will be
completed, when the f0reordained
number of the Elect shall have been
found and proved worthy By trials
and testings, and shall have gone be-
yond the veil. Then the glorious King
dom Of Messiah will begin its work
for mankind. restoring and blessing.
very much as Israel had understood
and az all. the Holy Prophets had exs
planned. Describing the coming bless.
ings. which will: begin with Natural
Israel and extend to all people. ST.
Peter says. Times of refreshing shall
come from the presence Of the Lord:
and He shall send Jesus Christ. which
before was preached unto you. whom
the Heavens must retain until the
Times OF Restitution Of all things.
which God hath spoken by the mouth
OF all the Holy Prophets since the
world began."-Acts ill. 1921.