The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-14

promises. the gold. silver and precious
stones of the Divine Word. will pass
unscathed through the fiery expert
! ences of that day.
/ Nevertheless. says the Apostle. those
, who will suffer the loss Of their entire
faith structure Of wood. hay and stub
| their own and of other men-will them.
selves be saved. because they built
upon the Rock Christ Jesus. But. he
adds, They will be saved so as by
tire"-saved through fiery experiences
Search as we will we find no reference
to any such sufferings after death and
, before the resurrection. Thus we see
that the Apostle is In full harmony
with what the Bible everywhere teach,
! eS, that the dead are not consciously
alive to experience either joy or suffer
! ing between the time of death and the
resurrection. But. on the contrary.
; they all .sleep in the dust of the
EARTH" awaiting the awakening of
! their souls in the glorious morning of
the New Age.
st. Peters remarks to the faithful In
his day have been applicable through
out the Age. and are still applicable to
us. He says, Think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which Is to
try you. as though some strange thing
happened unto you" q Peter iv, 1oD
Here again he is not speaking of pur-
gatorial experience after death. but of
life God could protect His children
from every foe. from every trouble.
from every sorrow. from every one of
Satan's darts, but instead of doing so
He permits these fiery trials to test
their faith, their loyalty to Him. to the
Truth. to the brethren.
Pursatory In the Present Life.
Did not Jesus thus have purgatoral
experiences?-not to purge away sin.
for He had none-being holy. harm
less. undefiled and separate from sin
ners"-but to demonstrate His loyalty
to God; as the Apostle said. He was
Obedient unto death. even the death
of the cross" And did not the Apos-
ties have purgatorial experiences,
which were needed, and which we all
need? Is it not in respect to these
purgatOrial experiences that the Apes
tie urges us to remember that God Is
faithful and will not suffer us to be
tempted, tried. more than we are able
to bear. but with every temptation.
trial, provides also way of escape?
He also assures us. "My grace is
sufficient for thee, for My strength is
made perfect in weakness And is
not this the very picture the Scrip
lures give us respecting our present
trials. namely. that our Lord sits as
Refner and Purifier Of silver to take
from us the dross and to purify us as
New Creatures in Christ Jesus. and to
make us ready for the Kingdom?
1t is in full accord with this that the
Apostle declares Of the Church that if
we Judge ourselves-judge our own
conduct. and properly criticize our
selves for errors-we will not need to
be judged or chastened with fiery
trials by the Lord. But if we neglect
to thus judge ourselves. and become
careless, the Lord will give us chasten-
ings. fiery trials and stripes-purgato-
rial eXperiences-to the intent that we
may not be condemned with the world
The Worlds Condemnation.
In this statement. to the effect that
the Church is now chastened that she
may not come into judgment with the
world, we should understand the word
norld to mean all outside of the
Church-both Jews and GentiIes. The
Church is composed, not of any sect
or party, but of all those who have
come into cOvenant-relationsh with
the Father through faith in the Lord
Jesus, and full conservation Of their
lives to walk in His steps The re-
ward Of the Church will be joint-heirship
with the Savior in His Kingdom, for
which we pray. Thy Kingdom come"
The Bible teaches us that shortly !
the Kingdom will be established in
the midst of a great time of trou-
ble." and that through it's blessed
reign of Righteousness the whole
world. Of every nation and kindred
and people and tongue. will be blessed
with light. with knowledge, with OPP
portunity. THE sun of Righteous
ness shall arise with healing in His
beams" ushering in for earth the New
Day. which all the Prophets of God
have for so long foretold-the period
which St Peter styles. Times of
Restitution Of all things which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all the
holy Prophets Acts Iii. 1921.
Since we have learned that the Bible
teaches that God has blessings in store
for the world under Messiah's King
dom. we are the better prepared to un-
derstand how and why the Messianic |
Kingdom is to usher in the Times of |
Restitution" and blessing. And we |
learn at the same time that God has |
first of all. to deal with the |
Church. call. test. prove. discipline |
them with fiery trials. before He be- |
gins His dealings with the world. We |
perceive that the Church is to be dealt |
with first because it is the Divine |
declaration that the Church shall |
share with Jesus in judging the world |
= Ala -s--s.. A.