The Southern herald., 1912-11-01

doctrine. hav
gone. and there II
great confusion in
many minds as to
what the gospel message is, and this
confusion Is making many Christians
unhappy a. they contemplate their
mission a. bearers Of the gospel 10
me world. The most cordially so
cepted Interpretation Of the gospel IL
hat Il is social service. Save others
physically and ethically, and you save
Yourself. Belief in ethical culture or
the work Of moral and spiritual evolu-
lion working the gradual elimination
Df evil as now going on successfully.
Is with many the gospel.
But who should be the most trusted
spokesman Of such a subjecti Would
It not be one who Is very near to the
great teacher, Jesus? It would seem 50.
and we believe the Apostle Paul was
Just such a person. and that in the
text he answered the question, what
Is the Gospel?'' He said he was de-
claring the gospel which he had
preached, and Immediately follows this
statement with the text.
There are Just two things here-ths
death OF Christ, and the resurrection
Of Christ The second Of these is pre-
Sented without elaboration or com
ment, Christ rose again from the
dead" but In the first, we have the
death OF Christ with the occasion or
that death; the sxpiatlon Of our slna,
and the confirmation Of the death BY
burial.
DIED fer Our Gins.
1. Christ died for our sins. The fact
Of the death Of Christ on Calvary Il
generally received, but with most per-
sons that death was simply that Of an
unfortunate young man who had
lived q wonderful life, had manifested
unselfshness to degree never equal
ed BY man, but who made mistake
BY letting himself fall into the hands
Of his enemies and being put to death.
The first cause for the death OF
Christ was our sins. With some per-
sons the death of Jesus Christ has
no possible connection with mans re-
lationship to God, It is merely In
sptrational and of moral influence to-
wards q better life, beautiful to be-
hold II you could shut your eyes to the
physical agony and the grewsome
blood-shedding. But such Is not the
mission Of the death Of Christ in the
purpose Of God, nor have Paul or the
other apostles so thought. The death
had immediate connection with mans
relationship to God-every man who
is Joined to Christ vitality, there died
to the world and world died to him
there was the shedding Of blood with.
out which the Scriptures plainly
teach there Is no remission Of sins.
The brief clause, He was buried"
has far more significance than most
think. It is confirmation Of the
death which must be perfectly au.
thenticated The story Of the death
is quite complete, even before Joseph
of Arimathea appears on the scene.
and the taking of the body, its burial
with all the details given in the COS
pels, Is quite full. The sepulcher was
sealed, guard of soldiers was placed
over 1t, thus doubly confirming the
burial Of a dead body.
Risen With Christ.
2. The burial paves the way for, the
second main proposition rising
again Of Jesus from the dead. Paul
preached to the Corinthians that Jesus
rose again from the dead. We must
read here between the lines, and wa
do not question but that Paul present.
ed the fulIness Of this doctrine-uaing
1t first to enforce the necessity OF the
new life-for you have been risen
with Christ" This refers, Of course
to the spiritual resurrection, very
forcefully represented in the resurrec-
tion Of Jesus Christ.
But Paul also was preaching 4 COS.
pei to secure a man spiritually resur.
rected against all future contingen-
cies. Man must die physically. ana
even to the Christian the passing into
the unknown hereafter Is something
disturbing to contemplate, but PAM
gives him the glorious hope that he
shall rise again from the dead even as
Christ who was the first-fruits OF
them that sleep, rose from the dead.
The Gospel of the death Of Christ
and Of the resurrection Of Christ il
not narrow, in fact, offers the only
platform broad enough on which can
be built the doctrine that man needs
to deliver him from the curse Of sin
which Is now upon him. curse here.
after infinitely greater; and. to enable
him to have The positive blessing e
resurrection.