Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-10-02
Pastor RusseII's Sermon

oDement TO the Fathers VIII to the
extent Of sacrificing earthly pleasures
and advantages? and to the extent Of
death? So must His followers walk
in His steps, as He has set them an
example, looking unto Jesus, the Au-
thor and Finisher of their faith The
invitation to these is that If they suf-
fer with Christ they may also reign
with Him, share His nature and glory
and honor. They are advised from
the first that the footsteps of JesuS
are the way Of the cross.
These disciples Of Jesus in the pres
ent Age are fguratively styled "sol-
diers Of the cross" and Jesus is de-
clared to be the Captain Of their saliva
ton, leading them on through victories
to glory. Their battle in some respects
is the same as the world will have in
the next Age. only more intense, more
concentrated The world will have a
thousand years in which to fight and
win. The battle of the Church as a
whole is more than eighteen centuries
long, but each individual share Is much
shorter, The coming Age will be the
worlds time for gaining a victory and
escaping from the condemnation, the
imperfection. that came upon all the
race through Adams sin.
Children Of Wrath as Others.
We are not to think of those whom
God accepts as the Church as being
different by nature from the remainder
of mankind. On the contrary. we are
particularly informed that we were
born children Of wrath, even as 9TH
ers." But this special class get free
from the condemnation, or damnation,
that came upon the race through Adam
in a different way from that of the
world in the next Age. They first ex-
ercise faith In Gods promises and in
Jesus as the Redeemer. They realize
By faith that the merit Of His death Is
the basis of deliverance from the
damnation, or condemnation. passed
upon all and Of reconciliation with God
and restitution to perfection and at
tainment Of everlasting life.
The Kingdom Of Messiah, through
which these blessings are to be ex-
tended to mankind, having not yet
been established, these believers can
not get these blessings. However, to
them comes a special message or invi-
tation to become members of the King
dom class-"helrs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord; "if
I so be that they will suffer with Him,
that they may be also glori6ed togeth.
err and share the Kingdom.
SIT; Timothy 2:12.
Charmed with the prospect, these are
not daunted by the trials and Difficult
ties Of the way, especially when they
hear the Redeemer's Word encouraging
them and saying, Fear not. | have
overcome the world" Greater is lie
that is on your part than all they that
be against you" "My strength is made
perfect in your weakness" "All
things shall work together for good to
them that love God-to the called ones
according to His purpose"
Thus encouraged, these believers
make full conservation of themselves
to God and His service, realizing and
confessing their own imperfecton and
insufflciency, and pledging themselves
to fight good fight against sin in
every form under the eaptaincy Of Je-
sus Jesus becomes the Advocate of
all who come unto the Father through
Him during this Age. He supplements
their sacrifice in such a manner as to
make 1t perfect--holy and acceptable
to God Romans 121) They give
their wills, and resign all earthly in
terests and rights. He adds to their
sacrifice all those Restitution qualities
which would be theirs In due time un-
der the Kingdom. Thus they stand
complete in Him.
When the Father accepts these by
the begettlng Of His Holy Spirit they
become His children. His saints,
"helrs Of God and joint-helrs with Je-
sus Christ" to "the inheritance incor,
ruptible and unde1led, reserved In
Heaven" for them.-1 Peter :3-5.
Then the Fight Begins.
Every battle against sin is a good
fight whether 1t be the battling of the
world during the Times of Restitution,
or the battlngs Of the Church during
this Age But because God designs to
give the Church a higher nature. a
greater salvation, therefore He re-
qulres OF every member Of It n special
demonstration Of love and loyalty,
And who will say that this Is not a
reasonable requirement Of these sons7
These splrit-begotten sons are all
alike in the sense that they have one
mind. one spirit one disposltion-the
Spirit OF Christ. the spirit Of holiness
the spirit Of loyalty to God. But these
are all distinctly different as respects
their flesh, All are imperfect, but
some more and some less So Some
are more and some less educated
some more and some less wise; some
more and some less talented But the
tests are all under Divine supervision
The Lord sees to 1t that each shall bC
thoroughly tested Each must hav,
trials, difficulties, besetments, from the
world, the Adversary and his owl
tesh, Each must personally demon
Strate his loyalty to the principles FOL