Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1913-03-27


- speaker point
ed out that Jesus resurrection was the
very first. as the text declared He
led his hearers back to Eden, and let
them hear the Divine penalty for sin
"Dying thou shalt die" He showed
that this dying process operated in
Adam for nine hundred thirty years
before its action was complete.
Adams children. humanity. never had
Adams original perfection; for they
were fallen Mt the time of birth. On
this subject both Old and New Tesla
ment agree
Next the Pastor showed that the
Greek word dndStdSiS. translated res
direction. means u raising up again-
the word again implying former
standard That standard is the Image
and likeness of God. which none OF
Adams children have fully possessed
"Not Possible to Be Holden"
st. Peter declares that it was not
possible for death to hold Jesus. (Acts
| 2:24.l He was perfect. 1t was the
| Fathers will that Jesus should demon
strate His obedience even unto death.
Hence 1t was not possible for Jesus to
remain under the power of death. and
God raised Him on the third day.
Jesus was perfect on the spirit plane,
before He exchanged the spirit nature
| for the human, to become mans Re-
| deemer. He never forfeited His right
to life. He merely laid it down IN
proof Of His loyalty to the Fathers
| will. Hence His resurrection meant
His resuscitation in perfection. But 1t
was not Gods will that He should re-
turn to perfection of human nature;
for He had used that nature for the
purpose intended He was raised from
the power of death to the very highest
! plane; namely. the Divine nature
The Pastor asked his audience to
contrast Jesus resurrection with the
awakening Of Jairus' daughter: the
widow of Mains son: Lazarus. the
brother of Mary and Martha; or any
of the awakenings recorded in the Old
Testament These were nothing more
than mere awakenings from the sleeE
of death They were not, therefore
resurrectiOnS
The resurrection of any of these
sleeping ones would have meant muct
more than was accomplished in them
1t would have meant their restoration
to the full image and likeness Of God
lost in Eden As 1t was, the awakened
ones merely had the advantage of
few more years in the present life, anC
then fell asleep again, to await thu
glorious Day of Messiah's Kingdom.
The First (chief) Resurrection.
The Pastor made it clear tina
the Church of Christ consists of til,
truly consecrated in all denomination
and some outside of denominations
fences. which are barriers not author
/ lied by Scripture. He quoted Philip
plans $40 and other Scriptures whicI
show that these true Christians are t
have a share with Jesus in His Resur
! rection The inherited hlemlshes o
81 these are covered through the merit o
Jesus, thus justifying them. This jus
tification permits their being accepte'
of God as His children.
The Pastor seemed to give the though
that in the Divine Purpose a foreoI
daIned number of the Church elias
must suffer with Christ before the Mi
lennium begins. Their Sufferiugs ar
- not vicarious, as were Jesus. nor nee
essary for the redemption of the wOrlC
as were our Lords. The sufferings ar
necessary to prove their loyalty to Coo
a and to demonstrate their worthines
8 of joint-heirship with Jesus. TIL
!, Church's suffering is the dying
earthly conditions and ambitions, a
e did Jesus His faithful followers wi
a experience similarly glorious resu
rection to higher nature the Divin,
Easter and the Passover.
Pastor Russell says that the woT
Easter occurs only once in onr Con
mon Version Bible, and is II mi'translt
II ton 1t should he rendered I'assove
e Easter was heather festival homo
II ing the goddess of Spring The nan
was transferred to the Passover Gel