The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-25
Pastor RuSSell'S Sermon

that all might have an opportunity to
return to harmony with God, and thus
to everlasting life.
This, said the Pastor is clearly set
forth in both the Old Testament and
the New. Ii we would forget our
creeds and rid our minds of the false
theories which they inculcate. these
Scriptures would now gaide us with
out difficulty Christendom is handi-
capped by 2 the creeds of the Dark
Ages. which confuse us On this sub
ject. for instance, of Christ's redeem
ing work, we are met with the propo-
sition OF the creeds that the curse of
God against our race is eternal torture
In some far-off place. we know not
where-possibly within the earth.
The misconceptions of our forefa-
theirs on the subject of punishment for
sin We're built upon mistranslations or
figuatiye statements meant to be I'M
derstood symbolically. For instance.
we read of our Lord. He opened His
, mouth in parallels and dark sayings"
When our Lord illustrated the utter
destruction of the finally incorrigible
by the destruction of the offal of Je-
rusalem. cast into the Gehenna fire
outside Of the city wall. it was not tor
ment that He taught. but humiliation.
Nothing was tormented in the fire Of
the valley of Hinnom. In the Book
Of Revelation. wholly symbOlcal. the
plain statement is made that the lake
of fire represents the Second Death.
1.-THE Wages of Sin Is Death"
Most emphatically the Bible declares
the wages Of sin to be death-not tor
ment. And lest any one should think
Of this as merely meaning the death Of
the body. While the soul continues to
live. the Scriptures expressly state
more than once that the death of the
soul is meant. 1.-The soul that sinneth
it shall die" God is able to destroy
both soul and body" in Gehenna, the
Second Death The penalty against
Adam, Dying. thou shalt die" signi-
fies the death of his soul. his entire
being. Under that sentence. unless re-
deemed, Adam and his race would
have had no future life.
But God from the very beginning
purposed to redeem man from this
death sentence. In due time He sent
forth His Son to pay mans redemp-
ton price. Jesus redemptive work
will restore mans soul from the power
of the tomb,,by a resurrection of the
dead. Therefore, even before Jesus
had died for our sins. He said to some
Of the people, Fear not them which
can kill the body" and titus take from
you all that remains of the present
Adamic life. Fear God. with whom
are the issues Of the future life. for
He is able to destroy not merely the
temporary life of the present time, but
also your prospective life. which He
Redeemer's sacrifice. and by the resur
rection from the dead.
We see. then. that God rested every
feature of His Plan for mankind upon
the great work which from the begin
ming He intended Jesus should accom-
plish for our race. ST. Paul, said the
Pastor, expresses this in few words.
saying. "As byra man came death mot
eternal tormentl by a man also comes
the resurrection of the dead. For as
all in Adam die. even soall in Christ
shall be made alive. every man in his
own order" The first order, or resur
rection. is that of The Christ. Head and
Body, to glory. honor. immortality. on
the Divine plane of being. Search
carefully the Old Testament Scriptures
every word Of God through Moses
and the Prophets-and we find not q
hint Of any other penalty for sin than
this death penalty.
What the Death Penalty Includes.
The Pastor declared that many fail
to grasp the full import of the death
penalty. 1t includes not only the final
act of dying. but all the steps leading
thereto. Had there been no sin and no
sin penalty. there would have been no
dying process-no aches. no pain, no
signing nor crying. nor dying
Man lived in Eden as happily as an
gels live in their Heavenly home on
the spirit plane. for he is an earthly
being, adapted only to earthly condi-
lions. Besides, had it not been for sin.
God would not have permitted the
curse, nor brought thorns. thistles.
storms. cyclones. drouth and deluges,
which in death-dealing power have
been permitted to come to man. be-
cause he is convict. He is already
under sentence of death. and not en-
titled to any consideration.
The favors that God has promised TO
him through Christ will come in their
due season. They will make earth a
Paradise garden. with nothing to hurt
or destroy The Divine blessing will
bring to all mankind the opportunity
to return to the image and likeness of
God. and to everlasting life, under the
New Covenant,
Another of Our Difficulties.
An additional difficulty under which
we labOred as Bible students in the
past. said the Pastor. is that we con-
fused the special work of this Gospel
Age with the general work of the next
Age Gods provision. through the
death of Christ, for rolling away the
curse of sin and death from mankind
applies to the next Age. aud not to the
present Age. When His due time shall
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