Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1913-07-03

((RASI0R RUSSELD) not ten cleansed?
80 but where are the
nine? Only one hath returned to give
glory to God."-Luke 1911, 49,
Leprosy, said the Pastor, has long
been regarded as incurable, and there
fore used as an illustration of sin.
which also is incurable. AS only the
Masters word could heal leprosy. so
only a Divine remedy can cure sin. In
olden times lepers were required to
separate themselves from others, and
whenever approached to cry, I'm
cleanr' So sinners by Divine decree
are isolated from the pure. the holy.
The Pastor then reminded his hear
ers that humanity constitutes but
small proportion of Gods great family,
amongst whom are angels, cherubim,
seraphim, etc, who always have fell
lowship with God and with each other.
But while the Scriptures declare that
| mankind are sinners by heredity. all
do not appreciate their condition. nor
cry aloud, Unclean! God wishes each
| to realize that he comes short of the
Divine standard of perfection-of what
God would bless with everlasting life.
! While the Bible declares that all are
sinners, yet it does not unreasonably
say there is no difference. 1t does say,
however, that the slightest degree Of
sin means that we are sinners; and
that the person with the least faint
would need the Savior-need to be
cieansed Each must see his sin and
cry. Unclean! Lord. save, or ! perish!
Many of us, said the Pastor. when
reading our Bibles forgot that perish
means to die, to lose life. Nothing in
the word signifies to be tortured to all
eternity. THE wages of sin is DEATH"
REORGANIZATION, if you please.
Had God not made provision for mans
recovery. there would have been no
future life for the race. Death would
have been as hopeless a state as lepro-
sy is a hopeless disease, from which
there is no recovery.
Jesus the Good Physician.
Jesus alone can cure this leprosy OF
sin. God has so arranged the matter
AS the penalty of sin upon mankind
IL
deem Adams race must be prepared ia
pay his penalty before he could be as
sisted legally, justly. None of Adams
race could serve as a redeemer, be
cause all were born in sin, and there
fore as subject to the penalty as Adam
himself. Nor could any be born sin
less, because the life of the race came
from Adam.
Whoever would redeem mankind
must have life separate from that OF
Adam, and be willing to sacrifice 1t OIL
Adams behalf. Any Of the angels
could have become mans redeemer
had God made them the proposition
and any had chosen TO accept 1t. Blu
He gave the first opportunity to the
very highest Of His creatures, His
Only Begotten Son-the Logos. o.
whom it is written that He was thu
Beginning of the creation Of God, thu
First-born of every creature.
Pastor Russell then showed conclu
sively that not even Jehovah Hlmsel
could demand that one holy creatur
should die to redeem humanity; AM
! tnuJ 1T the LOSOS ndu CllOSen nOl 10 1T
cept the Fathers proposition, 1t doubt
= less would have been extended to 9th
ers. But such was the Sons love an
loyalty that to know Gods will was I
further 1t cheerfully. st. Paul explain
that the Redeemer's faithfulness an
loyalty in doing Gods will to the eS
tent Of laying down the human life be
came the basis OF His still higher eS
altation-above His prehuman cond
ton. Thus Jesus has been qualified I
be made a Prince and Savior, abb
to grant forgiveness to all who com
unto the Father through Him.
What sin-Forsiveness Means.
Forgiveness of sins has two aspect:
I a. the cancellation of the legal COZ
demnation: and (2l the recovery of til
sinner from his degradation. Jesu
came into the world TO accomplish bot
these results. By His death He coul
: legally satisfy Divine Justice giyin
: His life as instead OF Adams forfeite
life Then, raised from the dead. wit
plenitude OF power, He would use tbs