Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1913-06-19

((RASTCR RUSSELDl not perish, but
have everlasting
life" John 3:lGJ lie said:
This text by some has been styled
the most precious text in the Bible"
TO read it is to he filed with the
thought of the sin which has married
Gods fair creation. Then comes the
reviving announcement of mercy,
through the Son of God. our Savior,
accomplish for us, race of sinners
condemned to death.
Forcefuly the Pastor pointed out
that once Christian people, even Bible
students. misunderstood this text. and
read it as though it said that God 50
loved the world as to keep them from
perishing, in order that the elect few
might look over the battlements of
Heaven and see the nOn-elect writhing
in torture unable to perish--fOrced to
live, that by their sufferings they
might entertain the more fortunate,
who were guaranteed bliss to the full.
What right did we ever have, said
Of our Savior, as our creeds have done,
words which He never uttered-words
which are very untrue-indeed, BIAS
phemy against our Maker!
Light Shines Through the Fog.
We are not faulting our forefathers,
said the Pastor. Had we been in their
places, we would have been as con-
fused as they, and we might have in
dulged in heretic-burning, etc. And
had they lived in our wonderful day
of great light, knowledge, education,
Bibles, etc, doubtless they would have
had us noble ideas as ourselves re-
speeding the proprieties of Christian
and Divine conduct, and Love and
Justice. The Bible tells us that Satan
and his fallen angels are responsible
for those terrible doctrines of de-
MONS" which have given thinking peo-
pie such horror and driven so many
away from God into unbelief.
Let us rejoice in the light of this
better Day. Let us become Bible stu
dents in the highest sense of the term,
Never before has there been such an
opportunity for knowing the real teach
ing of Gods Book. We have Bibles,
cOncordances. helps, and general edu-
cation which permits us to study these.
, Our forefathers labored against lack
of education. time, Bibles and good ar
tificial light. Surely the wonders of
our day indicate that the New Day is
upon us, that the sunlight of Messiah's
Kingdom will soon break forth through
every cloud!
What the Word "Perish" Means.
! When we think Of it, the word 'per,
ish'' contains not the remotest sugges'
ton of fire or torture. In our igno'
rance we read that meaning into this
and similar texts. Look critically nj
our text. 1t corroborates the account
In Genesis 3, as explained by st. Paul
in Romans 5:12-1S. By one mans dis
obedience sin entered the world, and
death as result of sin, and so death
passed upon all men, because all are
sinners-by heredity.
This death penalty has been carrying
our race to the tomb for six thousand
. LIE Sulphur IL
that all these would have persisted
would have had no future existence
any more than the hgute-had Il moi
been for Gods compassion, THE great
Love wherewith He loved us while We
were vet sinners" -Ephesians ga, 3.
Other Scriptures tell us that the
death of Jesus was Ransom-price, OF
price corresponding to the penalty
upon Adam and his race. By provld
ing an equivalent price for the sin-pen
atty against Adam, God can be Just II
releasing us from the death penalty.
All Saved From Perishing.
The simple proposition of the Bible
is that as Adam and all of his race
legally persisted, so they have all beer
legally redeemed from that persisted
condition Jesus death being the Sat
isfaction-price. Because of this re
demption the Bible assures us there Il
to be resurrection OF the dead. botl
of the Just and Of the unjust