River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-03-25

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word here rendered rock signifies a
mass Of stone-a foundation. Our
Lord Jesus Christ evidently meant
that st. Peters statement was rec
ognition OF Himself as the great Foun-
dation of the Divine Plan-Messiah.
Upon that foundation truth, that Jesus
is Christ, the Church would be built;
and st. Peter was the first living stone
to build himself upon that foundation
by believing and confessing Christ.
ST. Peter himself gives us the same
thought-that he and all others of the
Church are living stones, being build
ed together as a holy Temple of God.
This entire Gospel Age has been de-
voted to the building Of these stones
upon that great Foundation Rock,
Christ Jesus. AS soon as the great
Temple of God shall be completed, this
Gospel Age will end and the New Dis
pensation be inaugurated.
"The Keys of the Kingdom"
TO st. Peter our Lord said, Il will
give thee the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven" What did He mean? We
shall not suppose that any who hear
my voice or are sufficiently intelligent
to read this discourse in the newSpa-
pers are stupid enough to think Jesus
meant that Heaven is locked up, and
that nobody could get in except as st.
Peter would open the door or gate.
True some have voiced such fantastic
notions. But we refuse to believe that
intelligent people could be in earnest
In any such view.
What the Lord meant is very sim
pie, very beautiful; and we see exactly
how it was fulfilled. He indicated that
st. Peter, the first to confess Him, was
to have q special honor in connection
with the Inauguration of the Church
on earth. By the expression, king
dom of Heaven" is meant the Church,
class being called out of the world
to become with Christ the ruling pow
er Of the world during the Millen-
mum, through the great resurrection
change" See 1 Corinthians 1912, "a.
Jesus meant that st. Peter would be
honored In being permitted to do an
opening work in connection with the
Church. The Bible shows us two diff
ferent opening works and two different
keys. The key is a symbol of power
or authority or an initiative. st. Peter
used his first key of privilege on the
day Of Pentecost. When the Holy
Spirit came upon the early waiting
Church, 1t was st. Peter that used this
key. Standing up with the eleven, he
lifted up his voice, explained the sit
uation and opened the door to the
Church Of Christ for the Jews, admOn-
ishing them Of their opportunity to en-
ter. He told OF the merit of Christ'S
death and how He had risen and had
assembled on High, and how forgiveness
of sins was, therefore, preached in His
name.-Acts 2:14-36.
The second key to the Kingdom Of
Heaven-the Church, the embryo King
dom preparing for glory-St. Peter
used three and half years later. Then
the SEVENTEEN week of Divine favor
prophetically appointed to the Jews ex-
pired, and the time came that 1.-The
Gentles might be fellow-heirs with the
Jews Of the same Promise" The open
ing work was with the household Of
Cornelius, to whom st. Peter preached
Christ The Lord blessed the preach
ing and granted the Holy Spirit to
Cornelius and his family. Thus the
Gentle door into the Kingdom was
thrown wide open.-Acts 10.
Repentance and Remission of Sins.
THAT repentance and remission Of
sins might be preached in His name to
all people, duke 24:4O. God never
gave power to bishops, priests or min
listers Of any denomination to forgive
sins. 'Who can forgive sins but God
alone:" Nor did Jesus give authority
to His Apostles to forgive sins. They
might preach repentance and forgive
ness, but only in His name.
Any child of God is Scripturally au-
thorized to declare that Christ died
for human sin, and has thus made ar
rangement by which all repentant sin
ners may be forgiven. 1t is an honor
to be the bearer of such a Message
from God to men; and every child or
God is fully commissioned to tell the
Divine Message to all who will hear.
In proportion as Gods people throw
away their sectarian spectacles they
can read Gods Message in the words
Of Jesus and the Apostles. Let US hold
fast the precious Word which Jesus
exhorted us to search and which is
sufficient that the man Of God may be
thoroughly furnished. Let US remem-
Der that there is only one true Church.
each member of which is a saint, re-
lated to God and the Lord Jesus Christ
through faith, repentance and remfs-
sion of sin and the begetting Of the
Holy Spirit; that 1t is the only Church
that Is catholic, universal; and that a
member Of the Body of Christ is a
member OF that Body anywhere. Now
are We the Body of Christ, and mem
bers in particularly Cor. 1927.
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