Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-19

Hts sffHtoH fe0S fcftsfen bH Mt. SNHddt
Especially fof the service at tho Tabernacle
fhio Afternoon ~ Is printed for tire frSi
time beIoiO;
SUBJECT: "THE GOSPEL PLAN"
In the course or my reading the other
day. came across some things that have
boon Of great help to me, and want to
PASS them on to you with the hope that
they will give you clearer vision Of
Gods plan OF redemption, so we are going
to consider this afternoon Gods marvel
ous plan OF redemption as revealed In the
Gospel II the Bible is not the word of
God, the whole of our lives Is one
vast mistake. Good and evil can only
be relative terms whereby we express
our line OF conduct. There Ia nothing left
but to please ourselves We become a
law unto ourselves, and that spells an
arcliy for without revelation from God
We have no knowledge of a hereafter.
nor OF a judgment beyond our present
life
..There are three cardinal points which
we must believe in order to fully under
stand the plan OF redemption through
Jesus Christ: ~ the Divinity of Christ,
geS the substitution, (9 the resurrection of
Christ.
ssIf Jesus Christ was not as he claimed
to ba-the Son of God-then He was the
greatest imposter who ever lived, since
He claimed to be the Son of God. the
divine redeemer of man. which he could
not be IL He were only n man.
'Tf man cannot be identified In union
with Christ, then substitution is a fraud
and only fictior. Gods Justice could not
have been satisfied by vicarious punish
ment OF man like other.
III Christ did not arise from the dead
there Is no proof that His undergoing
punishment for us will avail anything.
II He did not arise from the dead. what
proof is there that the sins of the world
that were laid upon Him have been lifted?
Therefore, we will examine these points
by the light of the Bible and establish
their truth, so we can say with Paul:
Though an sngei from heaven preach
any other gospel, let i'm be accused
Note what the prophets say, Prepare
We the way of the Lord, make straight In
the desert highway for our God, be-
hold the days come. saith the Lord, that
i will raise UP unto David a righteous
branch and a king shall reign and pros
per and shall execute judgement and JUS
tice in the earth. In his days Judah shall
be saved and Israel shall dwell safely,
and this Is his name where he shall be
called. the Lord, our Righteousness
','And thou, Bethlehem, though thou be
little among the thousands of Judah, yet
out of thee shall He come forth unto me,
that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings
forth have been from of old to everlast-
Ing
"'A stone of stumbling. and for rock
of offense to both houses of Israel
Unto you, therefore, which believe,
He is precious; but unto them which be
disobedient. the same Is made a stone of
stumbling and rock of offense.
".Unto us child is born, unto US a
son Is given, and the government shall be
upon His shoulders and His name shall
be called Wonderful
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and thou shalt call His name
Emmanuel.
1.-The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee
and the power of the highest shall over
shadow thee; therefore, that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God
Surely we have in these passages a
sufficient number OF prophesies so cleraly
stated that he that runneth may read
and those whose duty 1t was to make
known to the people the will of God as
set forth In prophecy should have beer
fully prepared to recognize the Messiah
had they been studying the prophets
looking to God for guidance, they would
have recognized Him as sent from GOO
TO redeem Israel; but they were teaching
traditions instead of the commands oi
God.f
John the Baptist, the forerunner OF
Jesus. said. Behold the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sins of the world.
Jesus also bares witness concerning
Himself as divine. Verify, l say unto
you. before Abraham was. l am.
"'Where two or three are gathered to-
gether In my name there will be also
in the midst of them.
- All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth e"
% He that hath seen me, seeth Him
Jesus said. Though bear record of
myself my record is true-I know whence
come and whittier 60.
1T was in no uncertain way that Jesus
bore record He was the Son of God.
The Jews did not misunderstood Him;
they accused Him Of blasphemy The
High Priest rent his clothes.
"The Jews sought to kill Him, because
He not only had broken the Sabbath,
but said that God was His Father, MAX
ing Himself equal with God. The Jews
took up stones for to stone Him. 1t is
remarkable that even the devil was forced
TO confess Him as the Son of God. What
have 1 to do with thee. Jesus, Son of
the Most High God? / beseech Thee
torment me not When the devil gets
cornered he begins TO whine,
AL OF THESE verses prove that Jesus
was the Son of God. He claimed to be
the Son of God. The Jews understood
Ills claim and killed Him. The apostles
all bear witness to this truth. Why was
it necessary that God should come to
redeem fallen man? II Christ had been
but a man. He could not have been the
Hedeemer of the world. for He would
have partaken Of mans sinful nature,
and would have needed redemption. He
was only made in the likeness OF sinful
Gesh.'
If Jesus had been only man. He
could not have borne sins awful load.
Being the Son or God. lie had a right
TO His own life. and He had power to
give It UP for sinful man by taking his
place In punishment and die In his stead
There is a proverb that many a true
word Is spoken IN Jest Never was truer
word spoken In more bitter Jest than this:
He saved others, Himself He cannot
save There was no other way whereby
man could escape. If our substitute had
refused 10 drink the bitter cup. we would
III have been lost.
"Ths law Of Gods Justice required the