Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-10-25

| llPASiGJR klISSELii. James l. . -
N-----------------| Mercy glorieth
against judg-
ment."
How to blend and harmonic Di-
vine Justice, which demands the pun
ishment Of the sinner, with Divine
Love, which seeks to bless that sin
ner, is one of the greatest problems
of theology, and enc with which our
forefathers grappled in vain. Would
| Divine Justice over-rule and carry
matters to finish? Or would Divine
Love step in and override Divine
Justice? Are there two principles in
opposition? Ii not, how could God
coordinate them? These questions
and many related ones were answer
| ed satisfactorily by Pastor Russell,
who demonstrated that when one
sets aside both his own preconceived
opinions and the crcedal teachings Of
the Dark Ages, and takes the Word
of God. all difficulties vanish. Then
Gods Justice and Gods Love are
seen in a new light, blending and
harmonizing most beautifully; for
I"God is Love-" and Justice is the
very foundation of His Throne.
The speaker holds that one of hui
Imanity's greatest difficulties is the
lack of an accurate knowledge of the
| Divine character. In His Word God
has furnished that necessary kno~-
edge; but people have, in the main.
permitted themselves to be misled by
the great Adversary. True, many to-
day do not believe in the existence Of
the Devil. But no one who truly be-
lieves in the Word of God can doubt
that there is not only personal
Devil but host of fallen angels,
whose secret and crafty workings arc
| for the purpose of deceiving and en-
trapping mankind. Full well does the
Adversary know that if the light Of
the knowledge of the Divine charac-
ter should shine into mems hearts,
there would be great transforma-
ton everywhere. But. thank God,
the light is breaking; and Bible stu
dents see as never before, see out
lined in Gods Word the glorious
Plan for human salvation!
Justice the Basis of True Love.
The pagan doctrine of the immor-
tally of the soul, the Pastor declar-
ed, is responsible for Christendom'
great confusion regarding the fun
damental doctrines of the Bible.
Gods Word declares that man is
mortal The generally accepted idea
! is that man HAS soul; whereas the
Scriptures declare that man is a
soul. Mans physical organism
makes him superior to the BRUTE
Genesis 81. II; Eccle, S:19, 20.
According to Scripture, the perfect
man Adam brought the penalty of
DEATH upon himself and his poster
| ity because of his disobedience Of
Gods just commands. Therefore
the whole human race have been
in dying condition. God pro-
yided that only this one man Adam
should be condemned to DEATH and
that through this one man condem-
nation should come upon all his un-
born posterity. BY this arrange
one man could pay the penalty for
all. One man sinned. One Man was
the Redeemer. -Ezek. 1874, Rom
6:23; l Cor. 15:2123.
The Ransom is the very foundation
of Gods dealings with humanity Di-
wine Justice demanded the death of
Adam, the sinner; but Divine Love
provided the way to bless that sinner.
! TO the Logos, God made the pro-
! position that by the purchase of
J Adams whole race through His own
sacrifice, the Son might obtain the
honor and glory of blessing the bill
lions condemned to death in Adam;
and that then, as reward He
should be supremely exalted In
Cos due time, the Logos laid aside
! His glorious spirit nature, came to
earth as Man, and "by the grace of
God tasted death for EVERY MAN"
! BY purchasing the forfeited life OF
Adam. He purchases all who fell in
Adam while yet unborn Heb. 2:9;
Philippians 2:S-11; John TIA.
II is only when we see the nature
of man that he is mortal. Not im-
lmortal-and that the penalty of sin
| is DEATH--not eternal torment -
that we begin TO see the signih-
canoe OF the death of our Lord Jes-
u.s. Christ. He gave Himself a RAN
som Greek, antilutron, correspon-
ding price, for ALL, to be testified
in DUE TINE" (l Timothy 2:5, g.
For the Church the due time is in the
present life. For the world at large
it is during the Millennial Reign Of
Christ.
All this is the triumph of Love ove..
Justice. While Justice remains for
ever inviolate, yet Love is the victor.
When the world shall have been re-
! covered from the Adamic fall-all
wilful sinners having been destroyed
in the Second Death-then all man
kind will see the glorious character
OF our God and bow in lowing ador-
alton.
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