Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 146, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1914 — DEAD IN ADAM, ALIVE IN CHRIST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEAD IN ADAM, ALIVE IN CHRIST

''All Unrighteousness Is Sin.” I "Wages of Sin Death”

All God's Work Is Perfect—Adam , Alone Tried For • Life or Doath. Adam's Family Bom In a Dying ! Condition—Difference Between Permitting and Causing Bin—Human Depravity a Test to the Angels—Purpose of Law Covenant—Purpose of Jesus' Death—Church Alive In Christ.

On the Atlantic. Homeward Bound. June 21.—After su ccessf ally launching his famous Creation Drama in the Princess Theatre in London last Sunday —the first of a series of exhibitions that will extend throughout the principal cities of the United

Kingdom and the Continent—Pastor Russell Is on the Atlantic homeward bound. The Pasha’s text today was, “Even when we were dead In sins. God bath quickened ns together with Christ”—Ephesians 2:5. - The discourse began with a review of Adam’s trial in Eden. The speaker demonstrated that man was created perfect in the image and likeness of his Creator; but that be disobeyed God and brought upon himself the curse of death. Since Adam’s posterity were all born after his fall, it naturally follows that they partake of his imperfection. All mankind are under the death sentence; The Pastor then discussed the proposition which the Bible sets before humanity. That proposition is not one of Heaven or Hell, but of life or death. To those who are In harmony with God and delight to do His will. He is pleased to give life everlasting. But to those not in harmony. He has decreed to give death eternal. For such there is no place in all His Universe, i God does not expect humanity to do perfectly in their present fallen condition. the speaker declared. The Law was given to Israel for the very purpose of proving to them, and incidentally to all men, that “by the deeds of the .Law no flesh can be justified In His sight.” No fallen being can keep God’s perfect Law. Therefore no man could have life everlasting if God had not done something for ns. What He has done is “the old, old story of Jesus and His love”—the Heavenly Father’s love, also. The thodgbt that God is very angry with us. and was about to consign the 'entire race to eternal torment when Jesus stepped In and rescued us, is Improper. This view represents our Heavenly Father as most unloving and unjust, in that when He knew we were Imperfect He held us accountable for what we could not do. All Bible students are losing this wrong, conception. I Permitting Sin and Cabling Sin. i Pastor Bussell then showed the wide AEffitreßce between permitting and causing sin. For God to have caused sht would have been for God to do evil. He was not responsible for the entrance of sin into the world. He perWtted Satan to pursue his downward course, in order that the angels might see the results of sin, When Mother Eve came under temptation, God did not interfere. He also permitted Father Adam to disobey. Thus Sin and Death entered the world, -with their tremendous Influences for evil. The reign of Sin and Death has illustrated certain principles, and has demonstrated the necessity for obedience to God. It has also proved that there ban be no happiness aside from perfect narmony with our Creator. Both men and angels have learned that whoever sins will suffer. i Next was shown the purpose of the Law Covenant made with Israel at Sinai. The' terms of that Covenant were that If Israel" would keep God’s Law, eventually all the world would come under their sway. But they soon found that they could not obey His (commandments. Then God arranged an annual Atonement Day, on which sacrifices were offered to cover their sins for one year. Although they tried to live without sin, yet generation after generation died. At last they realized that they had entered into a contract which they could not keep. The Church Alive In Christ. 1 Later, God promised to give them a New Covenant, more favorable to them. The difference between these covenants will be in regard to the Mediator. Moses offered typical sacrifices, which could not remove sin. But the Mediator of the New Covenant will be empowered to lift, the death curse and restore man to the image of God. i This New Law Covenant the Pastor explained, cannot be inaugurated on til Us Mediator—Christ the Head, and the ChUrcb the Body —is completed. Throughout this Gospel Age the great antitypical Moses has been offering the “better sacrifices.” When these have been finished, the New Covenant will be inaugurated. That time, he believes. is very near. I The church, once “dead in tresphases and sins.” like the remainder of humanity, have been made alive, through the imputation of Jesus’ merit, in advance of mankind. God’s purpose in thus quickening them is that Re Is selecting a class to be associated With our Lord in the Kingdom.