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I AM HERE. St. Luke, Writer of the Third Gospel That Was.
I desire to-night to write a short message on the question:--"What is the use in believing in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as a salvation from sin?"
I know that this belief is at the foundation of the so-called Christian religion and is the cornerstone of most of the churches as they now exist, but as such a belief is false and does not effecuate the object claimed for it, I must declare the utter uselessness of such a belief and the great harm it is doing to mankind.
A thing is just what it internal qualities make it. I mean by this, what the ingredients of its composition causes it to really be, and these ingredients cannot be supplied unless they have in themselves, an existence of those qualities which are sufficient to make that composition just what is necessary and required to produce the thing in its genuine substance.
This applies to things of the soul, and unless the qualities of the soul are such as to eliminate the elements of sin and everything that prevents that soul from coming into harmony with the laws of God, that soul will continue in sin and separation from the Divine nature of the Father.
The soul is in each individual an entity, which is distinct and separate from the soul of every other man, and is dependent for its qualities, not in what that other man may do or not do, but upon that which will make those qualities like, or in substance the same as the qualities of that thing which is desired or sought for, as a necessary acquirement in making the substance of that possessed and that desired, similar.
According to the belief of which I speak, the sacrifice mentioned causes the salvation of man by appeasing the wrath of God and lifting from man the condemnation under which he was suffering, and by accomplishing such an object man became a new creature in his soul qualities, and was given the qualities that are required to make him like unto the Father, and, therefore, he man, has nothing further to be done for him in order to relieve him entirely from the possession of this sin, and from the demands of God--the sacrifice is sufficient to bring about these results.
But as we have told you, and as even the followers or possessors of these beliefs assert, Love is the great necessity to effectuate the union between God and man, and this Love must dwell in the soul of man as well as in the bosom of the Father, waiting its bestowal on man.
IT CAN BE OBTAINED ONLY BY SINCERE SEEKING ON THE PART OF MAN, AND NO OTHER WAY IS PROVIDED BY WHICH IT CAN BE OBTAINED. THE SACRIFICE OR THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD DOES NOT CAUSE THE INFLOWING OF THIS LOVE INTO THE SOULS OF MEN, AND THE MERE FACT, EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE, THAT AN AN-ANGRY GOD HAD BEEN APPEASED, OR DEBT PAID, OR A MORTAL IS REDEEMED WOULD NOT CAUSE THIS LOVE TO BECOME A PART OF THE SOULS OF MEN.
I know that it is asserted that these things, in some mysterious way, reconciles God to man, and thereby causes the acceptance of man by God, and when that is done, all the sins and depravity of a man's soul immediately become no longer a part of his soul's qualities, and the soul is perfected and its condition is that which enables it to become of a nature like that of the Father.
But a difficulty with this conclusion is that only Jesus and God are the one that are participating in this great work of redemption, and man is eliminated from the necessity of doing anything, except to believe that the sacrifice is sufficient to cause his full salvation, and all that it means.
How this belief that the sacrifice or the flowing of the blood can make a sinful soul pure, or become a partaker of the Divine nature of the Father, has never been explained by the teachers of the Christian doctrines in any way that is consonant with reason, and cannot be so explained, for the one reason that is of itself sufficient, and that is, that the sacrifice does not work such a consummation.
No one man, not even Jesus, can do the work of another or for another, that will produce the results necessary to insure the reconciliation mentioned.
It is claimed that Jesus died to save all men from their sins, or that he that believeth on the name of Jesus shall be saved from their sins. But the question again arises, how--in what way?
Can it be argued that his death made the impure man clean, even though he believed it did? Can his blood shed on Calvary cleanse the soul of any man? I know that it is claimed that in some mysterious way it does, but no one explains the how.
CAN ANYONE OF THE GREAT THEOLOGICAL TEACHERS TELL YOU BY WHAT MYSTERIOUS OR OTHER PROCESS THIS BLOOD OPERATES ON THE MERCY OR LOVE OF GOD, SO THAT THE SINNER IS SAVED FROM HIS SINS OR FROM THE PENALTIES WHICH THE VIOLATION OF GOD'S LAWS ENTAIL? I KNOW THAT THEY CANNOT, AND FOR THE SAME REASON AS BEFORE STATED, THAT THE BLOOD DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH THESE RESULTS.
THEN WHAT IS THE USE IN ACCEPTING SUCH BELIEF WHEN IT CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD OR EXPLAINED, AND IS THE BLINDEST OF BLIND BELIEFS OF MORTALS?
NO, NO SACRIFICE OF JESUS, NO SHEDDING OF HIS BLOOD AND NO VICARIOUS ATONEMENT AS IT IS CALLED, CAN SAVE A HUMAN SOUL FROM SIN, OR BRING IT INTO THE LOVE OF THE FATHER, OR CAUSE IT TO BECOME A PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE.
WE HAVE ALREADY IN PREVIOUS MESSAGES DECLARED AND EXPLAINED TO YOU WHAT AND WHAT ONLY BRINGS TO MEN SALVATION, AND I WILL NOT HERE REPEAT, BUT WILL SAY THIS, THAT "EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." NOTHING LESS IS SUFFICIENT AND NOTHING ADDED TO CAN IN ANY WAY BRING ABOUT MAN'S SALVATION.
I will not write more to-night, as what I have said should cause men to think and understand upon what false and baseless foundation they stand when they rely upon the belief in Jesus sacrifice to save them from their sin.
With all my love and blessings I will say, good-night.
Your brother in Christ.
LUKE.Vol. II, p. 226
