Our Own Soul’s Salvation

Via “What Is Christianity?”

In the first place, let us not neglect our own souls’ salvation in our zeal for the Church’s work, for which we want to gain new inspiration during these sessions. This admonition may seem superfluous. Some one may say: “How could we neglect to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling since we labor so diligently for the building and spreading of the Christian Church on earth?” However, on this point also we gain the correct world-view from Holy Scripture. St. Paul was extremely active in church-work; he labored more abundantly than all others. Yet he, too, carefully kept in mind his own salvation, as we know from his words: “I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast away,” 1 Cor. 9, 27. The Church Fathers and our ancient theologians after them cite the case of the craftsmen who assisted Noah, in building the ark; they themselves did not enter the ark, but perished in the Flood. So also we, while building and extending the kingdom of God in earth, must never forget to ask ourselves, Are we truly members of the Christian Church? Now, who is a member of the Christian Church? Christian love certainly demands that we consider as a member of the Christian Church every one who makes an oral confession of his faith in Christ, the Savior of sinners, and who by his conduct does not deny this confession of his lips. It is God’s express will that our Christian love should judge in this way; searching and knowing the heart is God’s prerogative and not our province, and therefore we should not attempt it. The secret thoughts of men God Himself will reveal and judge on the Last Day, Rom. 2, 16. Nevertheless every one of us should continually examine himself as to whether he is in the faith and whether his heart is rightly disposed toward the God’s kingdom. Of this our Savior earnestly reminds us when He says: “The kingdom fo God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo, there! For behold, the kingdom fo God is within you,” Luke 17, 20.21. The kingdom of God is indeed a potent force in the world. It is for the sake of that kingdom that the world still stands, as we have already seen. But to the human eye this kingdom is invisible, since it consists of those who sincerely believe in the Savior of sinners. This faith, which God alone can see and which the individual believer ascertains by way of self-examination, makes one a member of the Christian Church. Let me illustrate:Here in Fort Wayne, here in this assembly, all those – and only those – are members of the Christian Church who through the work of the Holy Ghost in their hearts regard themselves as lost and condemned sinners and for forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation rely alone on Christ’s vicarious atonement. Of this fact we are reminded by our Savior’s words: “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”