“The Father hath revealed Himself in Christ. He gave His only begotten Son to a life on earth, to suffering and death, that the alienated sons of men might be redeemed, and reconciled to Him, and brought back again into filial relationship with Himself, that in the true spirit of adoption they might look up to Him and call Him, Abba, Father.

“Why is the denial that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, so great a sin, that he who makes it is called preeminently the liar?

• It makes God a liar. On two occasions God spoke from the heavens, saying of Jesus: “This is my beloved Son;” at his baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration. He, therefore, who rejects this testimony, and asserts the contrary, flaunts the lie in God’s face.

• It deprives the world of salvation. With the rejection of Christ, all hope departs. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. — Samuel Laird

Samuel Laird (1835-1913) “…belonged to a group of stalwart preachers and leaders whose influence could not be confined to a congregation or a city or a synod. Among them were numbered such men as Krauth, Krotel, Mann, Spaeth, the Schaeffers, Schmucker, Seiss, Greenwald, Passavant.” (George Sandt) Dr. Laird was secretary of the General Council, president of the Pittsburgh Synod, President of the Pennsylvania Ministerium and was influential in the operations of the General Council’s English Home Mission Board. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Muhlenberg College, and on the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. For many years he served as Trustee of the German Hospital, and a Director of the Mary J. Drexel Home and Motherhouse of Deaconesses, in Philadelphia. Rev. Laird pastored faithfully for thirty-five years at St. Mark’s Church, Philadelphia.

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2020
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0