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T h e K i n g ' s B u s i n e s s criminals are humored and petted. Many advocates of evolution regard sin simply as a trace of animalism left over to us in the process of evolution, a slight imperfection. Modern psychology sees no essential difference between the sin ner and the saint. Each is said to do what he is compelled irresistibly to do. One of the most dangerous modern teachings is that of determinism. Cur rent History several months ago carried a defense of this teaching, going so far as to say that the act of a criminal is as inevitable as that of a clergyman or missionary and that the criminal is in no way personally responsible for his acts. Therefore, it was argued, it appears as illogical and unscientific to punish a crim inal as it would be to punish an indi vidual because he suffers from some or ganic disease or mental aberration. With such teachings abroad in our col leges, it behooves all who love the Word of God to insist upon the Scriptural doc trine of SIN. Common sense tells us that when we are tempted to do wrong we can either yield or refuse. To deny the free dom of the will is to plunge the world into moral chaos. Civilization has been built upon the conviction that man is re sponsible for his acts. Those who deny this fundamental fact are enemies, not only of religion, but of all government. It is true that some are driven into sin by inherited tendencies, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not regard such cases as hopeless. It brings the good news of deliverance from sinful tendencies. The chief of sinners may be born anew, made a new creature;;;.in Christ, empowered to live the victorious life. Thousands have borne witness to the fact that Jesus Christ lifted them out of the miry clay. The Gospel is still “the power of God un to salvation to everyone that believeth" (Rom. 1:16). Away with all the mod ern trash belittling and excusing sin! The student should meditate upon each of the passages assigned for this lesson. In order to impress upon the reader the Bible doctrine of sin, we are giving our space to a summary which we trust will prove useful in combatting the modern loose teachings. Sin in the Bible view is deliberate transgression of the law of God (1 Jn. 3:4). “A ll unrighteousness is sin" ( ljn. 5 :l7). All that which is done apart from faith in God is condemned as sin (Rom. 14:23). Solomon declared that the very “thought o f foolishness [meaning foolish mockery at sin] is sin" (Prov. 24: 9). The failure to do the good we know we ought to do is sin in God’s sight (Jas. 4:17). The greatest sin in the world is the re jection of the Saviour God has provided (Jn. 16:9). All stand in need of Him because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God’", -(Rom. 3:23). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). The story of sin’s introduction into the world is given in Gen. 3. Since the day man became the victim of Satan’s sub tlety, those born into the world have been “shapen in iniquity" (Psa. 51:5). We cannot deny the inborn tendencies to evil. We find ourselves "carnal, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). Even the moralist who rejects Christ has to confess sooner or later that all his righteousness is “as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). We may have a zeal of God, as Paul declared, but “being
December 1928
ignorant of God’s righteousness” and try ing to establish our own, we are lost (Rom. 10:2-4). “Whosoever commiiteth sin is the ser vant of sin,” said our Lord (Jn, 8:34). “The Scripture hath concluded all under sin,” said Paul (Gal. 3:22). This uni versal state of sin means that “death hath passed upon all men for all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). This places every man whose sins are unforgiven in the po sition of being eternally LOST (Lk. 19: 10). This is not a popular teaching in our day, but no man has authority to contradict the word of Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ all are “dead in tres passes and sins . . . . having no hope, without God in the world” (Eph. 2:1, 12). They are in a state of insensibility to God, having no sense of relationship to God. Their understanding is darkened, “being alienated from the life of God" (Eph. 4:18). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked : who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). Out of it, our Lord declared, “proceed evil thoughts, murder, adulteries, fornica tions, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Mt. 15:19). This is a black picture, yet true to all human experience. Only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ can we find a way of deliverance. God has solved the sin problem and no one else can solve it.- His plan has al ways worked and still works. “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. God com- mendeth his love toward us, in that while we, were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6, 8 ). “Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snout ;” (Isa. 1 :18). How is this made possible? He who knew no sin bore the whole black sin- burden for us on Calvary’s cross (2 Cor. 5:21). “He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16). “I f we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin" (1 Jn. 1:7). lit is not within our province to ex plain how it is that the Bible plan works. We know it does work and that nothing else can so effectually break the power of sin. We also know as a fact in man’s world, apart from religious doctrine, that we are born in sin. Let a man be provid ing for an unborn child. He will take care, in making his will, to bind him by conditions which will guard against that child fraudulently helping himself to that which is apportioned to another. He knows that it will not be safe to put temptation in the way of that child, be cause he knows he will be bom in sin, liable to sin, sure to commit sin. He knows, too, that he will have the power to choose right and that he will be born a responsible creature. It should be thoroughly understood that while, in the atoning work of Christ, pro vision is made to bring eventual deliver ance from the very presence of sin and eradication of the sin principle, Scripture does not teach that by acceptance of Christ we shall be immediately set free from all sinful tendencies. The Adamic nature will not be gotten rid of entirely until death prostrates it in the dust. Its
its entirely proper interests and lessons even for boys and girls, and one lesson that might well be learned early, is to put first things first by putting the heavenly Father first in the life. To “seek first the kingdom of God and his right eousness,” is to see “all these [other] things added unto you” in their proper time and order. TELL ME, TEACHER-. Does every person have to serve some one master? What “mammon” is there that I might now be serving? How should I be interested in life, food, raiment, stature and the morrow? What do you mean by “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” by putting our heavenly Father first? TELL ME, CLASS: What does nature teach us about our heavenly Father? What are some ways by which we may Swerve God” ? What are countries like that know no “Father” God like ours? Have you decided to put our heavenly Father first in your life? If you have, what difference do you ex pect it to make in your life and in the lives of others? If you have not, why not? January 13, 1929 The Doctrine of Sin Texts: Gen. 3:1-24; 6:5-8; Mk. 7:14-23; Rom. 1:18-32; 3:10-18; 1 Jn. 1:5-2: 6 . L esson in O utline I. The Origin of Sin. Gen. 3:1-22. II. The Nature of S in : 1. “In the flesh.” Rom. 7 :l-25. 2. In the life. Rom. 1:18-32. III. The Manifestation of Sin. Gal. 5 :19- 21 . IV. Consequences of Sin : 1. Separation from God’s Presence. Gen. 3:22-24. 2. H i n d r a n c e to Perfection of Fruit. Lk. 8 :14. 3. Final Separation from God. Rev. 20:11-15. —o— ""THERE is a great need in our day of a revival of the sense of sin and a re turn to the Scripture doctrine of sin. A man said recently to a friend : “I hear your pastor considers sin only a moral
obliquity.” “He is beyond that n o w,” replied th e other. “Now it is a psy chological eccentric ity.” A we l l - known theological profes sor said in a church
conférence : “We may well hold to a modified definition of sin.” But upon whose authority may any man say that sin is now less repugnant to God than it ever was ? Saying smooth things about sin is in line with the spirit of our age. The worst offenses are now condoned,
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