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THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
SEPTEMBER 8, 19 18 .
CONQUER ING EVIL
the unfruitful works of #darkness,
Golden Text.— “Have no fellowship 1 but rather reprove them.” Eph. 5:11. Besson Text.— 1 Ki. 21:11-20; Eph. 9:18; Ps. 94:16; Prov. 17:10; 25:12; Lu Tim. 4:2). . (11) And th e men of his city, even th e 1elders and th e nobles who w ere th e in h a b ita n ts in his city, did as Jezebel had sen t unto them , and as it w as w ritte n in th e le tte rs w hich she had sen t un to them . (12) They pro claim ed a fast, and se t N aboth on high am ong the people. (13) And th ere cam e in .two men, children of B elial, and sa t before him : and the men of B elial bare w itn ess a g a in st him, even a g a in st N aboth, in the presence of the people, saying, N a both did blasphem e God and th e king. Then th ey carried him fo rth ou t of th e city, and stoned him w ith 'sto n e s th a t he died. (14) Then th ey se n t to Jazebel, saying, N aboth is stoned, and is dead. (15) And it cam e to pass, w hen Jezebel heard th a t N aboth w as stoned, and w as dead, th a t Jezebel said to Ahab, A rise, ta k e possession of, th e v ineyard of N aboth th e Jez- reelite, w hich he refused to give thee for m oney: fo r N aboth is n o t alive, b u t dead. (16) And it cam e to pass, w hen A hab h eard th a t >Naboth w as dead, th a t A hab rose up to go down to the v ineyard of N aboth th e Jez- reelite, to ta k e possession of it. (17) And th e w ord of th e LORD cam e to E lija h th e T ishbite, saying, (18) A rise, go down to m eet Ahab k in g of Israel, w hich is in S am aria: behold he, is in th e v ineyard of Naboth, I. A New Attitude Towards Evil. Every bofrn-again Christian h a s changed his attitude towards evil. Once he was “darkness,” and evil was his native element; but BESSON now he is “light tin EXPOSITION the Lord,” and char acter and conduct are such as can stand the light (cp. 1 John 1:7). The bent of his desires is from evil towards holiness. His likes and dislikes are changed. The evil that he once loved he now hates, and the righteousness that he once hated he , now longs for. This chance of atti tude is fundamental. II. A New Attitude Towards God. Before being born again there may have been some exceptional moments
5:11-18. (Additional material, Deut. 4:1-13; 19:41-48; Rom. 7:14-8:14; 2
w h ith er he is gone down to possess it. (19) And thou sh a lt sp eak unto him, saying, Thus sa ith th e LORD, H a st th o u killed, and also ta k e n possession? And thou sh a lt speak unto him, saying, Thus sa ith th e LORD, in th e place w here dogs licked th e blood of N aboth sh all dogs lick th y blood, even thine. (20) And A hab said to E lijah , H a s t thou found me, O m ine enem y? And he answ ered I have found thee: because thou h a st sold th y se lf to w o rk evil in th e sig h t of the LORD (E ph. 5:11). And have no fellow ship w ith th e u n fru itfu l w o rk s of d arkness, b u t ra th e r re prove them . (12) F o r it is a sham e even to speak of those th in g s w hich a re done of-them in secret. (13) B u t _ all th in g s th a t a re reproved are m ade m an ifest by th e lig h t: for w h atso ev er doth m ake m an ifest is light. (14) W herefore he saith, Aw ake thou th a t sleepest, and arise from th e dead, and C h rist sh all give thee lig h t. (15) See th en th a t ye w a lk circum spectly, no t as fools, but as w ise. (16) R edeem ing th e tim e, because th e days a re evil. (17) W herefore be ye no t unw ise, b u t u n d e rstan d in g w h a t th e w ill of the L ord is. (18) And be n ot d ru n k w ith w ine, w herein is excess; but' be filled w ith th e Spirit. . when conscience was awakened and when spasmodic attempts were made to serve God. And these attempts may have had some measure of success. They were not permanent because new life was lacking and so was new principle. The real Christian resists sin: 1. That he may please God who is his Father and friend; not that he may placate an angry but powerful advers ary, v. 10. 2. That he may sustain his Father’s honor; not that he may win honor for himself, v. 8. 3. That Le may take his Father’s part against the hosts of sin; not that he may gain victory for himself. III. A New Attitude Towards Christ. The real Christian realizes that
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