(Psalm 66:18); “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isa. 9:2). 2. "WHEN NOT LIVING THE LIFE. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:3); “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6); “. . . worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).
3. WHEN NOT WITNESSING. “If thou shaft con fess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shaft believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shaft be saved” (Rom. 10:9). 4. WHEN NOT SEPARATING HIMSELF FROM THE WORLD. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the uncfean thing; and I wifi receive you” (II Cor. 6:17); “. . . For what fellowship hath righteousness with un righteousness?” (II Cor. 6:14). 5. WHEN NOT LOVING THE BRETHREN. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?’.’ (I John 4:20). 6. WHEN NOT HABITUALLY AND JOYFULLY ATTENDING GOD’S HOUSE. “Not forsaking the assem bling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). 7. WHEN NOT RESPECTING AND SUPPORTING GOD’S CHOSEN SERVANTS. “He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm” (Psa. 105:14, 15). 8. WHEN “GOD BLESSING” INDISCRIMINATELY THOSE GOD HIMSELF CANNOT BLESS. “And who soever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet” (Matt. 10:14); “Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing if ye obey. . . . And a curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God” (Deut. 11:26-28). 9. WHEN NEGLECTING TO WARN THE WICKED. “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood w ill I require at thine hand. Yet, if thou warn the wicked, and turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy souP ’ (Ezek. 3:18, 19). The same is true if we fail to warn a righteous man who turns from his righteous ness (w . 20, 21). 10. WHEN GOSSIPING TO OTHERS ABOUT A BROTHER’S TRESPASS. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church . . .” (Matt. 18:15-17). As James declares, “Be hold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (James 3:5, 6). Many more ways in which we may be guilty of taking the name of the Lord our God in vain will occur to the prayerful, Spirit-led, thoughtful Christian. How careful must we be that we sin not against our Heavenly Father and His Christ wittingly or unwitting ly! How earnestly must we pray the prayer of David in Psalm 19:13: “Keep back thy servant also from pre sumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great [or, marginal reading, from much ] transgres sion.”
IRON OUR NATION
AUGUST, 1963
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