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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
July 1926
ing retrogression from God. And it is called a place of outer darkness, which means that its location is outside of the universe of God where no ray of light has ever penetrated and where there is no hope of ever seeing the least gleam of light. It is known as a place of torments because its inhab itants are tormented day and night. Each name by which it is called in the Bible has a different definition from all other names by which it is called. And the reason is that its awfulness is so great that it takes all the names with their different mean ings to describe its horrors. Hell has not existed always but it will exist forever. There was a time when there was no hell but there will never be a time again when that place will not be in existence. Before there was a devil, there was no hell. Hell was prepared as a place of punishment for the devil and his angels.. It was not prepared for man. ’ Gethsemane and Calvary are God’s protests against souls going to perdition. People go there without being sent only as they send themselves. Sometimes young people resent and resist parental wishes and efforts which are put forth in love for their own personal welfare and comfort and happiness in this life, and go to places and do things forbidden by those who love them most. A penalty, sometimes the jail, sometimes the penitentiary and sometimes the gallows, follows. The parents do not inflict these pen alties. They did all they could in love to prevent them by keeping their chil dren in the right, but in spite of all their efforts the children themselves, defiantly breaking parental laws and hearts, brought .these penalties upon themselves. Likewise God is not sending souls to hell but they are going in spite of all ttfat He can do to keep them out. If parents could keep their children from suffering, there would be no more suffering in the world; and if God could keep souls out of hell, that place would never know any inhabi tants other than the devil and his angels for whom it was prepared. Jesus Christ has power on earth to forgive sin. His power can make a saint out of a sinner. He can save us from sin, the devil and hell. In taking Him we are saved and in rejecting Him we are lost. Without believing in the personal ity of the devil, there is no foundation for believing in the personality of the Holy Spirit or in Jesus Christ as a Re-
The Devil and Hell REV. ROBERT L. SEJXE, D.D. Pastor of The People's Methodist CTiurch, Tust in, California
We are glad to give the members of ‘‘Our Family" this straightforward, definite sermon, the title of which speaks for itself. Dr. Selle (formerly Conference Evangelist of the Methodist Church, in Oklahoma, and Chaplain of the Oklahoma House of Representatives), is a genuine, old- fashioned Methodist preacher of the real Gospel. Note also the sug gestive “ Song Motto" which his church has adopted and the explanatopr verses in connection therewith. May God multiply this sort of Methodist churches and preachers.
death of the human family. He is an enemy. He is everything that the Bible says he is. He is after every man and woman, boy and girl, in all the world. There is but a single chance to escape from the meshes of his power and that is through Jesus Christ. Hell, also, is called by a number of different names in the Bible, each more awful than any of the others, if such a thing could be. It is called a bottomless pit. That means everlast- A MOTTO IN SONG Tune: "Brighten the Corner.” The People’s M. E. Church, of Tus- tin, California, has adopted the fol lowing “ Motto in Song” which is sung at all services and in many of the homes: Tustin for Jesus,¡is our aim! Tustin for Jesus, is our aim! Praying, trusting, working, we can win the same! Tustin for Jesus, is our aim! So popular is this song motto that one member of the congregation has been inspired to explain its origin and appreciation in verse, as follows: The Motto of the People’s Church Was truly chosen with great care, Preceded by due thoughtfulness, Consideration, and much prayer. It came, as we believe, from God, For Tustin at this very hour; Therefore we make it known for Him, Believing in His grace and power. This motto has an ear to hear, And heart to love, and time to pray: It also has an eye to see The erring ones who’ve lost their way; A mind to think, and feet to walk, An arm to lift, and hands to hold, With lips to speak, and tongue to sing— For all outside the Shepherd’s fold. And now, O Lord, hear this, our prayer: We come to Thee in Jesus’ name; May all who help to make this church Live worthily, and without blame; Supported by Thy grace and strength, In all they think and do and say; And have a part in making real The church’s motto day by day!
HAVE no apology to make to any one for preaching on this subject. I believe the Whole Bible. The subject
announced is a part of the truth given the prophets of old "and has come down to us through the centuries and will go on to the end of time. As cer tainly as there Is a God, there is a devil; and as certainly as there Is a heaven, there is a hell. If there were no devil and no hell, as many vainly claim, there could be no Redeemer, for there would be nothing to be redeemed from. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, the Saviour of men, stands or falls completely and ever lastingly before the subject under consideration. Every thinker knows that this is true, whether he admits it or not. Moreover, disbelief in the per sonality of the devil and the reality o'f hell, soon results in questionings about the Deity of Christ and the real ities of heaven. When the devil and hell, as awful realities, are eliminated from Bible doctrines, it follows quickly that Jesus Christ as the Son of God is eliminated also. This is the inevitable result. There can be no other course. Had there been no devil to overcome and no hell to be saved from, the tragedies of Gethsemane and Calvary would never have been enacted. Jesus Christ as He was and is, is the only hope that any one can have of overcoming the devil and keeping out of hell. The devil is called by many differ ent names in the Bible, each name de fining some particular and distinguish ing characteristic. He is called a mur derer because he is responsible for the death of every member of the human family. He is called a liar because he is the author of every lie that was ever told. He is called a deceiver because he is at the bottom of every deception that has ever been in existence. He is called an enemy because of his efforts to ’destroy every soul and body. He is responsible for every ache and pain, tear and moan, broken heart and
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