Around Old Bethany: A Story of the Adventures of Robert and Mary DavisBerry, R. L. (Robert Lee)
Religion
Around Old Bethany: A Story of the Adventures of Robert and Mary Davis
Berry, R. L. (Robert Lee)
Christian fiction; Church of God (Anderson, Ind.) -- Fiction
"Well, then, will you make death the salvation from sin? You say that
as long as we are in what you call the 'old sinful flesh" we must
commit sin, and yet you admit, as you must, that there will be no
sin in the body when it is dead. Where, then, does sin reside? Jesus
answers this question once for all in Matthew 15:19, 20: 'For out of
the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' It is the heart that sins; 'the
soul that sinneth, it shall die,' says the prophet Ezekiel in Ezek.
18:4. The body will die and return to dust from whence it came, but
these immortal souls of ours will live on eternally. It is the soul
that sins. When in our intentions we purpose to sin, we are guilty
of sin before God. He that searches the heart, who looks not as man
looks, who sees the secret motive, he knows when the will consents to
do evil. Not a theft was ever committed, except that there was a will
to steal; not an act of dishonesty, except that there was a will to
deceive; not a lie was ever uttered, except there was a will to lie.
It is our souls that must be saved. 'Receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your souls' (1 Peter 1:9).
"Our text says, 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' I wish to publicly thank God
for this peace in my soul. Jesus saves me from my sins. I know that
the verse, 1 John 1:8, is a stumbling-block to many, yet it is simple
when understood. John was stating fundamental propositions. He began
by saying that, 'if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin.' Then, as if turning back to state the
basis, or antecedent of his remarks, he said, 'If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' In other
words, there was sin to be cleansed from the hearts of sinners, and
to declare there was no sin to be cleansed from, was only to deceive
themselves. The same arrangement follows in verses 9 and 10, where the
truth is first stated that 'if we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness,' and then John stated the basis or antecedent of
forgiveness, which is the fact that all have sinned."
"Yes, yes, you can explain all you wish, young man, but you cannot
get around those other texts I quoted. 'He that saith he liveth and
sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him.' That's Bible, I
tell you," said Peter with vigor.
"Where is that in the Bible?" demanded Robert.
"It is there somewhere. I will find it soon," said Peter as he started
thumbing his Bible. The congregation waited in expectancy.
"I will give you five dollars if you will find that in the Bible,"
said Robert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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