Studies in the Life of the Christian: His Faith and His ServiceSell, Henry T. (Henry Thorne)
Religion
Studies in the Life of the Christian: His Faith and His Service
Sell, Henry T. (Henry Thorne)
Religious education
What ought to be man's attitude to sin? Shall he make light of it and
call it a necessary part of living? Shall he continue in it, although
he recognizes its evil results, and draw others with him into greater
and larger violations of the laws of God and man? These are practical
questions. Some temporize with sin and say, "Let us lead outwardly
correct lives, but within certain bounds we will do as we please";
hence arises the practice of secret sinning.
Christ came declaring that man's relation to sin should be
uncompromising. He used vigorous language in regard to sin. He said,
"Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that
offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast
them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or
maimed, rather than having two hands or feet to be cast into
everlasting fire" (Matthew 18:7,8). But Jesus in thus advocating
heroic treatment for sin was but doing what eminent surgeons are
advising every day in regard to certain dangerous bodily
diseases. Jesus also laid His finger on the source of sin when He
declared, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these
are the things which defile a man" (Matthew 15:19). A man must think
evil before he does evil, and hence the emphasis which Jesus placed
upon keeping the heart clean.
The Right Relation of Man to Salvation.--Man feels his inclination to
do evil and, seeing also the degradation wrought by it, desires to be
saved from it. The cry has gone up from many hearts to be free not
only from the power of sin but from the desire to commit sin. No man
can save himself. He may succeed in a certain outward reformation and
correctness of habit and speech, but he cannot control the thoughts
and inclinations of his own heart.
The special mission of Jesus Christ was to place man in the right
relation of salvation from his sins and to show Himself the Saviour of
Man. It was declared of Him before His birth, "He shall save His
people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). He said at the last supper,
"This is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the
remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). He had power to forgive sins (Mark
2:10). He said not, "I show you the way," but "I am the way, the truth
and the life" (John 14:6). There is here a mighty spiritual power
which can save man from sin and can keep him from the desire to
sin. It is only as man enters into personal relations with Jesus
Christ, repenting of his sin and having faith in Him, that the burden
of sin is lifted from his heart (Matthew 6:33; 11:28,30).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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