Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-05
CONVICTION OF SIN.
Without It. There Can Be No Begin
ming of Life That Is Bettet.
ST. PAUL'S IDEA OF HIMSELF.
A Long Distance Between Human Imperfec-
ton and Perfection.
OUR NATURE ESSENTIALLY SINFUL
WRITTEN FOR THE prspArcu.l


All progress begins with the realization Of
| defect. When man gets discontented there
Is some hope for him. One day Thorwald-
sen carved statue which satisfied him. He
| flung down his ehisel in despair. He knew
that he had come to the end OF his art.
The prodigal in the parable came at last
| into a condition of profound discomfort.
His feast was followed by famine. He
fell upon evil fortunes. He began to be in
want. That was the best thing that had
happened to him since he left his fathers
house. 1t was then, in the midst of his
! want, that he came to himself He recog-
nized that he was badly off. He realized
that he had made an evil bargain. He
began to think about his home, about all
those better conditions which had once
entered into his life, and which he had lost
out of it. He perceived that even the hired
servants who worked on his fathers farm
were better off than he was. At the same
time, he was sure that this better condition
was still possible for him. Anyway, he
could improve upon this life among the
pigs. So he set his face toward home and
better living.
The Conviction of Sin.
This is the history of all amendment and
reformation. Then comes famine, aud
men begin to be in want. For the first time
they realize what they are and where they
are. A great discomfort takes hold upon
them. The name of this condition of mind,
in the language of religion, is the convic-
tion Of sin.
The emphatic word of the Christian rel
igion, on the divine side of it, is the word
"salvation;" and the word which corre-
spends to that, on the human side, is the
word "sin." Christ came to save us from
our sins Not to save us simply from the
punishment which our Sins deserve: that is
not the meaning of salvation. Not to save
US at some far distant day from being con-
signed to the company of the devil and his
angels in the dreadful abodes of hell: that is
not the salvation which Christ came to
bring. He came to save us from our sins
now, in this life, in the face of our every
day temptations, to save US from our sins.
1t is evident that our regard ior Him, our
estimate of the value Of His life and death,
our sense of our own personal need of Him,
will depend upon'our realization of our own
sinfulness. IF we have no sin, we have no
need of Savior. If our sins which need
forgiveness are but few. then our love for
Lin WIN lOISlfcS our sluS Will Oe pTOpOI-
tionately small. If we are living pretty
good life, with which we are fairly we'll
content, the probability is that religion has
not much meaning for US. Christ was
man OF ideal character, teacher Of supreme
authority In ethics, saint and hero
pleasant to think about-but nothing more
The meaning of religion, and the place
which Christ holds in the regard OF our
souls, rest upon our sense oil sin.
The Confession of Sin.
We all need this deepening of the sense
of sin. We need a renewed and emphasized
consciousness of the fact OF SIN, as it touches
us. "Oh, God, the Father of Heaven, have
mercy upon US, miserable sinnersP We
pray that, but do we mean it? The words
are on our lips; do they honestly come out
OF our hearts? miserable sinnerc." Does
that name fairly describe US? All these
well-dressed. well-behaved people. all this
good company of respectable men and
women, is that what we really are, miser-
able sinners? All the time committing
miserable sins, in thought, word and dead,
provoking most justly Gods wrath and in
dignation against us, bearing about an in.
tolerable burden of transgression? Are we
miserable sinners?
AT least, We are miserably selfdeceitful. q,
Because that belongs to human nature. We
will undoubtedly get truer sense of sin
if we examine ourselves. That is good
exercise for the season just ended-the exer-
else of self-examination.
Take the ten commandments, one by one,
putting Christ's Interpretation upon them.
Remember that the first of the command
ments is summed up in this sentence:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind" Remember that "Thou
shalt DO no MURDER" forbids all anger, all
all neglect or refusal to for
give; and that "Thou shalt not commit
adultery" forbids every impure thought;
and that Thou shall not steal" forbids the |
very smallest dishonesty, Interferes with |
half hundred conventionalities of trade; |
and that Thou shall not bear false witness |
against thy neighbor" forbids all unneigh- |
borly speech, all unknd comment, all |
against fourth part (at leasD of ordinary |
Read these ten command |
ments and ask yourself questions.
The Vows of Baptism.
And then take the vows OF baptism. You |
are to renounce the devil and all his works, |
the pomps and vanities OF this wicked world, |
and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Think |
that over slowly, and compare your life |
with it.
And then take the sermon on the Mount,
study tine beattudes. Are You hungry and |
thirsty after righteousness, meek, poor in |
spirit, making peace, sho wing mercy. Look
at the verse where Christ asks for a right
eousness which shall exceed that of all the
moral scribes and pharisees. See what He
says about loving your enemies, and about
having your treasure in heaven, and about
thinking very little about what we shall,
eat, and what we shall drink, and where
wIthal we shall be clothed. but setting first
The kingdom of God and His righteousness
Is all this true OF you?
But even this is not the whole of it, Our
Lords description of the Final Judgment
shows that we shall be held to account not
only for our actual words, and thoughts, and
leeds, but for our opportunities. This and
that We have not done, is the Indictment. |
Day by day. we are surrounded by oppor-
.unities innumerable. We have a thousand |
chances to guide, to counsel, to help, to
minister, to influence. Probably we let
nine hundred and seventy-fve of them go
ov daily. This you might have done; thus
md thus you might have expended your
line, your ability, your money; and you
lid it not Who will claim that he lives up
% his opportunities?
Depends Upon the IDEAL
The ideal thai we set before US makes all
he difference in the world in our estimate
If our success in character. 1t is certain
hat everybody who has contented opinion
If his own life, and is not conscious of
,rave defects in it, and has no sense,of the
infulness of It, is following some other
deal than that which ought to be set before
he hearts of Christians. The life of Christ
s the measure for our life. In proportion
is we study that life, and learn how it was
ived and get closer TO il and so see IL |