Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-31
Jottrna1's
Saturday
Sermon


raj conclusion. we must first. find out so
far as we can the beginning and nature
Of sin. also its immediate results; and in
the next place we must learn Of the king
dom and power OF satan and who 1t is that
works for him and makes up HIS force
OF co-laborers; then I think we shall be
able to comprehend clearly the justice
Of Gods punishment.
Where did satan come FROM and where
does he live? In the 2sth chapter Of Eze-
kiel we have the description OF strange
being who seems once to have been beau
tiful '1n the Eden of God" and upon the
holy mountain OF Cod but because of
unrighteousness he was cast TO the
ground" and has become terror" Who
was this man and when did he live7 He
seems once TO have been in the very pres
ence OF God. There is room for the terri
BILE destruction of race between the
first and second verses OF the first chap
ter of Genesis. The first verse reads: In
the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth" The second verse says
And the earth was waste and void" In
Isaiah 1918 we read that the earth was
not first made IN that chaotic condition;
HE created II not waste, he formed IT
TO be inhabited" What must we con-
clude? We see God did not create the
earth a waste and then we find 1t a
result of sin: unrighteousness brings aw-
full destruction IN every instance unless
atonement is made. Babylon sinned and
today II is a place for bats and Owls,
Sodom and Gomorrah sinned greatly, and
today their former glory is In the bottom
Of the Dead Sea. Here we have fearlui
chaos as the direct result OF transgres-
sions against God Then what 90 you
think brought the waste and void de-
scribed in the second verse OF Genesis II
God made the earth TO be inhabited as
Isaiah says he made It? II He. made IL
TO be inhabited, how transcendently beau
tiful' II must have 'beenl Indeed 1t was so
beautiful that those who inhabited II be-
came naughty and sinned; so brought
blighting state Of chaos, as 1t seems 10
have been.
Let us 20 step further. When Adam
was put in Eden, God told him to dress
and Keep the garden. This word Keep n
Genesis 2:15 is the same in Genesis S:24.
where II evidently means to guard.
Why should, Adam keep guard? Who was
there TO trouble him? God lets Adam
know that there are two tremendous
forces in the world-evil and good; COO
loved Adam and wanted him to 90 right
eously: so he warns him against rebel
lion In Genesis 1877 he told Adam TO re
plenish" the earth; the same word Is used
in Genesis OIL when God HAD almost de-
stroyed man on account OF his sins, and
tells Noah to ''replenish''s the earth. Man
was first commanded to "replenish" the
ear,A, and when by his sins he brought
total destruction upon himself he Is
again commanded to "replenish.
So we have found a most Formidable
enemy In the world. and we shall next
study HIS kingdom and his power.
In Matthew 1926 we And, Christ's ac-
acknowledgement that satan has kingdom,
and Paul tells us in Ephesians 6;l2 that II
is divided into principalities and powers;
Three times In Johns gospel Cn IIst
speaks OF the prince OF this world But
to get a still more comprehensive view OF
his kingrAlun, we refer the reader 70
Ephesians 20. where he is called the
"prince Of the power Of the air." and TO
Ephesians 6:12. where his spiritual hosts
are in heavenly places" Thus we see
three places he now occupies; the earth'
the air and the heavens. This gives MIN
room for a mighty kingdom, and that is
,iust what he has. He claimed the king
dom of this world when he was tempting
Christ. He said in Luke ass ITO thee
will 1 give all this authority and the glory
Of them. for Il hath been delivered unto
me-" When wasfit delivered unto pim,
and how did he come to get lit Christ
did not deny It, Is It possible that he re-
fers TO a time when God allowed him to
rule righteously over the world. and when
he sinned he carried with him all the
forces Of his kingdom and turned them IN
70 evil doing? II satan has kingdom, he
must have subjects under him. h.-
This brings US naturally to the next
point to be considered. Satan tries MS
best to. be like Cod in. his plans. Let us
notice for a moment the workings OF both
kingdoms God has angels doing his. ser
vice for Psalm 34:7 tells .us that THE
angel OF the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him" Luke 22:4S says
when Christ was suffering in .Gethsemane
there appeared unto him an angel from
heaven, STRENGTHENING him." Next we
think Of the Holy Spirit. Who can COM
prehend. the fullness of his mission?
He is to convict the world Of sin, OF
righteousness, and of Judgment ito
bring all things to our remembrance and
''to make intercessions for US with groarl-
ings that cannot be uttered" In the third
place, every redeemed soul has part In
Gods kingdom Christ told his disciples
that they were "the light Of the world,
and Paul says they are ''heirs Of God and
Joint heirs with Christ" Christ says in
John 9O:21, LAS the. Father hath sent me,
even so send 1 YOU" and again John 1873
reads: Herein is my Father glorifled that
We bear much fruit" Hence his great
commission in Matthew 2S:1s-2O GO We
therefore and make disciples of all ma
tions . and 10, I am with You al
way" Lastly we shall speak OF Christ,
for upon him all the other co-workers de-
pend for strength and guidance; for the
angels rejoice over the souls that are
saved through. him; he sends the Holy
Spirit; and all men who enter the King
dom must come in by means of his sacri-
fee. Tremendous are the forces at work
in Gods kingdom.
Satan has a corresponding force for
each of Gods co-laboFers. First he has
angels, as we read in. Revelations 1871,
"And there was war in heaven: Michael
and his angels going forth to war with
the dragon; and the dragon warred and
HIS angels" In Matthew . 25a1 Christ
speaks of 1.-THE devil and HIS angels" Cor
responding to the Holy Spirit, Satan has
his demons, all sorts of demons, disem-
bodied spirits. Christ cast a legion Of
them out of one man, and they we're so
anxious to be in some living being they
asked him to send them into a herd of
swine. What do you suppose became of
them when the swine were choked in the
sea? What became of all the devils Christ
cast out? No where is II recorded that he
destroyed them. They must still be in the
world, with possibly hosts OF others, seek
ing to get possession of men, Do you
suppose they are all failures in their eff
forts? Could 1t not truly be said Of many
today, HE hath a devil. or she hath
devil?' And is 1t not also true that some
seem TO have legion of devils2 These
out when they saw Christ, and said:
"Why hast thou come to torment US be-
fore out timer" Keep in mind the subject.
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