The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-12-09

u.-God's Faithfulness. v. IL.
% Sent His Messengers.
CD The Message.
III.-seven Stages of Sin. VS.. ia; l4-l7.
First Step.-Unbelief Feared 9th
er Gods" Z.
Second Step.-worldly Conformity.
Walked in the statutes OF the
heathen." vs.. 8.
Third Step.-Secret Idol Worship.
Did secretly those things that
were not right against the Lord"
va. e-l2
Fourth Step.-Stubbornness. They
would not hear. but hardened their
necks." They rejected His stat
utes," VS.. II, Is.
Fifth step.-Open Idol Worship.-
They left all the commandments
of the Lord, their God. and made
them molten images" 'Worshiped
all the host of heaven and served
Sixth step.-spirituaiism- They
used divinations and enchant-
ments.' v. IL.
Seventh step.-Utter Corruption.
Sold themselves to do evil v. L.
Comparing Scripture with Scripture.
Judgment Fallen.-Sin has run
its course. "Sin, when it IL finished,
bringeth forth death" James Ills.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and plenteous in mer-
Icy" But as surely as night closes in on
the longest day, 50 sin unrepented OF
and persisted in At last feels the crush
ing force OF Gods judgments. For
He will not always chide. neither will
He keep His anger forever" Ps- 1898
The sixth verse states explicitly tina,
''the king Of Assyria took Samaria and
carried Israel away" and vs.. IS de-
clares that the Lord removed them
out Of His sight" This double declar.
alton emphasizes two things: % the
human agency; CD the Divine provi.
dence. Ps. 1910.
U.-God's Faithfulness VS.. 13.-In
the midst Of the long enumeration OF
Israers sins vss. TIT is injected this
testimony Of Gods faithfulness. The
sinner. IL lost, perishes In spite OF
Gods efforts to save him. Eek. 33-1l
III.-Seven Stages of Sin--Firsi
Step-Unbelief-"Feared other Gods
Tvs y. This may mean anything
which usurps the place Of God. Un.
belief turns the heart from God.
Second Step-Worldly Conformity.
walked In the statutes Of the
heather" Tvs. 81. God calls His chill
dren to-day to separation from the
world. 2 2Cor. 6:17; Jas. 4:4; John q: Is
Third Step-Secret Idol Worship
did secretly those things that were
not right against the Lord" Tvs. s-l2).
All. how many secret sins there are
that ara foofarfno rfths- ..,..--r-
to break out in the open sore
Fourth Step-Stubbornness.-"They
would not hear. but hardened their
necks." They rejected His statutes
(vss 14-16). We had unbelisf as the
nrst step away from God. then worldly
conformity, then secret indulgence in
the wicked practices Of the world, and
now stubbornness. Notice how the
thirteenth verse, telling Of Gods faith
fulness. follows the first three steps
downward In the progress Of sin. and
that the fourth step marks the way In
which they received Gods messengers
and His message. Stubbornness bar
the gate to repentance and plunges the
soul onward to certain destruction.
Hear Gods opinion Of this sin. 1 Sam.
1873.
Fifth Step-Open Idol Worship.-
They left all the commandments of
the Lord, their God. and made them
molten images" They worshipped all
the hosts OF Heaven and served Baal'
Tvs. 16. Stubborn refusal to hear
Gods warning voice cuts the soul
loose from all restraint Rom. 1:24.
Sixth Step Spiritualism. ~rhev
used divinations and enchantmentsr
Tvs. I'D. All the dark mysteries of the
devirs devices are included here. II
Is the last step towards utter abadon.
ment to evil. Paul speaks of "seduc-
Ing spirits and doctrines of devils +"
Tim. Al.
Seventh Step-Utter Corruption
sold themselves to do evil" Tvs. II,
Study Rom. 1:21-22 in connection win
these seven steps In sin.
The face of the Lord Is against than,
that do evil" GOD is Spirit" and vet
the Holy Spirit. in speaking of God 10
men. uses terms that are comprehen-
sive and Intelligent to the human MIND
The face against" one means
opposition, censure, condemnation
Evil cannot abide in Gods presence any
more than darkness In the pure lieht
Of the sun. The evil doer, the self-Ioyer
Instead Of the lover Of God, is a rebel
against God and the Lords face is
against him from. "a. 81. But Jesus
blood sisanses from all sin. and turns
the face OF God in mercy towards the
atnplr. Raad all of l Peter 2.la