The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-12-08

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Judgment tallen.-Sin has run
its course. ''Sin, when it is finished
! brinaeth forth death" James /: 10
"The Lord Is merciful and gracious
slow to anger and plenteous in mer-
cy" But as surely as night closes in on
the longest day, SO sin unrepented OF
ard persisted in at last feels the crush.
ing force of Gods judgments. Fol
"He will not always chide, neither will
tie keep His anger forever" Ps. 1883
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; (2) the Divine provi.
dence. Ps. 1910.
II.-God's Faithfulness. VS.. l3.-In
the midst of the long enumeration OF
lsrael's sins vss. III is injected this
testimony of Gods faithfulness. The
sinner, if lost, perishes in spite of
Gods efforts to save him. Eek. 33-11.
IlI.-Seven Stages of Sin.-First
Unbelef-"Feared other Gods
Tvs D. This may mean anything
which usurps the place of God I'm.
belief turns the heart from God
Second Worldly Conformity.
walked in the statutes of the
heather" Tvs. 81. God calls His chill
dren to-day to separation from the
world. 2 Cor 6:l7; Jas. 4:4; John 2:15.
Third Step-Secret Idol Worship
did secretly those things that were
not right against the Lord Tvs. 9-l2)
All, how many secret sins there are
that are fostering within, ultimately
to break out in the open sore.
Fourth Step-Stubbornness.-" They
would not hear, but hardened their
necks.' They rejected His statutes
(vss 14-15). We had unbelief as the
first step away from God, then worldly
conformity. then secret indulgence in
the wicked practices of the world and
now stubbornness, Notice how the
thirteenth va-s~ 4-,',
.-~S, teiiing 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 bars
the gate to repentance and plunges the
soul onward to certain destruction
Hear Gods opinion of this sin. 1 Sam
1928.
Firth Step-Open Idol Worship
'They left all the commandments nj
the Lord, their God, and made them
molten images They worshipped all
the hosts OF Heaven and served Baarr
Tvs. 49, Stubborn refusal to hear
Hods warning voice cuts the soul
loose from. all.restraint Rom. l:24.
Sixth Step - Spiritualism. - "They
used dlvinations and enchantments'
Tvs. ID All the dark mysteries of tbe
DEVILS 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 with
these seven steps in sin.
The face of the Lord is against them
that do evil. God is a Spirit" and vel
the Holy Spirit, in speaking of God to
men, uses terms that are comprehen.
slye 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 light
OF the sun, The evil doer, the self-lover
instead of the lover of God, is a rebel
against God and the Lords face is
against him (Rom, 2:4, 81, But Jesus
blood cleanses from all sin, and turns
the face of God in mercy towards the
sinner. Read all of / Peter 3:l2