River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-04-02

defiles the imag-
ination, the tastes. the desires. Sin
deceives. 1t promises bat never full
fills. The fruit with which it tempts
us is always an apple of Sodom, lus-
cious in appearance but ashes in the
mouth. It is a phantasm that attracts
us by the appearance of refreshing
springs and leaves us disappointed in
the desert.
Sin finds us. "Be sure your sin will
find you out" Sin is a detective you
cannot elude.
Sin stings "The sting of death is
sim" Il Cor 1850 The death Of
soul and body is the result of sins
poison.
Six Definitions Of Sin.
The Bible gives six clear-cut defini
tions of sin:
1. "Sin is the transgression of the
law" Il John 3:4.) The word trans
gression" means to go across. Read
the Ten Commandments and the
higher commandment: Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy strength, and with all thy
mind, and thy neighbor as myself"
Have you crossed these command
ments? If so, you have sinned.
2. "All unrighteeusness is sim" q
John SID The purpose of Paul's
letter to the Romans is to prove that
primarily righteousness is right rela-
ton. We must first get right before
we can do right. Alexander the Great
said to the courtiers who brought rich
gifts from Darius: Tell your mas
ter his sword first and then his gifts"
Acts that are perfectly legitimate in
certain relations are hideous sins in
other relations. Righteousness, there
fore, is primarily right relation with
God and with our fellows, and If we
are in wrong relation with God or
men we are SHINING. The purpose of
the incarnation and death of Christ
is to bring us into right relation with
God and thus make us righteous.
8. Knowing what we ought to do
and failing to do it is sin. ITO him
that knoweth to do good and doeth it
not to him it is sim" Games AID
When we know the right and refuse
to do it we commit sin against light.
Neglected opportunity is sin. Shirk-
ing responsibility is sin.
4. Acted doubt is sin. "Whatso-
ever is not of faith is sim" (Romans
1929 If you have doubts as to GER
tain amusements, indulgences or
transactions, refuse to have anything
to do with them until that doubt is
cleared away. More light may re-
move the doubt, and you may proceed,
but while doubt remains it is sin for
you to indulge.
5. "The thought of foolishness is
sin" proverbs 24:9.) There are
more than 80 different kinds of fools
described in the Bible, but it is evil
dent that the species referred to in
this text is the fool who says in his
heart there is no God. For a man to
say that, is intellectual sin.
6. Unbelief is sin. Jesus says in
John 1913, when the Holy Spirit is
given, "He will convict the world of
sin because they believe not on me-"
A refusal to trust the trustworthy
is a mean sin. To intimate unbelief
as to the honesty of an honest man,
the truthfulness of truthful man or
the purity of a pure woman is the
climax of meanness. But an intimation
Of unbelief as to the faithfulness of
faithful God is a degree lower in mean
ness.
What Shall We Do with Sin?
Honestly confess it. Do not de,
ceive yourself by saying that it has
no reality. You know better.
Take Gods side against it. The
impenitent man takes sins side
against God. He justifies or excuses
himself. We must fight God on the
side of sin or sin on the side of
God. Which shall it be? When
during the French revolution the
Bastile was taken by the mob a pris-
oner in an inner cell, who had been
there for so years, refused to be lib
Grated. He stood in the door Of the
dark, damp dungeon and fought away
his friends. He had been there so
long that he began to regard it as his
home and his iberators as intruders.
And such is the attitude of men whe
have lived for years in sin; they re,
sent honest attempts to free them
from the power OF their sins. They
fight against their friends. They re-
sist God himself. They prefer to
live in their dark dungeon of iniquity.
Cease the conflict, friend, on the side
of darkness and slavery and begin the
hattie ON Gods side AGAINST sin