River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-02-05

~ t e N p e of God,
IlRASI0R RUSSELl)I him shall God de-
stroy; for the tenn
pie of God is holy, which temple We
are" u Corinthians 3:17.
The Pastor declared that this Scrip
ture could not be applied indiscrim-
inately, with the same force, to all
men. Only the Church are temples
of God in the sense the Apostle here
mentions; for only such as have been
regenerated. begotten again by the
Holy Spirit, are the sons of God
These have received a new life, and
are Scripturally described as New
Creatures in Christ Jesus" To these,
"Old things have passed away, and all
things have become new" These have
entered into a covenant with God
through the merit of Jesus, who
serves them as Advocate imputing
His righteousness to them. justifying
them freely from their unintentional
imperfections and weaknesses. Be-
cause they are thus justified by faith,
God has accepted their sacrifice of
earthly hopes and interests, and has
made them New Creatures by beget
ting them with the Holy Spirit.
This. however, is only the beginning
of their new experience. If faithful
they will still Loyalty comply with
their Covenant of Sacrifice. and count
no experience too hard in their endeav-
or to so live as to glOrify God in their
bodies and spirits, which are His. They
will count it all joy when they pass
through fiery trials. esteeming all
things but loss and drOss in compari
son with the rewards which God has
promised them They follow their Re
deemer through evil report. as we'll as
through good report, seeking to walk
in His steps. These, as New Crea
lures, are said to dwell in. or inhab
the earthly body. using it merely as
servant in the doing Of the will of God
The distinction between these New
Creatures, spirit begotten, and the re
mainder of mankind however just and
well-intentioned) is very decided. We
do not speak of humanity, ordinarily.
as apart from their bodies; for cut off
from the body, they would be dead
We speak of such separation as disso
luton. AS the union of life vitality
with organism body forms the soul.
or sentient being, so the separating OF
these two compOnents causes the soul
to cease. Thus death would be the end
of humanity had not God provided for
the redemption of our race. and it's res
titution by resurrection. It's restitu-
ton will be merely a bringing back OF
that which death is now destroying:
viz, human or earthly being.
Whoever realizes the majesty OF
Gods work in human creation should
also realize that anything done. either
deliberately or carelessly, to injure
Gods workmanship would be sin.
whether the injury be toward his own
body - himself = or toward another.
There is a Divine Law to the effect that
whatsoever sins must suffer. Whose
ever would defile his body, either by
impure thoughts. angry thoughts. ma
Hcious thoughts, or by misusing it con
trary to Divine arrangement, or by
drinking. or by gluttony, is detl1ng
himself, the temple of his soul. or be-
ing-the work Of God Every vile
thought or act, every panderlng TO
selfish appetite. is sure to bring auto
matically depravity of body or mind
or both: and depravity is the process
of death at work. And unless such de-
pravity. or death, be overcome through
Christ the end thereof will be ever
lasting death. 1.-THE soul that sinneth
it shall die" Ezekiel 1874, 20.
The same principle applies to all who
would do evil to others, either by poi
soning their minds or their morals. or
by injuring their physical systems.
such a one would be doing violence to
the work of God. He would be de-
grading his own manhood. The opera
ton Of Divine Law would surely bring
him punishments, and these unheeded
would ultimately bring death-"ever-
lasting destruction"
We may warn every man along the
broad. general line of the Bible, What
soever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap" He that sows to the flesh
to sin, to selfshness, to meanness. to
the fallen propensities, to anger, malice.
envy. hatred. strife, evil speaking. etc.
will be sure to reap correspondingly
bitter experiences; and this way per-
sisted in would finally bring him to
the Second Death God has no gift of
eternal life or other eternal favors for
those who love sin. His mercies are
provided for those who have learned
the lesson and have turned from sin
and become loyal and obedient to their
Creator
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