The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-07-07


u come to look up
4 M# 49, M8#I on him as he was,
4 - namely their own
/ Messiah and the Savior Of men. The
change this would produce in their
4 lives and in their attitude towards him
4 is very obvious.
| Repentance means the same in your
case or mine. 1t means believing on
Jesus Christ as he is presented in the
Bible, and conforming our lives there
! to.
(2) The Second Step is remission
| of Sins, that your sins may be blotted
out" the sins even of these murderers
| of his Son whom he had raised from
the dead, if now they would believe
on and accept him as such. And this
same promise holds good for us, no
matter what our guilt is. "Though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow, though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as WOOL"
SLOTTED out" Is the translation Of
Greek word which means so much!
Xenophon and Demosthenes use it in
| the sense of "expunging" q thing.
Aeschylus employs 1t in the sense of
"extinguish," Herodotus to ''plaster
over" an object, and others to wipe
sout as with sponge or cloth. Judi
Ecially considered i'm the sight of God.
sthere is no more trace of your sins
sRthe moment they are covered by the
u af 1Ghrist Is Ard that IL the mo-
fment when in repentance you receive
him as your Savior by faith. That is
what Peter means in his first epistle,
where he speaks of the abundant
mercy" of God.
(3) The Third Step is Refreshing,
shat so there may come seasons of
refreshing from the presence Of the
Lord" 1t suggests agriculture. There
is first the blowing up of the ground
and sowing of the Seed that is re-
pentance. Then there is termination
and the coming 5up of the blade, then
that is the blotting out of sin, and the
entrance Of the sinner upon q new
life. But following this there must
be the refreshing showers of rain to
keep everything green, and to bring
the life to it's complete and beautiful
fruition.
And so in the spiritual life, God who
begins the good work in us continues
it. After we are saved and forgiven,
he does not leave us to ourselves, but
provides for our growth in grace and
In his knowledge. Times of refresh
ing are sent from his presence. On
the day Of Pentecost such refresh
ing came when the disciples were
filed with the Holy Spirit. Later ON
they were filled again. The same spir-
1t came on them of Samaria, upon Cor
neIius and his household, and upon
the young Christians at Ephesus. The
history of true revivals in all the CEN
turtles has been q fulfillment of this
promise. They have been times of re-
freshing to mems souls. Every sim
cere Christian of long experience can
look back over the years and count
the times when God has seemed to
open the windows of heaven to him
and poured out blessings on his soul.
It is for such time of refreshing we
plead every time we sing that familiar
verse,
Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove,
With all thy Quickening powers;
Kindle fame Of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours.
oh, for such time of refreshing to
come now in the heart of every Chris
tian thus addressed What treasure
on earth is comparable with such
fresh breath from heaven!
f4) Finally, There is Reward, shat
he may send the Christ who hath
been appointed for you, even Jesus"
The coming of Jesus again is certain
event of the future, and how near it is
none of us can know. To the wicked
| and unbelieving it is time of wrath
and Of fear, but to them who have
come to God through him, it is the
time of their salvation in the fullest
sense. II is the time of resurrection
IL they have died, and dead or alive
| when he comes, 1t Is the time of their
| glorihcation with him. It is the time
OF their reward, for then will he set
up his kingdom.
oh. who that has never done so will
| be persuaded today, thus to turn to
God? Who will be moved by the ten
der pleadlngs Of his mercy towards US
1 in Jesus Christ? ~Today, If We hear
his voice. harden not your hearts."