The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-06-28

n to know, and b
the believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ II is said. 81 write
unto you, little children, because your
sins are forgiven you for his name
sake" 2:12).
Perhaps someone reading these
words has never had his sins forgiven.
He is carrying the burden Of his guilt
and knows nothing Of the soy and
peace in believing in the Lord Jesus
Christ. To such a one comes the
words Of Paul. BE II known unto you
therefore, men and brethren. that
through this man Is preached unto you
the forgiveriess Of sins: And by him
all that believe are justified from all
things, from which ye could not be
justified BY the law of Moses" tActs
IL :2s-29). II IL possible, you see from
this, for an unbeliever TO believe In
the Lord Jesus Christ and have at
once the forgiveness of sin and to
know that his sins are forgiven him.
The Way Of Cleansing.
Then notice next that this epistle
tells us OF the provision made for the
believers cleansing from the defile-
ment Of sin. This Is set before us In
the first chapter. seventh verse, where
we read. "The blood OF Jesus Christ.
his Son. cleanseth US from all sim"
The word "cleanseth" makes II clear
that there Is a continual process ever
going on In the believers life by
which he is made clean from sin. In
two ways God has provided for the be-
LEVERS cleansing: First, through the
blood Of Jesus Christ; and. secondly,
through his Word. We have the first
method mentioned above: the second,
when Jesus said to his disciples, Nov
are ye clean through the word which I
have spoken unto you" and in Ephe-
SLAMS FIVE, where we read Of the "wash-
ing Of the water by the word. The
ever-present cleansing. which IL the
believers through the blood os Christ,
is paspetual In Its effect and assures
him that before God in Christ he is
cleansed. The cleansing by the Word
has 70 do with his daily walk, and In
meawire as the believer permits the
Holy Spirit to apply the Word to Ms
life It cleanses and keeps him from
the Jsfilement Of sin.
Complete DeIIveraneA.
TkVn we come to the third fact,
which tells us how we may be deliv-
cred from the power Of sin. these
things write I unto you that ye may
not sin" (Revised Version 2:1l. When
we face this truth we face one Of the
most solemn truths In the Word Of
God. We may have been afraid Of II
because we have known certain teach
Ing that has led into grave error, and
no Q result we draw back when any
one talks about the possibility Of the
believer not SHINING. but what Ia the
Of this expression -may
not SIM" II II does not mean that
there is for the believer deli, erance In
this life from the power Of sin.
II is very evident from the context
that the apostle is not teaching the
Of sin when he says may
not sin." for he says. III we say we
have no sin Chat is the root or prin-
riple of SIM we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not In u.s." But In the
face of this fact that sin is In US, the
apostle says "these things write I'M
10 you that We may not sim" By
his he means the practice Of sin. and
20 he thus sets before us the posi-
)ility Of the believer being delivered
rom the practice Of sin. Well may we
lsk. "Howr The answer is, ''through
Christ"
Our Advocate.
But what II we should sin, Is there
my provision for usf Yes. says the
apostle, 'if any man sin we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
he righteous" cad. This blessed
is made not that we may sin,
tut In case we do sin. Just as the life
,oats are placed on the transatlantic
iners not that they may go down. but
or use In case they do go down; and
10 II we fall into sin, the apostle tells
Is what to do In the words: IF we
'onfess our sins. he is faithful and
ust to forgive us our sins and to
leanse us from all unrighteousness"
I :9). Our part in the restoration into |
fellowship Is to confess our sin. re-
that before God stands our
advocate who pleads by his presence
ur case. The ideal, however. for our
Ives is for US not to practice sin. We
re altogether too ready 10 excuse our
elves on the ground Of our sinfulness.
nd so we set low standard for our
ives. Gods ideal for us Is that we
In not. Have we made II our ideal
or our livesf II so, let us look to the
ord Jesus Christ. who by his divine
over Is able 10 overcome sin within