The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-05-19

and feastings, but
the trouble be-
tween them and God was not removed.
1t was fortunate for them that they
had some religious leaders that knew
things spiritual, and who were faithful
In telling the people that they We're
not doing what was pleasing to God
at all.
Charge of WorIdIiness.
If the application of these words
were made to the church today, which
would be very proper, the charge
would not be wise If 1t were made In
the form of details or the naming of
peccadillos of improper conduct, but
If the church were charged with world
illness, with betrayal Of pure doctrine,
with robbery as far as Withholding Of
ferings to God are concerned, then
the charge would attract attention.
The church of God today in its sinful
condition stands as buffer between
God and the unsaved world. A great
load of guilt is on it today on this par
ticular account. 1t is misrepresen-
tation of what Christ and his religion
tare. The world does not today read
Christ properly because 1t reads the
lperverted message of Christ that the
Ichurch presents in its life.
But the shortcomings of the church
will not redeem any unsaved man, nor
llbe an excuse for not getting right with
IlGod. Here. every tub must stand on
asfsSeEsh bssttons What is wrong with
the unsaved man? Simply that he is
iout Of right relationship with God:
there Is lack of adjustment. A man
can fence all he pleases, and try to
L.throw the blame on God, but ultimate
| 1y the trouble Is with himself. His
sins have separated between him and
God, and these must be got out of
the way. God must be faithful to
man, aud to show his love he says
| through his minister's "Your sins
have hid his face from you that he
will not hear"
| Gods Part and Mans.
/ The charging of sin is Gods part /;
! the confessing Of sin is mans part.
Fortunately, the people to whom the
prophet spoke needed his word, and
we read that they made detailed con-
| fession. Confession is in a way
| the same thing as repentance, and
/ some men have shown themselves to
/ be strong in repentance, indeed, there
i is no explanation Of their standing be-
/ fore God, except conceding that they
| knew how to repent. We have David
and Peter as examples. Such confess
i sion is coming out candidly and &C
| cepting the righteousness of the charge
/ of God. God has passed judgment, his
charge is made and man must, like one
4 Of ancient times, acknowledge the
i charge in order that God may be JUS
4 titled when he speaks and be clear
when he Judges. We might note In
this part Of the confession that the in
dividual says "his sins are multiplied
before him"--that is, they are in ar
exaggerated form, really what they
IRE, as compared with what he has
heretofore considered them to be. III
comedies, also, that his sins belong t.
himself.
The need of the day in which we
find ourselves is confession, nationa
confession, church confession, indiyid
ual confession. Some nations today
are on their knees. They are on theil
way to true blessing because they are
going to get right with God. The or
ganized church is hardly on it's fee
yet, and 1t is slipping further and fur
Their away from the truth Of God, ant
not until 1t gets to it's knees and con
fesses its attachment to the world, it
departure from truth. its failure t.
understand Its true mission, will i
have Gods favor.
The Blessing.
The inevitable follows confession o
sin, namely, blessing. In the text W,
, are told that the Redeemer shall com
/ to Zion. The trouble with the wDrlC
and with the church and the individ
. ual is, that the Redeemer is not pres
emf. This coming OF the Redeeme
a may fairly be considered in the frs
4 place as spiritual coming. The idea
i situation is expressed BY the term In
manuel, which means ."God with us,
:, but God cannot be with us IL we hol
to our sins and do not confess and for
n sake them. God remains away froI
nations and churches and individual
q is far as his blessings are concerned
who do not confess their sins and II
turn TO him.