The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-01-11

! 'oiii' pesan MS puOllc ministry in the
summer of a. d. 26 and the baptism of
Jesus probably took place in January
"A. ID. q, The delegation from Jerusn-
lem to interview John must have mn.
penred along toward the latter part of
February.
L. John the Witness wv. 15-1s).
! johns ministry created great excite
| ment. The people We're in expectancy.
All classes were reasoning rs TO who
| this strnnge but mnrvelously forceful
man might be. Some thought perhaps
/ he was the Christ U.uke 3:15). TO
settle this question committee was
sent to Jerusalem to investigate.
| Malachi, the prophet has suggested the
coming of Elijah (NIal. :5) before the
Messiah should come, anu another
prophecy Indicated that the prophet
should be like unto Moses (Deut.
/ 1S:1G-1S). John freely confesses to
! tffs delegation that he is not the
Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet pre-
dicted by Moses. How foolish and
silly are those modern ones who pro-
/ fess to be the messenger of the COW
enant or some other fnnciful title, in
! dicating the return of the witness
! which is to precede the coming of
Christ. John exercises humility in the
! way he states his real position though
he does apply to himself the prophecy
or Isaiah QSn. 40 300 which sets forth
what his mission was to be. A voice
can be heard but not seen. With our
bodily eyes we never seq a spirit. No
man ever saw the soul Of his nearest
friend. We do see Cod however, In
his works in his marvellous deliver
ances and his guidance OF the world
and his answers to prayer.
u. John the Baptizer wv. 1920.
AS John had denied shat he was t.i,,
Christ or Elijah. the priests and Lev
ties made bold to question his author
ity at later time (Matt 21-23), and
still later the authority Of the apos-
! ties and the priests (Acts 5 :2S). John
answers them with another display of
his humility. Ills baptism in water
was nothing 10 the baptism of the
coming one (See Matt. 3 II Acts l :5).
Though Christ was in their midst, they
we're blind and did not recognize him.
(Sce w. TO- IL; CHI. $40; 16 :3).
John" baptism of repentance denotes
baptism which lnnitent submitted
10 tiiat he might receive the pledge
ana assurance that his sins were for
given Baptism meant the cleansing
Of the people from past sins that they
might be fitted for entrance into the
Kingdom. Baptism is not conversion.
1t is witnessing and symbol of q
spiritual truth that we are dead unto
sin, and have risen to newneSs of life
.N ilyn 81,
must be not oniy that OF humility but
1T must be really voice with mes
sage from God, one that sounds an un-
mlStakablc note. one that can be heard
Wherever we go, one that will make
! men happier, stronger. Drawer, more
l.kS God. to prepare the way for Christ
In the hearts OF men.
lii. The Witness Of the Spirit wv.
2S-"D. The writer is very expliait.
stating the exact time that these things
occurred, Tor he was an eye witness.
John HrSt teStificS that Jesus was the
Lump or God. referring of course to
the sacrif1cial ln,-b, the atonlng sacri-
nee or the Old Testament (Gen. % :7-S;
Ex. 1913 lisa. ~. AS the Lamb Of
God, Jesus would take away the sins
or the world; thus the thought Is pri-
marily that of ntoncment, n substitu-
ton of another and the deliverance
from the guilt Of sin. The next day
after Johns witness to the delegation
from Jerusalem, he saw Jesus coming
unto him. and said to the assembled
people, Behold the Lamb Of God"
This refers not so much to his charac.
ter, that of innocence, meekness and
patience. as to his office, his completed
work of atOnement by the sacrIficial
death wherein he takes away the sins
or the world. On the ground of the
Precipitation for sin which Jesus
wrought Il John 2:2; Matt. 20 :28: II
Cor. :2l;. Gal. 3:13) sin Is removed
from the sinner as far as the East IS
from the West. God dealt in mercy
with men before Chrst's time because
OF the lamb which was slain from the
foundation Of the world (Rev. 1919,
llere John says that at first he did NOT
recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but he
does pear record that he saw the
spirit descending at his baptism. and #
abode upon him.
The work Of Christ Is for the whole
world till NIL Its sin IS removed.
he is actually removing sin from the
world, and when he comes again. sin
Will be banished. Luke's record odda
that this same Messiah Is to bapt1zc
with the Holy Ghost and fire.
Christians are to be on fire for God
Inc gift of the holy spirit at Pente.
cost was the first and most manifest
expression Of this power Of Christ who
ho n