From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"Even thou wast as one of them." --Obadiah 1:11
Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to Israel in the time of need, but
instead thereof, the men of Esau made common cause with Israel's foes.
Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the word thou; as
when Caesar cried to Brutus, "and thou Brutus"; a bad action may be all
the worse, because of the person who has committed it. When we sin, who
are the chosen favorites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis; ours is a
crying offence, because we are so peculiarly indulged. If an angel should
lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need not use any other
rebuke than the question, "What thou? What dost thou here?" Much
forgiven, much delivered, much instructed, much enriched, much blessed,
shall we dare to put forth our hand unto evil? God forbid!
A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader,
this morning. Hast thou never been as the wicked? At an evening party
certain men laughed at uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether
offensive to thine ear, even thou wast as one of them. When hard things
were spoken concerning the ways of God, thou wast bashfully silent; and
so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them. When worldlings were
bartering in the market, and driving hard bargains, wast thou not as one
of them? When they were pursuing vanity with a hunter's foot, wert thou
not as greedy for gain as they were? Could any difference be discerned
between thee and them? Is there any difference? Here we come to close
quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and make sure that thou art a
new creature in Christ Jesus; but when this is sure, walk jealously, lest
any should again be able to say, "Even thou wast as one of them." Thou
wouldst not desire to share their eternal doom, why then be like them
here? Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into their ruin.
Side with the afflicted people of God, and not with the world.
"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." --1 John 1:7
"Cleanseth," says the text--not "shall cleanse."
There are multitudes who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon.
Oh! how infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare
possibility of forgiveness when I come to die. Some imagine that a sense
of pardon is an attainment only obtainable after many years of Christian
experience. But forgiveness of sin is a present thing--a privilege for
this day, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner trusts Jesus he
is fully forgiven. The text, being written in the present tense, also
indicates continuance; it was "cleanseth" yesterday, it is "cleanseth"
to-day, it will be "cleanseth" tomorrow: it will be always so with you,
Christian, until you cross the river; every hour you may come to this
fountain, for it cleanseth still. Notice, likewise, the completeness of
the cleansing, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin"--not only from sin, but "from all sin." Reader, I cannot tell you
the exceeding sweetness of this word, but I pray God the Holy Ghost to
give you a taste of it. Manifold are our sins against God. Whether the
bill be little or great, the same receipt can discharge one as the other.
The blood of Jesus Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the
transgressions of blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving
John; our iniquity is gone, all gone at once, and all gone for ever.
Blessed completeness! What a sweet theme to dwell upon as one gives
himself to sleep.
"Sins against a holy God;
Sins against His righteous laws;
Sins against His love, His blood;
Sins against His name and cause;
Sins immense as is the sea-
From them all He cleanseth me."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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