The Humbling Presence of Jesus
Beloved Brethren and Friends.--Let us thank and praise the Lord that where we have been blessed to meet in Jesus' name we have enjoyed His humbling presence. How shall I express my love for God and for His beloved people? Oh, brethren, I am unworthy of your kindness and God's mercy; but let me place my love at your feet and give you my hand and heart to spend and be spent for Jesus and for you. Surely we now have special need to pray for more brotherly love and a deeper interest in Christ and His church. During the new year I hope you will pray more in your families and be obedient in all things; for prayer and obedience will increase our interest. Then as much as possible be prompt in your prayer meetings, and "abstain from every appearance of evil." Pray unto the Lord for me that in thought and act I may live a purer life. The brethren at Farmersville were specially blessed with the Spirit's presence. Dear old Brother Thompson confessed that he was much confused and led off by the "Sinless purity" claimants. He was gladly and Warmly received. I feel like I want to show my love to him and to all the saints. May God bless and keep us all from being "carried about with every wind of doctrine." "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Praise the Lord we "are kept by the power of God." I Pet. i. 5. The Bible doctrine of Sanctification or holiness is as comfortable a truth as election or predestination, and the Old Baptists believe and rejoice in it. Eph. i. 4; II Thess. ii. 13. And let me meekly warn you that the "sinless purity" claim is unholiness or sinful, for it contradicts God's Word that "There is no man which sinneth not." II Chron. vi. 36. All believers have been sanctified in heart or spirit by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. And through Christ we obey. the Lord, strive against sin, and keep under our body, thought imperfectly done. However, we shall never be sinlessly pure until our "vile body" shall be changed and raised incorruptible. Phil. iii. 21; I Cor. xv. 42. Now, if you say you have no sin let me humbly remind you that when you deny the doctrine of election, you sin. You also sin against God when you deny predestination, special atonement, or any other part of God's Word. "Sinless purity" claimants disobey God's commands to be baptized and observe the Lord's supper, and yet they have no sin. Let all who reject the truth beware, lest "For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.” II Thess. ii. 11. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John i.8. Here you see the truth is not ion the man who claims that he has no sin. He sins by saying that he has no sin. He who sins as a rule of life is unchanged, or yet under the reign of sin. Such a person is “of the devil.” Thus, it appears that if we delight and continue in sin, we are not born again. Yes, every loving believer on Christ is sanctified. Sanctification or holiness is the first spiritual blessing we receive, after which we receive many more. Our soul or spirit is sanctified or made pure at the new birth, which is expressed by acts of body and mind. Our body shall be made perfectly pure at its resurrection. We have no desire to sin, for we have had our “fill of sin.” While we are not yet clear of sin we are free from it. “Now being made free from sin and become servants to God,” etc. Rom vi.22. We are free from in that we are no longer under its kingly reign or dominion, for we read, “Sin shall not have dominion over you.” Rom. vi.14. And “as sin hath reign unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Here you see we are not under the reign of sin, but we are under the reign of grace. Now as the man who walks the rope fails of perfection and yet exerts every muscle, so my brethren, though our strength be small, let us watch and pray and trust God, and use every exertion to walk uprightly. While it is written, "Ye cannot do the things that ye would" Or render perfect obedience, we will succeed better when we try than when we don't try. May we all, like Mary, do what we can. Let us check evil thoughts and wrong ways. Let us try to avoid light laughter, jesting and foolish talking, and all evil speaking. May we through the Spirit confess or mortify our faults, keep under our body, grow in grace and abound yet more in love and obedience. Beloved, let us read the Bible more, and pray more earnestly. For the more prayerfully we maintain brotherly love and all good works, the more we shall be blessed to sup with Jesus, and enjoy the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit. Oh then "be ye holy" for Jesus is holy. And, you are "sanctified by God the Father," Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, “through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience." I Pet. i. 2. "Wherefore, holy brethren," (Heb. iii. 1) "may the very God of peace Sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole Spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Your unworthy brother in love, Wylie, Tex. M.D. DENMAN |
