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 "I
am continually amazed by the number of brethren who assert that
the only thing of which one out of Christ is guilty is what they
call the "sin of unbelief." By this they mean that
they are sinners because they do not believe on Jesus Christ as
the Son of God, and are not baptized. This is unfounded
assumption.
A
major passage used, that is supposed to teach the above idea, is
Jn. 16:8-9. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world
of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: of sin, because
they believe not on me..." So it is said that the only sin
of which the world is guilty is that of not believing on Jesus,
and that the Holy Spirit was to reprove the world of this only.
Well, we will notice how the Holy Spirit carried this out....
In
Acts 10:34-35 Peter said, "Of a truth I perceive that God
is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth
him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Then
in vs. 42-43 he further said, "And he commanded us to
preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was
ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give
all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Notice:
righteousness, judgment and sins — plural. Turning next to
Acts 17:30-31, we find Paul saying to the Athenians, "And
the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth
all men everywhere to repent; because he hath appointed a day in
the which he will judge the world in righteousness..." Note
here that there is judgment, righteousness, and repentance from
idolatry. Then in Acts 24:25, "As he reasoned of
righteousness,
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temperance, and judgment to come, Felix
trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time..." Note
that here is righteousness, temperance, and judgment. We have
found that in three instances of the preaching of the Holy
Spirit, he has convicted men of sins, idolatry, and
intemperance, as well as concerns righteousness and judgment.
These then must point out the fulfillment of John 16:8-9.
Further
proof is found in Eph. 5:113, a portion of which we present
here. "For this we know that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man
deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience... And have
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them." Here are things of which those in darkness,
those out of Christ, are guilty. It is BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS
that God's wrath comes upon them... Notice also that we are to
reprove them. This is the same word of Jn. 16:8-9 that tells us
that the Holy Spirit will REPROVE the world because of sin. The
only conclusion then is that the people of the world are guilty
of far more than just not believing Christ to be the Son of
God." By Maurice Barnett
————————–
Digested
from a Borger, TX. bulletin of several years past. We regret
having to shorten such fine material.
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