LAWTON CHURCH OF GOD, LAWTON,
OKLAHOMA
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Chapter 6
BIBLE PROOF OF INBRED SIN (I)
The
Two Sin Offerings; The Twofold Presentation Of The Blood; The Fountain Of
Cleansing; The Purging Fire; “The Stony Heart.” Some
writers have said that, while there is no a verse or passage of Scripture that
teaches by direct statement a second work of grace, yet that the books of the
New Testament are written in recognition of such a work; and, taken as a whole,
are an exhortation to the believer to press on and obtain the grace. We
believe that the second work is taught in both ways: laid down in a general way,
as just mentioned, but also taught specifically in verse and passage. In
like manner inbred sin is taught in both ways. It is shown up in the different
books of the Bible by a recognition and admission of the evil, and by
exhortations and directions in regard to its removal. We
marvel that a man can read the New Testament and not see the distinct
recognition of the evil nature left in the believer, and be impressed with the
urgent appeals and commands to press on to a certain and blessed deliverance. No
goal was ever plainer before the eyes of the racer than the possibility of the
obtainment of purity and perfect love in this life is made to shine before the
gaze of the regenerated man. With
these prefatory remarks, let us see where we can find the “remainder of
iniquity” taught in the Bible. Inbred
sin is first recognized in the Levitical rites of the Old Testament, in the
requirement of two different kinds of animals in the sacrifice for sin—viz.,
the bullock and the goat. The goat is a coarser and ranker animal than the
bullock. In this way God is pleased to call attention to and illustrate a
deeper, darker, ranker nature of sin than is seen in the life of personal
transgression. There is a stratum of evil underlying one’s actual sins,
concerning the existence of which the man is again and again admonished in his
own consciousness. The bullock stands for personal sins and guilt; the goat
represents that darker something called depravity or original sin. Again
inbred sin is recognized in the twofold presentation of “the blood.” Let
the reader turn to Let
the reader also note this truth taught again by observing that the priest
entered the Holy Place with blood, and when once a year he entered the Holy of
Holies beyond the veil, he had to go back to the altar and get blood again and
fire. Here was a twofold presentation of the typical blood in the tabernacle or
temple, one in the outer and the other in the inner sanctuary. What
is all this but the truth shadowed forth that the blood of Christ is needed and
has to be offered or appropriated twice? It was in the Holy of Holies that the
second presentation of the blood took place, and then and there the coals of
fire brought in at the same time. It is when the blood of Christ is trusted for
the second work of purifying or sanctifying that we get the fire upon the soul. Inbred
sin is recognized again in the double work done by the fountain opened up in the
house of David, as described by The
word “and,” which we have italicized, is a copulative conjunction, and means
that something else is done. The fountain of Christ’s blood does a double
work. It cleanses our personal sins, and it can remove the uncleanness of an
inherited depravity. This uncleanness is felt to be left in every converted man,
manifesting itself in thoughts, desires, imaginations, inclinations,
selfishness, irritability, intolerance, and in many other ways. Again
inbred sin is taught clearly in the experience of Isaiah. In the first eight
verses of the sixth chapter of the book called by his name, nothing could be
clearer. Isaiah at the time was the prophet of God, and while in the That
it was not personal transgression is seen in the declaration that it was
“purged” and “taken away.” Personal sins have to be forgiven, and the
soul is cleansed by the washing of regeneration; but inbred sin is purged away
by the baptism of fire, which was the very element God used in this case. The
coal of fire from the altar touched him, the flame flew through him, and the
thrilling announcement of deliverance was instantly made: “Lo, thine iniquity
is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Inbred
sin appears again in Let
the reader turn to this passage and read the entire paragraph, verses 23–28.
Several things will at once impress the thoughtful mind; one is that the prophet
was not speaking of regeneration at all, but describing a blessing that God was
going to give his people in the future. There has not been a time that men have
not been justified and regenerated. The patriarchs and prophets were men of God.
Ezekiel himself was a servant of the Lord of the profoundest spirituality, as
can be seen in his writings. Yet here he is speaking of a great coming blessing.
The
twenty-third verse shows conclusively that not regeneration but sanctification
was in the mind of the prophet when he spoke of the cleansing from all
filthiness, and the removal of the stony heart. The verse reads: “And the
heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be
sanctified in you before their eyes.” This is the trouble today in regard to
the mission work, the Church before the eyes of the heathen is not sanctified.
The reason that God does not project us in great bodies into the heart of Asia
and Besides
this the very terms used in the passage, “all filthiness” cleansed, “all
idols” taken out, all show that regeneration is not spoken of; for Paul
distinctly says that filthiness of flesh and spirit is left in the regenerated;
and we all recognize plainly in the converted man the idols of family, self,
reputation, position, ambition, etc. The
crowning proof is seen in the expression, “stony heart.” This is felt to be
left in the regenerated. There is a universal witness to this. What
is meant by the stony heart? The Bible, of course, does not teach that there is
an actual rock in the breast, but is speaking figuratively. A stone is something
cold, hard, and heavy. Has the converted man at times a cold, hard, heavy
feelings in his soul? Who will dare to deny it? It
is not felt all the time. Some days the heart is light, tender, and warm. But
suddenly, and at the most unexpected and undesirable of times, the stone is felt
inside. The very gladness of others may bring it about. It is realized under
some proposition from the pulpit. It leaps into being while kneeling at the
altar. It has been strangely observed at the communion table just when one
wanted to feel deeply. It arises at other times in the breast without any known
cause. A
leading member and steward of a large city church said once to the author:
“Your sermon greatly touched me, but when you invited us to the altar my heart
turned as cold as a stone!” O, the stony heart! One
of the most prominent women in a The
regenerated man who reads these lines knows that he has that stony heart. Child
of God as he is, yet a hard nature is left in him or his own consciousness, and
the experience of the Christian world amounts to nothing. Ezekiel
says that there is a blessed work of grace in which that “stony heart” shall
be taken out. If God’s children still feel it remaining, then is there a
blessing to be had that they have not yet obtained; for the prophet says that it
shall be taken out. Notice
that the stony heart is to be “taken out,” not suppressed or kept under. If
taken out, we will certainly know it. Observe also that it is God who removes
the trouble from the soul; not growth, not death, not purgatory. Listen! it is
God speaking: “I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh.”
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