With a desire to help the "babes in Christ" the following is sent forth, looking to our Lord for blessing.

I. SIN.

A clear knowledge of the Scriptural teaching as to sin is necessary for a correct apprehension of the need and efficacy of the atonement made by our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. The following verses will show, in some measure at least, these facts.

What is sin, and who are sinners ? Without entering into any analytical definition of the sense of the word or words, as given in the original texts, we will confine ourselves to the meanings as given in our excellent English versions.

I. "Sin is the transgression of the law," or more correctly as given in the Revised Version, "sin is lawlessness" (i Jno. 3:4). "Lawlessness" is in-subjection; disregard to authority; a lack of sense of responsibility; self-will, as seen in "the way of Cain," as recorded in Gen. 4:1-5. He had no respect for God's claims and requirements for sin, and God "had not respect" to his offering. Read the entire chapter and carefully note the result of all this :

ver. 5. anger in the heart, shown by the very expression of his face;

ver.8. murder;

ver.9. falsehood and speaking against God;

ver. 13.reproaching God, etc. ;

while the remaining verses show man without subjection to God, trying to make the best of the world. City building, land cultivation, cattle raising, pleasure seeking, scientific experiment and research, yet "lawlessness" marks the period. Pharaoh is another illustration (Ex. 5:i). The history of the book of Judges is also a sad picture, the key to which is in the fact, " every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). See Proverbs 14:12. Ecclesiastes 8:11-13. Romans 1:21-25. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.

2. "All unrighteousness is sin" (i Jno. 5:17). Unrighteousness is the sense here, and the standard is God's estimate of what is right or wrong, not man's; therefore every thing which is not fully up to God's standard of right is sin. Who can measure up to the standard? Romans 3:23 says, "All …. have come short;" and " Tekel; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" (Daniel 5:27), can be as truthfully written about reader and writer, as of king Belshazzar (Ps. 14:1-2; 53:1-3; Rom. 3:10; James 2:10).

Notwithstanding all this, how truly it is written in Prov. 21:2 :" Every way of a man is right in his own eyes:but the Lord pondereth the hearts." How foolish then in poor man to boast, or bolster up his hopes of favor with God upon natural merit (Rom. 10:3; 2 Pet. 2:10-15; Isa. 64:6; 6:5; Luke 18:10-14).

3. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). Many who are approached concerning their state of soul, say, " Yes, I know what is right, but I don't do it;" to such the above warning might well apply, although in its more special manner it refers to believers. But why cite more passages which tell of the awful inherency of sin, and its display in our actions? Many can be found in the word of God (Prov. 10:16; 21:4; 24:9; John 16:9, etc.) The earliest recorded sin, is given in 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6, "the angels which kept not their first estate"; and Satan, whom John 8:44 and Ezek. 28:13-19 refer to, was the introducer of sin into the garden, (Gen. 3:1-7) and so Rom. 5:12 was the result, making it true of every child of Adam, as Rom. 3:10-19, 23 show. "But the Scripture hath, concluded (shut up R. V.) all under sin" (Gal. 3:22. See also Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Eph. 4:18; Rom. 8:7. 8; Rom. 3:9; 2:ii; 3:22, etc.),

4.What is the result of sin, and of being a sinner?

"The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), 1:e. separation from God. When God placed Adam in the garden, the warning was, "in the day that them eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17), and expulsion followed as a result of disobedience, as seen in Gen. 3:Of course, there is more than physical death in Rom. 6:23. By a careful comparison of John 8:24 with 21, the truth may be seen as to banishment from God's presence forever; for He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil" (Hab. 1:13). And when it is seen that "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12), what can be done, or excuse made? Notice it is an "account of himself," not of others. We could give a record readily of the good actions, or evil deeds of others, but what of our own?-"every one" "account of himself." "Unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile" (Rom, ii, 8, 9; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:8; James 1:15; i Cor. 6:9, 10; Mark 8:43-48; Matt. 25:45, 46).

Such is the awful result of sin, and inevitable consequence to a sinner who passes out of this world unrepentant. How sweet then sounds the gospel of God's grace; "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country " (Prov. 25:25). And such the gospel is, " The angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy " (Luke 2:10, 11). And the apostle Paul catches the heavenly strain, as in i Cor. 15:1-4 he writes, "I declare unto you, the gospel . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," and he assures them that if they "received" it, ver. 1, they were "saved."

" For God so loved the world (of sinners), that He gave His only begotten Son, (to die for sin, and for sinners) that whosoever (of sinners) believeth on Him, should not perish, (which they must otherwise do) but have (now, a present possession) everlasting life" (John 3:16). B. W. J.