Let none of them escape. {#1Ki 18:40} When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, “Let none of them escape.” He took them all down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there. So it must be with our sins — they are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Do not spare it for its much crying. Strike, though it is as dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon his own Son. With stern unflinching purpose you must condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin given to you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even to the end. If you wish to triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the exposure of sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself, and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is often becoming tarnished. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us flee to our God, he is a consuming fire; he will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God stir us up to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in his sight. Go out to battle with Amalek, in his strength, and utterly destroy the accursed crew: let none of them escape.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 10:27:58 +0000