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The Country Baptist Church Newsletter February 08, 2009 Pastor: Bro. Harace Hammond Pastor E-Mail: cbcpastor@toast.net Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/cbc. "The Voice Of The Country Church" |
| You Were Asked To
Pray For: Larry Platt, Bro. Archie & Barbara Griffin, Waylon & Pat Abercrombie with their daughter and son, Randy & Donna Johnson, Loyce Smith, Junior & Edna Potts, Roberta Bruce and family, Barbara Fails, Jim & Linda Meier, Dina and The Boys, Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia, Kathy Rosinbaum, Don & Wynell Hammond, Brenda Galusha, Baby Tucker Walker, Helen Stone, Bro. & Mrs. Pinson, Leta Ellis, Chet Reagan, Sidney Strawn, Amanda Tomlin, Brother Keith & Susie Kennison, Helen Rowe, Kimberlee McCool, Brother David and Anne Shortt, Jewell Mathis, Justin Horne, Janette Sims; Richard Swan, Jean and Cheryl, Letha Langford, David Ellis and family, Beatrice and Virgil Young, Gwen Davis, Allison Rodgers Clay, Angela Hutson, Tiffany and Shannon Lemmon, Bob Ellis, Elaine Woodall, Reese Carrington, Jack Whittle, Ronda Douglass, Nancy, Rosa Tomlin, Pastor and Sister Hammond, Katie Fitch and Stephaine, Sarah Dooherty, Charlene Meyers, Scott & Gina, Sue and Otis Steward, Mark Ralston, Fay Johnson, Bro. Frank Pittman, and all of our Troops and their Families. |
| ORIGINAL SIN: Sin is not a subject that is prominent in modern theology, for it is contrary to a great deal of the proud modern beliefs, and consequently, no mere time-serving preacher will dare to present it to the congregation he serves lest he offend some one’s tender sensibilities. Yet this has long been one of the most fundamental and important doctrines of the Scriptures, for it lies at the very basis of so many others. For if there was no original sin, then there is no inherited sinful nature in man, no need for a redemption from sin, no need for a crucified Christ, no work therefore for the churches to do, and so a great deal of Christian belief and practice is made senseless in one stroke. But the Scriptures leave no room for any one to deny this great and weighty doctrine, for one of the earliest revelations is concerning original sin, and all the rest of the Scriptures assume the truth of this, and are actually built upon it. Len G. Broughton says: We cannot dwell too much upon the fact that the race of Adam since the fall of man has been under the curse and penalty of sin. There is where every man is today who is not a Christian. It does not take any Bible to prove that man is a depraved being. The history of the race proves it. Our own experience proves it. There is not a man in the world who does not know that the inclinations of the natural man are toward evil. It is a struggle to go the other way. The natural tendency is toward that which is evil. That is true of the race everywhere. —Salvation And The Old Theology, p. 50. Hodder And Stoughton Publishers, London, no date. The book of Genesis is, as its name implies, a book of "beginnings," and it sets forth in the third chapter, the beginning of sin in the human race; here we find then "original sin," and the great chaos which was wrought by the first sin of man. Of course, many now deny the historic value of the book of Genesis, and claim that it is nothing more than a collection of myths, which are intended to teach, in a parabolic form, some truth, but which cannot be taken literally. It will be observed, and significantly so, we trust, that those who deny the literal truth of Genesis, are almost without exception also those who deny the doctrine of original sin. This is natural, for the two either stand or fall together, and the denial of the truth of the first book of the Bible is simply man’s endeavor to get rid of the problem of original sin, for if there is no original sin, then man is not a fallen and depraved creature, he is not lost and headed for hell, and consequently does not need a Saviour. This is the very claim that evolutionists make, for they say that man has developed over millions of years from a creature of the slime, that he still retains much of the nature of the beast, and therefore is not accountable for acting like an animal. But when people are taught that they are animals as an excuse for their sinfulness, they will continue to act like animals; the truth is that evolutionists are willing to literally make monkeys of themselves in order to get rid of the problem of their sinfulness before God, and their responsibility to Him. Romans 1 shows that man’s bestial actions are a direct result of his rejection of the truth of God. But the denial of the historic truth of the book of Genesis in no way
affects the truth; all it does is blind man to that truth, and so leaves
him in a worse condition, for in denying the Divine diagnosis of his
condition, he cuts himself off from the Divine remedy for it. But so far
from the book 0f Genesis being of minor value, as is held by many, it is
a book of beginnings, and is fundamental to our understanding all of the
rest of the Scriptures. Yea, more, Genesis is necessary, not only for
man’s proper understanding of the rest of the Bible, but even for the
right understanding of himself. The third chapter of Genesis gives the
why and the wherefore of much of the doings of man in the rest of the
Bible, and in history. Man has no way of understanding why he has the
sinful propensities that he so evidently has except by this revelation
of the fall of man, and his consequential depraved nature. Non-Christian
psychiatrists have long attempted to explain man’s actions apart from
his fallen and totally depraved nature, and they have always signally
failed, and in many instances they have only condoned and confirmed him
in his sinfulness by their "help." A great deal of the present
lawlessness and ungodliness may be traced directly to the corrupt
teachings of psychiatrists, and it is not our intention by this to throw
a blanket condemnation aver all psychiatrists, for there are those who
are Christians, and who teach a Biblically based psychiatry. But what
most people do not realize is that psychiatry (from Greek psyche—soul,
and iatreia—healing) is the treatment of the soul, and the very first
step in this is to get the soul rescued from its fallen and dead
condition. Without this, psychiatry is working at the wrong end, and can
never accomplish any lasting good. By: Davis W. Huckabee From his article "Original Sin" |
| A Thought For The
Week:
"Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." (Prov. 2:3-5) Verse three speaks to the need of holy passion. It is one thing to desire knowledge and understanding, but quite another thing to be consumed with a "must have" passion. To know and to understand, as if to think with God, demands a relentless pursuit yoked with a groaning of the spirit toward the heart and mind of the Father. It is not simply "Ask and ye shall receive," but it is the "Why?" of the asking. What is the motivating factor? What purpose inspires and prompts the asking? Is it mere curiosity or self-gain? Is it holy love passionately seeking to know and to understand more intently the object of that "agape" – high and holy love? We must have passion! Verse four speaks to the need of holy zeal. How valuable is the correct knowledge and understanding of God to you? This must be a personal question with a personal answer, because it will determine what degree of zeal you are willing to expend to have a closer relationship with the Father. It is amazing how much zeal is burned up on mundane earthly "stuff" that has no eternal value. What one values the most in life is what he spends his time and energies to gain. The Apostle Paul wrote: "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." (Phil. 3:8) Holy zeal consumed Paul to pursue holy treasure. We need holy zeal. Verse five speaks to the gain of holy reward. When there is honorable purpose with holy passion and eternal value with holy zeal, the heavenly Father unveils His heart and mind. The holy rewards are: 1) "understanding the fear of the LORD" – that is, the "who? where? what? when? why? and how?" of the fear of the LORD; 2) "and find the knowledge of God." – that is, the knowledge pertaining to God and the knowledge possessed by God. There are precious pearls hidden from the eyes of the average and mediocre. Holy rewards are given for holy passion and holy zeal. By: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr. |
| Happy Birthday:
Verda Carrington February 13th |